REPUBLIC ACT No. 1350
An Act Appropriating Funds for the Operation of the Government of the Republic of the Philippines During the Period from July First, Nineteen Hundred and Fifty-Five to June Thirtieth, Nineteen Hundred and Fifty-Six, and for Other Purposes
General Appropriations Act of 1955–1956
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippine Congress Assembled:
Section 1. Appropriation of funds. -The following sums, or so much thereof as may be necessary, are appropriated out of any funds in the Philippine Treasury not otherwise appropriated for the operation of the Government of the Republic of the Philippines during the period from July first, nineteen hundred and fifty-five to June thirtieth, nineteen hundred and fifty-six, except where otherwise specifically provided:
General Provisions
Section 2. Authority to pay salaries not in conformity with the prescribed grades or rates of compensation.— Payment to incumbent employees of salaries the rates of which are not in conformity with the schedule of grades or rates of compensation provided in section three of Commonwealth Act Numbered Four hundred and two, as amended, is hereby authorized: Provided, That new appointments, whether original or promotional, to positions not carrying the salary rates prescribed in Commonwealth Act Numbered Four hundred and two, as amended, shall be made only at rates authorized in the said Act.
Section 3. Personnel in the classified Civil Service under Performance Budget.— The adoption of the budgetary system based on functions, activities and projects in terms of expected results in the Bureau of Civil Service, Bureau of Internal Revenue, Land Registration Commission, Bureau of Lands, Bureau of Telecommunications, Bureau of Public Libraries, Bureau of Labor, Wage Administration Service, Industrial Safety Division, Armed Forces of the Philippines, Bureau of Health and Bureau of Commerce, shall neither result in any manner in the laying off of personnel in the classified Civil Service except for cause as provided by law nor in the reduction of actual salaries of incumbent.
Section 4. Appendix covering Plantillas of Personnel.— The appendix containing the plantillas of personnel in the different bureaus and offices whose budgets are presented pursuant to the provisions of Republic Act No. 992, is hereby made part of this Act.
Section 5. Authority to use savings in appropriations for "personal services," for "maintenance and other operating expenses," and for "furniture and equipment" to cover deficits. -Except as otherwise provided in this Act, any savings in the regular appropriations authorized in this Act for the Executive Departments for personal services, for maintenance and other operating expenses, and for furniture and equipment of the bureaus and offices under any Department, may, with the approval of the President, be used to cover a deficit in any other item of the regular appropriations, except for personal services, under the same Department. Likewise, any savings in the appropriations for personal services, for maintenance and other operating expenses, and for furniture and equipment of any item under "special purposes," may with the approval of the President, be used to cover a deficit in any other item of appropriation, except for personal services, …: Provided, That, whenever authorized positions are transferred from one program or project to another program or project under the performance budgets, the corresponding amounts appropriated for personal services are also deemed transferred, without increasing the total outlay for personal services of the office concerned. In no case, however, shall any item in the regular appropriations and appropriations for "special purposes" be augmented, pursuant to the authority granted in this section, by more than forty per centum of the original appropriation provided in this Act for such item.
Section 6. Quarterly report to Congress on transfers of appropriations and accomplishments of bureaus and offices whose appropriations are based on Performance Budget. -The Auditor General and the Commissioner of the Budget shall submit separately to the Congress a quarterly report of any transfer of appropriation made to cover a deficit, the report to specify the items and the amounts involved and shall furnish copies to each member of Congress in his office: Provided, That the heads of bureaus or offices whose appropriations provided for in this Act are based on the Performance Budget shall likewise submit separately to the Congress a quarterly report of their accomplishments in the various projects as set forth in their respective performance budget.
