By-Laws

By-Laws of HIMAP

Amended on June 11, 2021

Adopted by the affirmative vote of the members of the 2020-2021 Board of Trustees held via a virtual conference using ZOOM. 

Ratified by the majority vote of the general membership on June 30, 2021, at 5:00 P.M., via a virtual conference using ZOOM.

ARTICLE I – MEETINGS

Section 1. Annual meetings – The annual meetings of the members shall be held at the principal office of the association if practicable or in any preferred venue within the country as determined by the Board of Trustees at any time in the month of December each year. The President or CEO or Executive Director of the association shall present the annual report to the members regarding the activities of the association. The election of trustees, if already scheduled, shall also be held during this regular meeting.

Section 2. Quarterly Meetings – There shall be four (4) quarterly meetings/assemblies of the general membership each year. These meetings shall be held anytime within each quarter to discuss the ongoing activities of the association. 

Section 3. Special Meetings – Special meetings of the members shall be called, as the need thereof arises, by the Board of Trustees or by the President or upon petition of 1/3 of the general membership. 

Section 4. Conduct of Meetings – Any meetings, annual, quarterly, and special, shall be carried out personally via face-to-face meetings or virtually via teleconference (audio or with video) using the association-subscribed meeting tools or platforms. Virtual meetings are counted as attendance and are counted to form part of the quorum. 

Section 5. Notices – Notices of the time and place of annual, quarterly, and special meetings shall be given through any of the following modes—personal invitation, by phone, special delivery mail, email, or website announcements at least one (1) week before the date set for such meeting. The notice of the meeting shall state the date, time, and venue of the meeting as well as the brief purpose or purposes of the meeting. 

Section 6. Quorum – A quorum for any meeting of the members shall consist of a simple majority (½+1) of the members, and a majority of such quorum may decide any question at the meeting, except those matters where the Corporation Code requires the affirmative vote of a greater proportion.

The quorum for the election of the Board of Trustees shall consist of a simple majority (½+1) of the eligible voting members only. 

Section 7. Order of Business – The order of business at the annual meeting of the members shall be as follows: 

Section 8. Voting Proxy – Each voting member shall be entitled to one vote, and he may vote either in person or by proxy, which shall be in writing and filed with the Secretary of the association before the scheduled meeting/election. 

ARTICLE II – TRUSTEES

Section 1. Board of Trustees – The corporate powers of the association shall be exercised, and its business and its property controlled by the Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees shall be headed by a Chairperson, who shall be elected by and from amongst the Board of Trustees in its first Board of Trustees meeting after the election. 

Section 2. Qualifications – The trustees to be elected must be of legal age and the primary representative of a company which should be in active operation/business for at least one (1) year and should be a member of the association in good standing for a period of at least six (6) months before the scheduled election. 

Section 3. Composition of the Board of Trustees – The Board of Trustees of the association shall consist of nine (9) members nominated and elected from member companies with voting rights. 

Section 4. Disqualification of Trustees or Officers – No primary representative of a member company convicted by final judgment of an offense punishable by imprisonment for a period exceeding six (6) years or a violation of the Corporation Code of the Philippines committed within five (5) years prior to the date of his election or appointment shall qualify as a trustee or officer. The Board of Trustees, constituting a ¾ vote, may pass a resolution disqualifying a sitting Trustee on issues of dereliction of duty, improper conduct, continued absence, or fraud. 

Section 5. Term of Office of Trustees – Trustees –The trustees shall hold office for two (2) years until their successors are duly elected and qualified. The term of office of the Board of Trustees shall commence on January 1 of each year. For continuity, the first five Trustees garnering the highest number of votes shall serve for a two-year term, while the remaining four shall serve for one year. Thereafter, an election of trustees shall be held annually, and each Trustee voted upon shall have a two-year term. 

