CIVICO-MORAL AND HISTORICAL ROOTS OF THE PEOPLES PATRIOTIC MOVEMENT

By Emmanuel Q. Yap Reprinted with permission from Muling Pagsilang (October 2003)
In 1939, our country had already emerged from the devastating impact of World War I and the
Great Depression of 1929 but had yet to face the thunderheads of World War II, the military
and economic conflicts among nations led by the United States, Great Britain and Soviet
Union on the one side, and Germany, Italy and Japan on other, whose deadly fallout would kill
millions of men, women and children the world over and destroy cities and national
economies.
Our country, then under the dominion of the United States, was preparing for national
independence. Filipino leaders, to prepare the country for independence, had to equip the
people with strong moral values with which they could survive the raging global military and
economic conflicts with the least casualties and destruction to property.
President Manuel L. Quezon commissioned a group of well-known and highly educated
Filipino patriots to draft what the statesman Dr. Jose P. Laurel would later call the CivicoMoral Code. President Quezon wanted to incorporate the code in his Executive Order No.
217 prescribing certain civic and ethical principles to be taught in all schools and
disseminated to all the Filipinos, the better to prepare them to create and defend a new
nation.
Besides Dr. Laurel, the other members of the Moral Code Committee were Secretary Manuel
A. Roxas, Executive Secretary Jorge C. Bocobo, Assemblyman Norberto Romualdez; Chief
Justice Ramon Avancena was chairman.
The members of the Moral Code Committee assiduously went about the task of seeking and
incorporating the wisdom of their countrymen, past and present, in the final draft the wise
ethical admonitions of the great men of our race from pre-Spanish times to the time of the
Revolution of 1986 and the Philippine-American War, including especially the teachings and
admonitions of Mabini, Bonifacio, Rizal, Jacinto, Lopez Jaena, Luna, Marcelo del Pilar,
Gomez, Burgos and Zamora, Ricarte, Malvar, Rajahs Soliman and Lakandula and many other
nationalist patriots.
This Moral Code provides the ranking moral and philosophical foundation of the Peoples
Patriotic Movement which is now being organized by hundreds of concerned citizens who
earnestly wish to see the establishment of a strong, just, independent, sovereign, democratic
Filipino nation.
The Introduction to the Report of the Moral Code Committee, 1939, and the principal
provisions of the Code, as incorporated in Executive Order No. 217 issued by President
Manuel L. Quezon are hereby reproduced as follows:
"We are engaged in the gigantic task of nation-building in the midst of a troubled and
bewildered world. So that we may succeed in this difficult task, we must forge our people into
a united, patriotic, spirited, God-fearing and contented citizenry; a people inspired by a single
will: the hope that the Philippines may take her rightful place in the family of nations. For this,
we need all the reserve wisdom, all the clear vision, and all the patient devotion of which we

are capable.
A nation, if it is to grow up strong and progressive, must be moved by the force of its own
dynamic moral energy. The seeds of moral discipline must be nurtured from within, not from
without. History teaches us that the rise and fall of nations depend essentially upon the
underlying moral strength of their citizens. And the frantic despair and the spiritual blackout
now experienced by many nations of the world are due primarily to their failure to grasp this
basic fact.
Character means strength and power of will. Character, however may be true or false, right or
wrong, good or evil. In any case, it is the man of character that molds and shapes the
destinies of men and national for weal or for foe. Hence, the transcendental importance of
giving our people the proper and correct character training. As a man thinks, so will he act;
from repeated acts, habits arise, and the accumulation of habits determines a mans
character. Real character makes a man true to God and to his country, faithful to his
conscience and to his principles, and loyal to his fellowmen and to himself.
A man of good moral character makes the best citizen. He is pure in thought, moderate in act,
upright in deed, just in his judgment and prudent in his motives. To form a true man of
character, all the infinite elements that make up the man his desires, and even his fears, his
hatreds, his prejudices all must be controlled, adjusted, integrated and developed into a
composite harmonious and well-balanced personality.
Down through the ages there have been handed down from generation to generation as a
priceless heritage certain traits of character and norms of conduct which have guided the race
in its never-ending search for perfection and self-improvement. The search for the better life is
as old as the instinct of self-preservation. And because man is essentially gregarious, the
rules which he evolved change with changing mores of the times which are determined in
many particulars by economic and social factors that result from his physical environment. It
is the peculiar problem of each generation, therefore to see that the ruling traits or virtues are
strengthened and developed and that they do not degenerate with the erosive impact of
unwholesome modernism or the undermining influence of untried philosophies. It is the
bounden duty of each generation to so balance and synchronize the stimulation of social and
economic forces as to avoid the over-developing of some factors which result in the dwarfing
or suppression of others needed for healthy growth.
The democratic government is often distinguished from the dictatorial government in its
emphasis on the much vaunted principle that the State exists for the individual, rather than
the individual for the State. But paradoxical as it may seem, modern democracies find that
they must, within certain limits, subordinate the individual for the State, if the individual is to
continue to enjoy the privileges that only democracy is in a position to offer. This is because
the true concept of democracy emphasizes not only rights but duties as well. This
compromise with the totalitarian principle is deemed necessary, so that modern democracy
may acquire the much needed efficiency and efficacy consistent with the medium of personal
liberty without which life would not be worth living. What is of paramount importance is that
the citizen should acquire the required balance of liberty and authority in his mind through
education and personal discipline, so that there may be established the resultant equilibrium
which means peace and order and happiness for all.