Section 7. Authority to use savings for other purposes. -The President of the Philippines is authorized to use any savings in the appropriations provided in this Act for the Executive Departments for the settlement of the following obligations incurred during the current fiscal year and/or previous fiscal years, the limitation in section 7-I (27) of Commonwealth Act Numbered Two hundred forty-six, as amended, notwithstanding: (1) claims under section 699 of the Revised Administrative Code and the Workmen’s Compensation Act, whichever is applicable, of officers, employees and laborers who died or were injured in line of duty; (2) commutation of the money value of the additional leave extended leave and accrued leave earned by American and deceased Filipino officers and employees, or by Filipino officers and employees separated from the service except for cause, for service rendered prior to November twenty-ninth, nineteen hundred and twenty-six; (3) purchase of furniture and equipment to replace those that may be lost through accident, fire or other calamity, or may have been damaged through the same cause, the disposal of which is deemed reasonable and necessary, if it would be more expensive to have them repaired, and purchase with the approval of the President of furniture and equipment to replace unserviceable ones condemned by the Auditor General; (4) payment of salaries of suspended employees who have subsequently been exonerated; (5) payment of the share of the National Government in the salaries of national officials in newly created cities and provinces where no appropriation has been provided therefor; (6) three per cent contribution of the Government to the Government Service Insurance System for the employee’s insurance premiums corresponding to the period from December thirty-first, nineteen hundred and forty-one to February twenty-eight, nineteen hundred and forty-five, pursuant to section four of Republic Act Numbered One hundred thirty-two, the provisions of section 7 (c) of Commonwealth Act Numbered One hundred eighty-six, as amended, to the contrary notwithstanding; (7) commutation of sick and vacation leaves of employees who may be retired under existing laws; (8) additional compensation to government nurses assigned to public health nursing at ₱50 a month in lieu of quarters, subsistence and laundry allowances as provided under section three of Republic Act Numbered Six hundred forty-nine; (9) purchase or rental of accounting machines to carry out the plan of mechanizing the accounting system in the Government; (10) obligation of the National Government under the provisions of subsection (a) of section 2553 of the Revised Administrative Code; (11) cash commutation of the accumulated vacation and sick leave of employees who voluntarily resign or are separated from the service thru no fault of their own, in accordance with the provisions of Republic Act Numbered Six hundred eleven; (12) printing of briefs in cases appealed by the Government; (13) gratuity of employees whose positions are abolished or who are retired; (14) improvement of food rations in government hospitals and leprosaria; (15) rural improvement; and (16) payment of salary differentials to officials and employees whose salary items have been reduced in the 1956 Budget to the amounts they were actually receiving at the time of the preparation of the said Budget but who before June 30, 1955 were promoted to higher rates provided for their respective salary items.
Section 8. Suspension of expenditure of appropriations. -Except as otherwise provided in this Act and whenever in his judgment the public interest so requires, the President is authorized to suspend or otherwise stop the expenditure of any amount herein appropriated in any item or items for the Executive Departments for any purpose, except those for salaries of positions with incumbents, and thereupon the funds affected by such action shall become available for any other expenditures authorized in this Act for the Executive Departments as the President may determine, except for personal services: Provided, That, whenever authorized positions are transferred from one program or project to another program or project under the performance budgets, the corresponding amounts appropriated for personal services are also deemed transferred, without increasing the total outlay for personal services of the office concerned. In no case, however, shall any item of appropriation be augmented, pursuant to the authority granted in this section, by more than forty per centum of the original appropriation provided in this Act for such item. The Auditor General and the Commissioner of the Budget shall report separately to the Congress within a period of thirty days any suspension or transfer of funds made by the President during the previous quarter and shall furnish copies to each member of Congress in his office.
Section 9. Provision for "excess of actual salary". -Appropriations provided in this Act may be used for payment of excess of actual salaries to the incumbent of a position to which said "excess" pertains who is actually receiving the same "excess" as part of the salary granted to him upon his appointment to the said position before the reduction of the basic pay thereof to the amount provided: Provided, However, That if the position be vacated and the successor to its previous incumbent shall have previously received an equal salary plus the "excess of actual salary" in the same or any other branch of the government service, such excess shall be allowable to him.
Section 10. Allotment of Appropriations. -To prevent the incurrence of deficits, authorized appropriations shall be allotted in accordance with the procedure outlined hereunder:
a. No appropriation authorized for any department or agency shall be available for expenditure until the head of such department or agency shall have submitted to the Commissioner of the Budget a request for allotment of funds, showing the estimated amounts needed for each function, activity or purpose for which the funds are to be expended during the applicable allotment period and until the request shall have been approved by the Commissioner of the Budget as hereinafter provided. The form of the request for allotment shall be prescribed by the Commissioner of the Budget and shall be submitted to him at least twenty-five days prior to the beginning of the fiscal year showing the proposed quarterly allotments of the whole authorized appropriation for the department or agency.
b. For purposes of the administration of the allotment system herein provided, each fiscal year shall be divided into four quarterly allotment periods beginning, respectively, on the first day of July, October, January and April: Provided, That in any case where the quarterly allotment period is found to be impracticable, the Commissioner of the Budget may prescribe a different period suited to the circumstances but not extending beyond the end of the fiscal year.
c. Each request for allotment shall be reviewed by the Commissioner of the Budget and the respective amounts therein shall be allotted for expenditures, provided the estimate therein is within the terms of the appropriations as to amount and purpose, having due regard for the probable future needs of the bureau, office or agency for the remainder of the fiscal year or other term for which the appropriation was made, and provided the bureau, office or agency contemplates expenditure of the allotment during the period. Otherwise, the said Commissioner of the Budget shall modify the estimate so as to conform with the terms of the appropriation and the prospective needs of the bureau, office or agency, and shall reduce the amount to be allotted accordingly. The Commissioner of the Budget shall act promptly upon all requests for allotment and shall notify every bureau, office or agency of its allotments at least five days before the beginning of each allotment period. The total amount allotted to any bureau, office or agency for the fiscal year or other term for which the appropriation was made shall not exceed the amount appropriated for said year or term. The notification which will be sufficient authority for the Accounting Officer to enter the allotment in the books, shall include an explanation for any decrease or increase in the request of the head of the department or agency.
d. At the end of each quarter, each department or agency must report to the Commissioner the current status of its appropriations, the cumulative allotments, obligations, expenditures, and unliquidated obligations and unobligated and unexpended balances, and the results of expended appropriations. Such department or agency may, at any time, initiate or request for a change in allotments in order to adapt its functions or activities to altered conditions.
e.1âшphi1 The Commissioner of the Budget shall have authority also at any time to modify or amend any allotment previously made by him. In case he shall find at any time that the probable receipts from taxes or other sources for any fund will be less than were anticipated and that as a consequence the amount available for the remainder of the term of the appropriation, or for any allotment period will be less than the amount estimated or allotted therefor, he shall, with the approval of the President, and after notice to the department or agency concerned, reduce the amount or amounts to be allotted, so as to prevent deficits.
f. The Commissioner of the Budget shall promptly transmit records of all allotments and modifications thereof to the Auditor General, the Chairman of the Committee on Finance of the Senate, the Chairman of the Committee on Appropriations and the Chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives, and the Secretary of Finance.
g. The Commissioner of the Budget shall maintain control records showing quarterly by funds, accounts, and other pertinent classifications, the amounts appropriated, the estimated revenues, the actual revenues or receipts, the amounts allotted and available for expenditures, the unliquidated obligations, actual balances on hand, and the unencumbered balances of the allotments for each agency of the Government.
h. No funds shall be disbursed and no expenditures or obligation chargeable against any authorized allotments shall be incurred or authorized by any head of department or agency, without first securing the certification of the corresponding accounting officers of the Budget Commission as to the availability of funds and allotment or appropriation against which the expenditure or obligation may properly be charged, after taking into consideration all previous expenditures and outstanding obligations.
i. Every expenditure or obligation authorized or incurred in violation of the provisions of this Act shall be void. Every payment made in violation of said provisions shall be illegal, and every officer of employee authorizing or making such payment, or taking part therein, and every person receiving such payment, or any part thereof, shall be jointly and severally liable to the Government for the full amounts so paid or received. If any officer or employee of the Government shall knowingly incur any obligation or shall authorize or make any expenditure in violation of the provisions of this Act, or take part therein, it shall be ground for his removal by the officer appointing him, and if the appointing officer be other than the President and shall fail to remove such officer or employee, the President shall exercise such power of removal after giving notice of the charges and opportunity for hearing thereon to the accused officer or employee and to the officer appointing him.
j. Since the effective operation of the allotment system with respect to the appropriations authorized in this Act is affected by the appropriations authorized in other Acts, the provisions of this section relating to the allotment system are hereby made expressly applicable to other appropriations and funds of all kinds, including standing or continuing appropriations, and special, trust and other funds; but the provisions hereof relating to the allotment system shall not apply to appropriations for the Congress of the Philippines, Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, Courts of First Instance and Justice of the Peace Courts nor to appropriations or any other monies made available for the General Auditing Office and the Commission on Elections.
Section 11. Creation of appropriation reserves. -The chiefs of bureaus and offices shall establish reserves of not less than five per centum of the total appropriations of their respective bureaus and offices to provide for contingencies and emergencies which would otherwise require a deficiency appropriation. All or a portion of an appropriation may be reserved when it is determined that the amounts involved may not be needed. Should conditions change during the fiscal year which would justify the use of the reserve, the necessary adjustment may be made by the Commissioner of the Budget when requested by the bureau or office affected.
Section 12. Purchase of locally manufactured furniture, equipment, parts, accessories, supplies and materials. -All appropriations for the purchase of furniture, equipment, supplies and materials authorized in this Act shall be available only for locally manufactured furniture, equipment, parts, accessories, supplies and materials, except when none is available in the market, or when the prices of the locally manufactured article exceed those determined by the Flag Law by ten per cent.
Section 13. Renting of automobiles, jitneys or trucks for a continuous period exceeding fifteen days prohibited. -No appropriation provided in this Act for the Executive Departments shall be used for renting automobiles, jitneys or trucks on the monthly basis nor on the daily basis for a continuous period exceeding fifteen days.
Section 14. Authority to purchase motor vehicles. -No appropriation authorized in this Act shall be used for the purchase of automobiles, jitneys, jeeps, station wagons, motorcycles and other motor vehicles unless otherwise specifically provided in this Act.
Section 15. Officials entitled to government motor transportation. -The following officials are entitled to use government motor transportation chargeable against the appropriations authorized in this Act:
(1) The President of the Philippines,
(2) The Vice-President of the Philippines,
(3) The President of the Senate,
(4) The Speaker of the House of Representatives,
(5) The President Pro-Tempore of the Senate,
(6) The Majority Floor Leader of the Senate,
(7) The Chairman, Committee on Finance of the Senate,
(8) The Chairman, Committee on Accounts of the Senate,
(9) The Chairman, Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate,
(10) The Chairman, Committee on Public Works of the Senate,
(11) The Minority Floor Leader of the Senate,
(12) The Secretary of the Senate,
(13) The Speaker Pro-Tempore of the House of Representatives,
(14) The Majority Floor Leader of the House of Representatives,
(15) The Chairman, Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives,
(16) The Chairman, Committee on Accounts of the House of Representatives,
(17) The Chairman, Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives,
(18) The Chairman, Committee on Public Works of the House of Representatives,
(19) The Minority Floor Leader of the House of Representatives,
(20) The Secretary of the House of Representatives,
(21) The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court,
(22) The Presiding Justice of the Court of Appeals,
(23) The Auditor General,
(24) The Ambassadors, Ministers Plenipotentiary and Consuls in charge of consulates while in their respective stations abroad, and
(25) The Chief of Staff and the Vice-Chief of Staff and the Commanding Officers of the other Major Services of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
Section 16. Officials entitled to transportation allowance. -The Department Heads, including the Administrator of Economic Coordination, the Commissioner of the Budget, the Chairman of the Commission on Elections, and the Social Welfare Administrator are hereby granted a commutable transportation allowance of two hundred fifty pesos each per month; the Undersecretaries of Departments and officials with the same rank, the Public Service Commissioner, the Legislative Secretary, the Legislative Liaison Officer, the Presiding Judge of the Court of Industrial Relations, and the Presiding Judge of the Court of Tax Appeals, two hundred pesos each per month, and the following Directors or chiefs of bureaus and offices, and the Sergeant At Arms of the House of Representatives, one hundred pesos each per month, chargeable against the appropriations authorized in this Act for their respective offices:
(1) The Director of Printing,
(2) The Commissioner of Civil Service,
(3) The Commissioner of Customs,
(4) The Collector of Internal Revenue,
(5) The Treasurer of the Philippines,
(6) The Purchasing Agent, Bureau of Supply,
(7) The Insurance Commissioner,
(8) The Commissioner, Land Registration Commission,
(9) The Director, National Bureau of Investigation,
(10) The Commissioner of Immigration,
(11) The Director of Prisons,
(12) The Chairman, Code Commission,
(13) The Director of Plant Industry,
(14) The Director of Animal Industry,
(15) The Director of Forestry,
(16) The Director of Lands,
(17) The Director of Mines,
(18) The Director of Fisheries,
(19) The Director of Soil Conservation,
(20) The Director of Agricultural Extension,
(21) The Manager, Fiber Inspection Service,
(22) The Director of Public Works,
(23) The Director of Posts,
(24) The Director of Telecommunications,
(25) The Chief, Motor Vehicles Office,
(26) The Commissioner of Public Highways,
(27) The Director of Public Schools,
(28) The Director of Public Libraries,
(29) The Director, Institute of National Language,
(30) The Director of National Museum,
(31) The Director of Private Schools,
(32) The Director of Labor,
(33) The Commissioner, Workmen’s Compensation Commission,
(34) The Chief Wage Administration Service,
(35) The Captain (Director), Bureau of Coast and Geodetic Survey,
(36) The Chairman, Philippine Veterans Board,
(37) The Chairman, Board on Pensions for Veterans,
(38) The Director of Quarantine,
(39) The Director of Hospitals,
(40) The Director of Health,
(41) The Director of Commerce,
(42) The Administrator, Sugar Quota Administration,
(43) The Director, Patent Office,
(44) The Commissioner, Securities and Exchange Commission,
(45) The Administrator, Civil Aeronautics Administration,
(46) The Director, Weather Bureau,
(47) The Director of the Census and Statistics,
(48) The Administrator, Cooperatives Administration Office,
(49) The Director, Institute of Science and Technology,
(50) The Director, Philippine General Hospital,
(51) The Counselors in the Department of Foreign Affairs, and
(52) The Chief, Irrigation Service Unit.
Section 17. Bureaus and offices entitled to use, operate and maintain government motor vehicles and launches. -No bureau or office shall use, operate or maintain from the appropriations authorized in this Act government service cars, jeeps, station wagons, vans, service trucks, pick-up trucks, launches, speedboats, motorcycles, etc., except the following:
(1) The House of Representatives, for general service purposes;
(2) The Senate, for general service purposes;
(3) Malacañang, for general service purposes;
(4) The National Intelligence Coordinating Agency, in the coordination of the national intelligence activities and in carrying out its functions in the interest of national security;
(5) The Radio Station DZFM, for covering special events for delayed broadcasts, servicing of sponsored programs, contacting artists, fetching "sign on" personnel and conducting home those "signing off;"
(6) The Social Welfare Administration, for ministering relief, during military actions against dissidents, to evacuees, the injured and incapacitated and to the victims of typhoons, earthquakes, fires, floods, tidal waves and volcanic eruptions; and for conducting the inmates of Welfareville to and from the Courts, hospitals and other offices procuring materials and food supplies for their subsistence, and delivering food to the various units within the Welfareville compound, including collection and disposal of garbage;
(7) The Budget Commission, for the gathering from the various government offices and instrumentalities of such data and information as are essentially material or pertinent to the exercise of authority over budget operations and control, for the performance of duties connected with the preparation of the National Budget, and for wage and position classification survey;
(8) The Bureau of Printing, for the delivery and/or shipment of printed matters, books and/or forms to various offices;
(9) The Department of Foreign Affairs, for carrying out protocol duties in connection with the arrival or visit in the Philippines of high dignitaries and officials or accredited representatives of foreign governments, and for the delivery of diplomatic pouches to and from points of embarkation or shipment;
(10) The Bureau of Customs, for use of examiners of the Appraisers Division in the inspection of bonded warehouses, including embroidery factories, for hauling parcels from the Bureau of Posts to the Customs Building for examination, and for carrying out the so-called "immediate payment system" under which the Division will dispatch in a motor vehicle import entries for examination to its supervisors stationed at the piers for distribution to the examiners detailed under them and have the examined entries and the examiner’s samples brought to the Customs Building, and for carrying out detective and police duties of the Port Patrol Division in Manila and of the patrol service in the Port of Cebu;
(11) The Bureau of Internal Revenue, for the strict enforcement of the internal revenue laws and regulations and detection of violations thereof;
(12) The Bureau of the Treasury, for transportation of cash from the Central Bank of the Philippines to the Bureau of the Treasury, and vice versa;
(13) The National Bureau of Investigation, for detection and investigation of crimes and criminals and other law violations;
(14) The Court of Tax Appeals, for transportation of its personnel whenever the Court holds its hearing outside of the City of Manila pursuant to Section 6 of Republic Act No. 1135;
(15) The Bureau of Prisons, for conducting prisoners to and from the Bureau of Prisons, inspection of prison institutions and stations, procuring food supplies and materials, and delivering products and/or manufactures of the Prison Industries in Muntinlupa and in the penal colonies;
(16) The Division of Agricultural Economics, Office of the Secretary of Agriculture and Natural Resources, for gathering agricultural statistics for researches and analyses in agriculture;
(17) The Division of Agricultural Information, Office of the Secretary of Agriculture and Natural Resources, for distribution of agricultural information materials for guidance of farmers in improving their farming methods;
(18) The Agricultural Tenancy Commission, for conducting education rallies, researches on tenancy practices observed in the different regions of the country, and for inspection of farm mechanization;
(19) The Bureau of Plant Industry, for the control of abaca mosaic and other plant pests and diseases, including demonstration and extension work;
(20) The Bureau of Animal Industry, for the distribution of animal products and transportation of animals and feeds, including insemination of work;
(21) The Bureau of Forestry, for the distribution of seedlings and transportation of supplies and materials and cinchona barks to ports of shipment;
(22) The Bureau of Lands, for the survey and subdivision of public agricultural lands and land management;
(23) The Bureau of Mines, for the transportation of mineral samples to and from the office for the geological, mineralogical and mineral land survey parties operating in the different parts of the Philippines;
(24) The Bureau of Fisheries, for the collection of marine specimens, inspection of experimental fish farms and distribution of seedlings;
(25) The Bureau of Soil Conservation, for carrying out soil survey and conservation work in the different regions of the country;
(26) The Bureau of Agricultural Extension, for carrying out its extension work and diffusing among the people, particularly those in rural areas, useful and practical information on agriculture, soil conservation, livestock, fisheries, forest conservation, public lands and natural resources laws, home economics and rural life by means of field demonstrations, lectures, conferences, publications and other means of disseminating information;
(27) The Fiber Inspection Service, for carrying out its work of inspection and supervision of fiber grading-baling establishments, fiber improvement and demonstration work;
(28) The Bureau of Public Works, for undertaking the construction of public works projects, inspection and supervision thereof, and for the procurement of construction supplies and materials;
(29) The Bureau of Posts, for the transportation of strictly mail matters;
(30) The Bureau of Telecommunications, for the construction, repair, transfer and maintenance of telegraph, telephone and radio stations and circuits and the delivery of telegrams and radiograms;
(31) The Motor Vehicles Office, for the enforcement of the provisions of the Motor Vehicle Law;
(32) The Wage Administration Service, for use by regional wage inspection supervisors in supervising the enforcement of the Minimum Wage Law, in the inspection of agricultural, industrial and commercial establishments, especially in out-of-the-way locations, and in making special investigations and economic surveys necessary for the administration and enforcement of the law;
(33) The vocational schools, for instructional purposes requiring the use, demonstration and/or operation of motor or other powered vehicles;
(34) The Bureau of Private Schools, for the inspection of private schools that are out-of-the-way places, and for undertaking rush investigation of complaints from various sources;
(35) The Bureau of Coast and Geodetic Survey, for carrying out field reconnaissance, triangulations, precise leveling and magnetic and gravity measurements and for ship servicing;
(36) The Armed Forces of the Philippines, when on military operations or on active duty in the restoration and maintenance of peace and order;
(37) The Department of Health, for the use of the Division of Tuberculosis in BCG Vaccination and Traveling X-ray Examination Units, the Division of Health Education and Information in exhibiting health films and the Public Health Research Laboratories in connection with health research, including the distribution of vaccines, sera and other biological preparations;
(38) Government hospitals, for ambulance service and procuring food supplies and materials for the subsistence of patients and personnel entitled thereto;
(39) The Bureau of Health, for health, sanitation and prevention and control of epidemics;
(40) The Bureau of Quarantine, whenever used by quarantine officers exclusively for quarantine work;
(41) The Civil Aeronautics Administration, for the operation and maintenance of its landing fields, including supervision and reconstruction or repair of signaling equipment located thereat;