Section 6. Vacancies – In case of a vacancy occurring in the office of a trustee, the remaining board may, at its discretion and by the vote of at least a majority of all the remaining trustees, if still constituting a quorum, fill up such vacancy by electing a new trustee from amongst the membership, based on the defined qualifications. The trustee so elected shall hold office only for the unexpired term of his predecessor. 

In the event the trustee holds an officer position on BOT, with the exception of the President, whose duties/position will assumed by the Vice President, the BOT will follow the process outlined in Article III, Section 2 to fill the vacancy. 

Section 7. Replacements – A board of trustee shall lose his/her seat if he/she resigns or gets separated from the company that he/she is representing within his term. The remaining trustees, if still constituting a quorum, may fill up such a vacancy by electing a new trustee from amongst the membership based on the defined qualifications. The trustee so elected shall hold office only for the unexpired term of his predecessor. 

A board of trustee shall lose his/her seat if he/she resigns or gets separated from the company he/she is representing within their term without a majority vote of the remaining trustees agreeing to allow them to finish their elected term. In case a board of trustee is allowed to finish his/her elected term, he/she shall find a member company that he/she will represent within sixty (60) days from the time of resignation or
separation from the company that he/she is representing. 

Else, the remaining trustees, if still constituting a quorum, may fill up such a vacancy by electing a new trustee from amongst the membership based on the defined qualifications. The trustee so elected shall hold office only for the unexpired term of his predecessor. 

Section 8. Election Committee – The nomination and election of the trustees shall be supervised, regulated, and conducted by an Election Committee consisting of the Executive Director/ Chief Executive Officer and at least two (2) representatives from two (2) member companies which will not field in nominations/candidates for the election. The Election Committee shall have the exclusive power to determine the qualification of a member to vote or be elected as a trustee, subject to existing “HIMAP Election Policies and Guidelines” duly approved by the Board of Trustees. The Election Committee shall have the sole authority to rule on all matters relating to the conduct of the election and decide on any controversy which may arise therefrom. Any and all matters brought to the Election Committee shall be resolved by a majority vote of the members thereof. 

Section 9. Election of Trustees – The voting in the election of the Board of Trustees shall be done in any of the following: 

ARTICLE III – CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS OF THE ASSOCIATION

Section 1. Chairman of the Board – The Board of Trustees shall be headed by a Chairman who shall be elected from within the board through secret ballots and shall serve at the will of the Board of Trustees and is co-terminus with his/her term as a trustee. 

Section 2. Officers of the Association – The officers of the association shall be a President, a Vice-President, a Secretary (who shall serve concurrently as the Secretary of the Board of Trustees), and a Treasurer. They shall be elected from within the current Board of Trustees elected through secret ballots. The board may combine compatible designations in a single person. 

Section 3. Regular Meetings of the Board of Trustees – The Board of Trustees shall hold regular meetings at the principal office of the association if practicable, or in any preferred venue, or virtually using a teleconferencing tool/platform, as determined by the Board of Trustees anytime to discuss ongoing activities of the association and decide on certain matters requiring the attention and decision of the board. Special meetings may be called, as the need thereof arises, by the Chairman or the President or upon petition of 1/3 of the members of the Board of Trustees. 

Section 4. Order of Business – The Board of Trustees may modify the Order of Business subject to the Board of Trustee’s discretion. The order of business at the annual meeting of the Board of Trustees shall include, at a minimum, reading and approval of the minutes, reports of the President, unfinished business, and other relevant matters. 

Section 5. Term of Office of Officers – The officers of the association shall hold office for one year until their successors are duly elected. The term of office of the officers shall commence on January 1 of each year. 

ARTICLE IV – FUNCTIONS & POWERS OF OFFICERS

Section 1. The Chairman shall: 

Section 2. The President shall:

Section 3. The Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer – The ED/CEO of the association shall be a member of the Board of Trustees with the same rights and privileges as any member of the Board except the right to vote and be voted upon and to cast votes on important board resolutions or amendments in the Constitution and Bylaws of the association. 

