Charter of the Knights of Rizal
SECOND CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
S. No. 251 Second Session
Republic Act No. 646

AN ACT TO CONVERT THE “ORDEN DE CABALLEROS DE RIZAL” INTO A PUBLIC CORPORATION TO BE KNOWN IN ENGLISH AS “KNIGHTS OF RIZAL” AND; IN SPANISH AS “ORDEN DE CABALLEROS DE RIZAL” AND TO DEFINE ITS PURPOSES AND POWERS.

WHEREAS, a civic organization known as “Orden de Caballeros de Rizal” (Knights of Rizal) was incorporated under the Corporation Law of the Philippines in the year 1916 by patriotic citizens for the following purposes

“(a) To develop the most perfect union among the Filipinos in revering the memory of Dr.Jose Rizal;

“(b) To promote among the associated knights the spirit of patriotism and Rizalian chivalry;

“(c) To study and spread the teaching of Dr. Jose Rizal and keep ever alive his consecrated memory and to make effective his exemplary and exalted principles; and

“(d) To organize the annual festivities in honor of Dr. Jose Rizal.”
WHEREAS, the Knights of Rizal , if officially recognized and vested with appropiate powers, would be a convenient instrumentality by which the teachings of our national hero may be propagated among our people to the end that they emulate and follow his examples; and

WHEREAS, it is necessary to grant legislative Charter to the said Knights of Rizal in order to accord official recognition to it and to enlarge its powers so that it may more fully and more effectively accomplish the laudable purposes for which it was organized: Now, therefore,

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. The present civic organization known as “Orden de Caballeros de Rizal” is hereby converted into a body corporate and politic with powers hereinafter specified, under the name and style of KNIGHTS OF RIZAL and in Spanish as “Orden de Caballeros de Rizal” (hereinafter called the corporation). The principal office of the corporation shall be in the city of Manila, Philippines.

SECTION 2. The purposes of this corporation shall be to study the teaching of Dr. Jose Rizal, to inculcate and propagate them in and among all classes of Filipino people, and by words and deeds to exhort our citizenry to emulate and practice the examples and teachings of our national hero; to promote among the associated knights the spirit of patriotism and Rizalian chivalry; to develop a perfect union among the Filipinos in revering the memory of Dr. Jose Rizal; and to organize and hold programs commemorative of Rizal’s nativity and martyrdom.

SECTION 3. The said corporation shall have perpetual succession, with power to sue and to be sued, to hold such real and personal property as shall be necessary for corporate purposes; to solicit and receive public contributions; to receive real and personal property by gift, device, or bequest; to adopt a seal and to alter the same at pleasure; to have offices and conduct its business and affairs in the city of Manila and elsewhere; to make and adopt by-laws, rules and regulations not inconsistent with the laws of the Philippines, and generally to do all such acts and things including the establishment of regulations for the election of associates and successors as may be necessary to carry into effect the provisions of this Act and to promote the purposes of the said corporation. The existing By-Laws of the “Orden de Caballeros de Rizal” insofar as they are not inconsistent with this Act shall remain in force as the “By-Laws of the corporation until repealed or amended.

SECTION 4. All persons of legal age and of good moral character and reputation, who are in sympathy with the purposes of the corporation, are eligible for active membership, upon unanimous approval of the Supreme Council en banc of a written application therefore duly endorsed by at least two active members of the corporation.

SECTION 5. The general administration and direction of the affairs of the corporation shall be in the hands of a Supreme Council (Board of Directors) of nine members, which is hereby vested with full powers and authority to act and perform all such functions as the corporation itself may do and perform.

SECTION 6. A group of five or more persons, of legal age residing in any locality outside Manila and who are of good moral character an reputation, may associate themselves and form a chapter of the corporation upon approval of a written petition to the Supreme Council. It shall be the duty of each chapter to promote and carry out the purposes of the corporation in the locality where the chapter is organized.

SECTION 7. Any donation or contribution which from time to time may be made to the corporation by the Government or any of its subdivisions, branches, offices, agencies, or instrumentalities, or by any other person or entity shall be expended by the Supreme Council solely to promote the purposes for which the corporation is organized.

SECTION 8. From and after the passage of this Act, it shall be unlawful for any person to falsely and fraudulently call himself as, or represent himself to be, a member of, an agent for, the Knights of Rizal; and any person who violates any of the provisions of this Act shall be punished by imprisonment of not to exceed six months or a fine not exceeding five hundred pesos, or both, in the discretion of the court.

SECTION 9. These acts shall take effect upon its approval.

Approved. June 14, 1951

Seal of the Order

The Order shall have a dry seal, which shall bear upon its face in a circular design, the words: “KNIGHTS OF RIZAL” and “MANILA, PHILIPPINES” and within the circle, an equilateral triangle bearing the profile of Dr. Jose Rizal in the center, the name “Rizal” and the abbreviation and figures “Inc., 1916”, under it a five pointed star in each angle of the triangle, all mounted on a sun with eight (8) salient rays as background. (Article XVI, Section 1 of the amended By-Laws of the Order of the Knights of Rizal)

Charter

A document conferring rights or privileges on an individual or a group of people. The term originally applied to a written conveyance of land titles (now called a deed). The term charter is used to describe a grant of land or special privileges by the state, or a solemn guarantee by the sovereign of popular rights. The Magna Carta, or the Great Charter, issued in 1215, is one of the primary constitutional documents of Britain. In American colonial history charters were granted by English monarchs to companies to establish colonies; to the inhabitants of existing settlements; and to individual proprietors, conveying hereditary rights over land and settlers.

In the United States corporations generally are chartered by legislative acts of a state. The charters of public corporations, such as cities or towns, may be changed by the legislature. The charter of a private corporation, however, is protected from repeal or modification by the Constitution of the United States. In Britain the privileges of towns, universities, schools, banks, and joint-stock companies were often derived from royal charters. Now, however, Parliament has passed a general act governing the procedure for incorporation.