Prescribing The Use Of The Metric System Of Weights And Measures As The Standard Measurement For All Products, Commodities, Materials, Utilities And Services And In All Business And Legal T

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PRESIDENTIAL DECREE No. 187 May 10, 1973

PRESCRIBING THE USE OF THE METRIC SYSTEM OF WEIGHTS AND MEASURES AS THE STANDARD MEASUREMENT FOR ALL PRODUCTS, COMMODITIES, MATERIALS, UTILITIES AND SERVICES AND IN ALL BUSINESS AND LEGAL TRANSACTIONS

WHEREAS, the concurrent usage of different standards of weights and measures in the Philippines abets confusion, waste of time in computations and diversity;

WHEREAS, although the Revised Administrative Code specifies the metric system as the national standard, the use of other weights and measures is allowed by law in certain cases, compounded by customary weights and measures;

WHEREAS, the metric system, which employs decimals, is officially adopted by many countries and even the United Kingdom and the United States are planning to gradually adopt it in lieu of the English system;

WHEREAS, the exclusive use of the metric system will facilitate domestic and foreign trade, avoid unnecessary waste and diversity in manufacturing goods, promote uniformity and simplification of measurements and consistency in calculations, and afford other advantages;...

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Summary of Presidential Decree No. 187

Prescribing the Use of the Metric System of Weights and Measures
- Mandates the exclusive use of the metric system for all products, commodities, materials, utilities, services, and commercial transactions in the Philippines. (Section 1)
- Creates the Metric System Board to oversee the conversion and implementation of the metric system. (Section 2)

Powers and Functions of the Metric System Board:
- Cause the conversion of all weights and measures to their equivalents in the metric system, subject to the President's approval. (Section 3a)
- Draw up a program for the nationwide use of the metric system, including starting dates for different sectors, with the metric system fully adopted by January 1, 1975. (Section 3b)
- Promulgate rules and regulations for implementation, subject to the President's approval, and widely disseminate them. (Section 3c)
- Appoint necessary personnel, giving preference to qualified persons laid off from the government. (Section 3d)
- Create advisory and technical committees and call upon government agencies for assistance. (Section 3e)

Secretariat and Funding:
- The Director of the Bureau of Standards shall serve as the Executive Secretary of the Board. (Section 4)
- An appropriation of Fifty thousand pesos (P50,000.00) is made for the Board's expenses in fiscal year 1974, and the same amount shall be included in the 1975 national budget. (Section 5)

Penalties and Enforcement:
- Violations are punishable by a fine of not more than one thousand pesos or imprisonment for not more than one year, or both, at the court's discretion. (Section 6)
- If the violation was committed by a juridical person, the responsible manager, representative, director, agent, or employee shall also be liable. (Section 6)
- If the offender is an alien, they shall be deported after serving the sentence. (Section 6)

Effectivity and Repealing Clause:
- The decree takes effect upon approval, but entities allowed to use other systems have until the dates fixed for them to use the metric system. (Section 7)
- The Metric System Board shall cease to exist by June 30, 1975. (Section 7)
- Provisions of the Revised Administrative Code and other laws inconsistent with this decree are repealed or amended accordingly. (Section 8)