The Chief Executive Officer shall also exercise the following functions: 

Section 4. Vice-President – The Vice-President shall exercise all powers and perform all duties of the President during the absence or incapacity of the latter. The Vice-President shall perform other duties and responsibilities that may be assigned by the President or the Board of Trustees. 

Section 5. Board Secretary/Secretary – The Secretary shall give all notices required by this bylaw and keep the minutes of all meetings of the members of the Board of Trustees in a book kept for the purpose. The Secretary shall keep the seal of the association and affix such seal to any paper or instrument requiring the same. The Secretary shall have custody of the member’s registry and the correspondence files of the association. The Secretary shall also perform such other duties and work as the Board of Trustees may, from time, assign to him. 

Section 6. Treasurer – The Treasurer shall be in charge of the funds, receipts, and disbursements of the association. The Treasurer shall keep all money and other valuables of the association in such banks as the Board of Trustees may designate. The Treasurer shall keep and have charge of the book of accounts. The Treasurer shall also perform such other duties and functions as may be assigned to him from time to time by the Board of Trustees. 

ARTICLE V – MEMBERS

Section 1. Qualifications for Membership – The board shall determine the qualifications of an applicant for membership based on the membership rules and procedures. The task of inviting, processing, and admitting new members of the association shall be given to the Officers of the association or delegated to the Membership Committee. 

Section 2. Disqualification of Membership – Any company may be denied membership to the association upon the determination of the Membership Committee
on a basis consistent with this bylaw and in reference to the general goals and objectives of the association. 

Section 3. Right of Members – A member shall have the following rights:

Section 4. Duties and Responsibilities of the Members – A member shall have the following duties and responsibilities: 

Section 5. Membership Categories – The association shall have the following membership categories. To wit: 

Section 6. Fees – The association shall charge appropriate membership fees to finance the operating requirements of the association. 

Section 7. Creation/Modification/ Cancellation of Membership Categories and Fees – The President, in consultation and approval of at least 2/3 of the Board of Trustees, can create, modify, or change such membership categories and impose or modify such fees, dues, and assessments as may be deemed necessary and appropriate. 

ARTICLE VI – SUSPENSION, EXPULSION AND TERMINATION OF MEMBERSHIP

Section 1. Suspension, expulsion and termination of membership – Suspension, expulsion, and termination of membership shall be in accordance with the rules and regulations of the association. 

Section 2. Removal for a cause – Any member of the association may file charges against another member by filing a written complaint with the Secretary of the association. The Board of Trustees shall call a special meeting to consider the charges. The affirmative vote of a majority of all trustees shall be necessary to suspend or expel a member.

Section 3. Termination of membership – A member company may be dropped from the membership roll by virtue of committing any of the following as may be determined and decided by the Board of Trustees through a majority vote. To wit: 

Section 4. Right to Expel – The Board of Trustees, upon due deliberation and hearing, can expel a company from being a member through a majority vote. 

ARTICLE VII – FUND

Section 1. Funds – The funds of the association shall be derived from admission fees, annual dues, special assessments of members, gifts, donations, contributions, grants, special fund-raising events, or other sources related to the functions of the association. 

Section 2. Disbursement – Withdrawal from the funds of the association, whether by check or any other instrument, shall be signed by the Treasurer and countersigned by the President. If necessary, the Board of Trustees may designate other signatories. 

Section 3. Fiscal Year – The fiscal year of the association shall be from January 1st to December 31 of each year. 

ARTICLE VIII – CORPORATE SEAL

Section 1. Form – The corporate seal of the association shall be in such form and design as may be determined by the board. The board, by an affirmative vote, may decide to change, alter, or redesign the corporate seal of the association as it may deem fit. 

ARTICLE IX – AMENDMENTS

Section 1. Amendments – These bylaws, or any provision thereof, may be amended or repealed by a majority vote of the Trustees at any regular or special meeting duly held for the purpose and ratified by a majority vote of the members in a general assembly. 

Signatories: