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Girl Scouts of the Philippines
Country	Philippines
Founded	1940-05-26
Founder	Pilar Hidalgo-Lim and Josefa Llanes Escoda
Membership	671,267
Chief Girl Scout	Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
Affiliation	World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts
Website girlscouts.org.ph
Scouting portal

The Girl Scouts of the Philippines (GSP) is the national Guiding association for girls and young women of the Philippines. Its mission is "to help girls and young women realize the ideals of womanhood and prepare themselves for their responsibilities in the home, and to the nation, and the world community."^[1] The girls-only association serves 671,267 members (as of 2003).^[2]

History

Lone Girl Scout troops were organized in the Philippines as early as 1918 by American missionaries and servicemen. These Scout troops were directly registered with the Girl Scouts of the USA.

Pilar Hidalgo-Lim and Josefa Llanes Escoda spearheaded the organization of a Scout movement for girls, and requested the assistance of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines (BSP). In 1939, Mrs. Escoda was sent to the United States and Britain for training through the help of Joseph E. Stevenot of the BSP. Upon her return to the Philippines, she immediately started to set up the GSP with the help of other civic organizations.

On May 26, 1940, the GSP was chartered under Philippine Commonwealth Act No. 542.

In 1946, the GSP was accepted as a tenderfoot member of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) during the 11th World Conference held at Evian, France. In 1948, the GSP became a full member of WAGGGS during the 12th World Conference held at Cooperstown, New York.

Since 1995 the organization lost nearly half of its members; the membership number shrunk from 1,275,113 in 1995^[3] to 671,267 in 2003^[2]. In reaction to this, the BSP opened the Senior Scout Section for girls in summer 2006 which led to a public conflict about the focuses of both GSP and BSP.^[4]

Program

The GSP's program focuses on "well-being, family life, heritage and citizenship, world community, preparedness, economic self-sufficiency, arts and environment."^[3] Center of the program is the "eight-point challenge", a merit-badge program. The highest award is the "Chief Girl Scout Medal" which was introduced in 1976.^[5]

The Girl Scout emblem incorporates elements of the flag of the Philippines.

Sections

The association is divided in five sections according to age:^[3]

• Twinkler Scout - ages 4 to 6
• Star Scout - ages 6 to 9
• Junior Girl Scout - ages 9 to 12
• Senior Girl Scout - ages 12 to 15
• Cadet Girl Scout - ages 15 to 21

Scout Promise

Sa aking karangalan, gagampanan ko ang aking tungkulin
sa Diyos at sa aking bayan;
tutulong ako sa aking kapwa sa lahat ng pagkakataon
at isasabuhay ko ang Batas ng Girl Scout.

On my honor, I will do my duty:
to God and my country;
to help other people at all times;
and to live by the Girl Scout Law.

Scout Law

1. Ang Girl Scout ay mapagkakatiwalaan.
   A Girl Scout's honor is to be trusted.
2. Ang Girl Scout ay matapat.
   A Girl Scout is loyal.
3. Ang Girl Scout ay matulungin.
   A Girl Scout is helpful.
4. Ang Girl Scout ay kaibigan ng lahat at kapatid ng bawa't Girl Scout.
   A Girl Scout is a friend to all and a sister to every other Girl Scout.
5. Ang Girl Scout ay mapitagan.
   A Girl Scout is courteous.
6. Ang Girl Scout ay magalang sa lahat na may buhay.
   A Girl Scout respects all living things.
7. Ang Girl Scout ay disiplinado .
   A Girl Scout is disciplined.
8. Ang Girl Scout ay may sariling paninindigan .
   A Girl Scout is self-reliant.
9. Ang Girl Scout ay matipid .
   A Girl Scout is thrifty.
10. Ang Girl Scout ay malinis sa isip, sa salita at sa gawa.
    A Girl Scout is clean in thought, words and deeds.

See also

• Estefania Aldaba-Lim
• Boy Scouts of the Philippines

References