A Code of Ethics designed to formulate a way of life for free people must perforce be didactic
rather then legislative. It must be based on an appeal to reason and the conscience and not
on any threat of punishment, for the sense of right and the force of tradition often far outweigh
the most exacting legal sanction. It also is evident that such a code must be drawn on the
history and culture of the people for whose benefit it is promulgated. In our quest for
inspiration we must our people to direct their gaze upon our own heroes, our own traditions
and our own history. The genius of our past must kindle the throbbing mind of the present and
unquenchable spirit of the future with its immortal fire.
The object in formulating this Code of Ethics is not to foster exaggerated nationalism, or to
glorify narrow and blind patriotism. The object is higher, purer, and nobler. It is to strengthen
the moral fibers of our youth; to keep alive in the hearts of our citizens the value of ethical
principles; and to proclaim the gospel truth that moral discipline is the only sure road to
national greatness. By these we stand; by these we fall.
Serene and confident, let us pledge ourselves to the task before us. In this labor of love we
have to depend on ourselves alone. Endless days of unrelenting toil and unceasing vigil lie
ahead of us for national greatness never springs from the slime of slothfulness or smug selfcomplacency, but from the crucible of grim struggle and patient industry. Well do we realize
that national and individual progress can be attained only through work, more work, and more
hard work. But we shall prove ourselves equal to the challenge flung against us, though it
may mean the sacrifice of material comfort or personal convenience.
For indeed, one of the traits we seek to develop is unquestioning obedience to our countrys
call, for which cause we shall gladly law down our lives if necessary.
A nation erected upon the impregnable foundation of moral discipline of its citizenry shall
stand erect and defiant through the thundering ages, for it is a house built by loving hands
upon a rock, of which posterity may proudly say: The rains fell, and flood came and the
winds blew, and they beat upon the house, it fell not, for it was founded upon a rock. Have
faith in Divine Providence that guides the destinies of men and nations.
1. Love your country for it is the home of your people, the seat of your affections and the
source of your happiness and well-being. Its defense is your primary duty. Be ready at all
times to sacrifice and die for it if necessary.
2. Respect the Constitution which is the expression of your sovereign will. The government is
your government. It has been established for your safety and welfare.
3. Obey the laws and see that they are observed by all and that public officials comply with
their duties.
4. Pay your taxes willingly and promptly. Citizenship implies not only rights but also
obligations.
5. Safeguard the purity of suffrage and abide by the decisions of the majority.
6. Love and respect your parents.
7. Value your honor as you value your life. Poverty with honor is preferable to wealth with