(42) The Weather Bureau, for the maintenance, operation and inspection of its meteorological stations, including the Manila International Airport Forecasting Center and the Diliman Geophysical and Astronomical Station, and delivery of supplies thereto;
(43) The Office of Economic Coordination, for use in inspecting projects being undertaken by government corporations, including private industrial establishments applying for tax exemption under Republic Act Numbered Thirty-five, and in gathering and transmitting data and information necessary for the efficient supervision and coordination of the activities of the said corporations;
(44) The Institute of Science and Technology, for visit and inspection of factories, for the collection of forest, plant, animal and marine by-products and agricultural wastes for use in research and laboratory investigations, including survey of sources of raw materials in different regions;
(45) The General Auditing Office, for the inspection of the delivery of equipment and supplies and materials to the various bureaus and offices of the Government, as well as to sites of public works construction, and for surprise examinations of disbursing officers;
(46) The Commission on Volcanology, for inspecting and observing volcanoes and warning people in danger areas; and
(47) The Philippine Council for United States Aid (PHILCUSA), for use in inspecting projects being undertaken by the Government jointly with the Foreign Operations Administration (FOA) and in gathering and transmitting data and information necessary for the efficient supervision and coordination of the activities of said projects.
Section 18. Proper use of government motor vehicles. -The use of government motor vehicles by bureaus and offices for the purposes enumerated in section seventeen hereof shall be authorized only through the issuance for each trip of a serially numbered ticket, duly signed by the chief or the administrative officer of the bureau or office concerned. These motor vehicles shall be used strictly for official business, bear government plates only and after office hours kept in the garage provided therefor by the bureau of office to which they belong, except when in use for strictly official business outside office hours.
Section 19. Use of more than one motor vehicle prohibited. -With the exception of the President, no government official or employee authorized to use any vehicle operated and maintained from the funds appropriated in this Act shall be allowed to use more than one such motor vehicle: Provided, However, That the Vice-President, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives may be allowed to use two motor vehicles each: And Provided, finally, That no official who has been furnished motor transportation by any government corporation shall be allowed to use motor vehicle transportation operated and maintained from funds appropriated in this Act.
The Auditor General is hereby empowered to issue rules and regulations for the proper implementation and enforcement of the provisions of this section and sections 16, 17 and 18.
Section 20. Disposition of motor vehicles not used by a bureau or office.— All motor vehicles owned by or assigned to the different departments, bureaus, offices and branches of the National Government not needed by the officials and for the purposes enumerated in section fifteen and seventeen of this Act shall be disposed of to the highest bidder at public auction sales announced in newspapers of general circulation at least ten days before the sale: Provided, That the former user thereof shall be given preference if he offers and pays a price equal to that of the highest bid by others.
Section 21. Prohibition against the use of appropriations for the payment of salaries and wages of officers or employees engaged in a strike against the Government. -Subject to existing civil service rules and regulations and the proper administrative proceedings, no part of the funds of, or available for expenditure by, any agency included in this Act shall be used to pay the salary or wages of any officer or employee who engages in a strike against the Government of the Republic of the Philippines or who is a member of an organization of government employees that in the opinion of the Secretary of Justice asserts the right to strike against the Government of the Republic of the Philippines, or who in the opinion of said Secretary of Justice advocates, or is a member of an organization that advocates, the overthrow of the Government of the Republic of the Philippines by force or violence; Provided, That for the purposes hereof an affidavit shall be considered sufficient evidence that the person making the affidavit has not, contrary to the provisions of this section, engaged in a strike against the Government of the Republic of the Philippines, is not a member of any organization of government employees that asserts the right to strike against the Government of the Republic of the Philippines, or that such person does not advocate, and is not a member of an organization that advocates, the overthrow of the Government of the Republic of the Philippines by force or violence.