dishonor.
8. Be truthful and be honest in thought and in action. Be just and charitable, courteous but
dignified in your dealings with your fellowmen.
9. Lead a clean and frugal life. Do not indulge in frivolity and pretense. Be simple in your
dress and modest in your behavior.
10. Live up to the noble traditions of our people. Venerate the memory of our heroes. Their
lives point the way to duty and honor.
11. Be industrious. Be not afraid or ashamed to do manual labor. Productive toil is conducive
to economic security and adds to the wealth of the nation. Rely on your own efforts for your
progress and happiness. Be not easily discouraged. Persevere in the pursuit of your
legitimate ambitions.
12. Do your work cheerfully, thoroughly and well. Work badly done is worse than work
undone. Do not leave for tomorrow what you can do today.
13. Contribute to the welfare of your community and promote social justice. You do not live for
yourselves and your families alone. You are a part of society to which you owe definite
responsibilities.
14. Cultivate the habit of using goods made in the Philippines. Patronize the products and
trades of your countrymen.
15. Use and develop our natural resources and conserve them for posterity. They are the
inalienable heritage of our people. Do not traffic with your citizenship."
Sixty one years have passed since the Moral Code was formulated and addressed to the
Filipino people by the Quezon administration. Today in the year 2000, our country is facing
internal and external social, political and economic problems potentially far more devastating
than the problems it confronted in 1939.
A global economic depression is now threatening all mankind, the nature of which, according
to learned political economists all over the world, could dwarf the Great Depression of 1929
and plunge the whole world into a New Dark Age. The fundamental reason for this economic
peril is the fact that the world economy and most individual national economies are dictated
upon and controlled by those who have the money rather than by those in charge of real
production. A financial bubble that could explode anytime threatens the whole world economy.
The leaders of the world should quickly deflate this bubble to more manageable limits. Or
else
It is now quite difficult to say whether the new economic competition in the world today will not
be settled in armed conflict as had happened in World War I and World War II.
In the year 2000 our country is facing far worse internal social, political, and economic
problems than those it faced in 1939. There is no need to elaborate in this article the litany of
worsening internal problems we are all confronting because these are obvious to every one,

especially the bad economic consequences of the armed conflicts in Mindanao and other
parts of the country and the bad economic consequences on our manufacturing and
agricultural sectors caused by globalization economics.
Our country is a society devastated by 450 years of foreign domination and intervention. It is
a society experts describe as a pro-colonial dispensation on the verge of chaos. It is a society
that continually weakens because it follows a very defective Constitution and follows very bad
laws emanating from it, and because it pursues counter-productive globalization economic
policies. There is over-concentration of political power because our people in general have
failed to imbibe and practice the patriotic teachings our great heroes like the Moral Code of
1939.
Clearly, the only way we can save our country and ourselves from the terrifying difficulties and
perils besetting us today is for all of us to put aside our petty bickering and superfluous
differences, know the historical truth, be knowledgeable, be brave, foster a spirit of national
solidarity, make necessary sacrifices and vigorously move to build a strong nation that will be
anchored on the following indivisible and indispensable Five Pillars:
1. A strong industrialized national economy.
2. A strong, just and democratic government.
3. A strong commitment to universally accepted human values, principles of social justice, and
principles of sustainable development.
4. A strong armed forces for national security; and
5. A strong commitment to the principles of cooperation and reciprocity, respect for
sovereignty and territorial integrity, non-aggression and non- interference in internal affairs,
and peaceful co-existence in the relationship between and among nations.
The building of a strong nation founded on these Five Pillars is the only way to solve the
centuries-old social, political and economic problems rooted in our unrectified colonial past
and which continue to plague us in ever-increasing severity today.
This is also the only way we can possibly survive the ongoing contradictions and rivalries
among powerful nations belonging to different cultures and civilizations.
The non-partisan Peoples Patriotic Movement will purposely propagate the attainment of
these Five Pillars. Our people should therefore wholeheartedly support its growth and
development. All generations of patriotic Filipino citizens in all regions of the country should
join in this vital effort, as this is the key to our survival, security, tranquility and prosperity as a
people and, as members of the Peoples Patriotic Movement, adhere faithfully to the Moral
Code of 1939, the embodiment of the teachings of our great patriotic leaders.
The peoples Patriotic Movement calls on all of us Filipinos, whether with the government or
private sectors, to unite and reconstruct the present socio-political system of which we all are
part of.

We all must help repair the socio-political system now, before we all sink with it. EQY