Section 22. Per diems outside of the Philippines. -No per diems in excess of fifty pesos shall be paid to any official or employee traveling outside of the Philippines.
Section 23. No transfer of salary savings to the Government Service Insurance System.— The provisions of Republic Act No. 660 to the contrary notwithstanding, no savings from personal services under the general fund and the special, revolving, trust, depository and other funds shall be transferred to the Government Service Insurance System.
Section 24. Reinsurance of government buildings to be equitably distributed among private insurance companies in the Philippines. -In all cases where appropriations are provided in this Act for payment of premiums covering the insurance of government buildings with the Property Insurance Fund, reinsurance shall be equitably distributed among private insurance companies doing business in the Philippines on uniform terms, conditions and rates of premiums.
Section 25. Prohibition against the transfer of appropriations of the Department of National Defense. -The provisions of section eight of this Act to the contrary notwithstanding, no amount appropriated for the Department of National Defense shall be transferred to any other Executive Department.
Section 26. Limitation of special details of officials and employees. -Any provision of existing law to the contrary notwithstanding, no portion of any appropriation provided for in this Act shall be made available for the payment of salaries of officials or employees who are not actually performing the duties and functions pertaining to their positions and assigned to the place of employment as specified in this Act: Provided, That this shall not apply to special assignments for a period not exceeding one hundred eighty days which shall not be renewed or extended. Any official who shall allow the payment of salaries to officials or employees who are not in their designated place of employment and performing their assigned tasks shall be required to refund to the government such sums as may have been paid to such officials or employees.
Section 27. Authority to harmonize the appropriation structure with new terminology of classification of accounts. -The Commissioner of the Budget is hereby authorized to harmonize the appropriation structure with the new terminology of classification of accounts that may be prescribed by law or regulations: Provided, That such reclassification shall not increase or decrease the aggregate sum appropriated in this Act for the various objects affected under each Department, bureau or office.
Section 28. The Committee on Finance of the Senate and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives to look into all matters relating to public expenditures. -The Committee on Finance of the Senate and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives are hereby authorized to look at any time into all matters relating to funds for the expenditures of the National Government and for the payment of public indebtedness; auditing of accounts and expenditures of the National Government; claims against the Government; and in general all matters relating to public expenditures.
Section 29. Expenditure and disbursement of special funds. -No expenditure shall be incurred, nor any disbursement made, out of the appropriations authorized in this Act from special, revolving and trust funds and from receipts automatically appropriated which will exceed at any one time either the fund itself or the cash in the National Treasury pertaining to such fund, except when, in the opinion of the President, such expenditure or disbursement is required by the exigency of the service, and sufficient income or receipts are expected to accrue to such funds to cover said expenditure or disbursement, in which case the necessary amount may be advanced from the general fund. Section 30. Appropriations chargeable against the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Fund. -The appropriations provided in this Act for carrying out the activities heretofore financed from the receipts of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Fund shall continue to be charged against the said Fund, and the Board of Directors of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes shall allot the amounts thereof in the distribution of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Fund.
Section 31. Immediate payment of accounts. -In order to insure the immediate collection of income due any bureau or office for services rendered or sale of any commodity or article produced or manufactured by the same, no such service shall be rendered or sale made except on the cash basis. Any official or employee who allows such service to be rendered or sale to be made on account shall be held personally liable therefor and such act shall be considered sufficient ground for his removal from office; Provided, That the provision of this section shall apply only to transactions of the government with private parties.
Section 32. Incumbents of positions whose designations or titles were modified not to be laid off. -Incumbents of positions whose designations or titles were modified or otherwise changed in this Act shall not be laid off, nor the salaries authorized in this Act for such positions increased by reason of such change in designation or title the provision of existing law to the contrary notwithstanding.
Section 33. Effective date. -This Act shall take effect on July first, nineteen hundred and fifty-five, except where otherwise stated.
Approved: June 18, 1955.
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