[ Acts No. 4139, November 23, 1934 ]

AN ACT AUTHORIZING THE RENTING OF TEXTBOOKS TO INTERMEDIATE AND SECONDARY PUPILS IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Legislature assembled and by the authority of the same:

SECTION 1. The Director of Education is hereby authorized to rent textbooks to intermediate and secondary school pupils in such public schools as in his opinion have the necessary facilities for the safekeeping and preservation of such textbooks and count with the necessary personnel to attend to the renting of the same as soon as textbooks are purchased in accordance with the provisions of section two of this Act. The rate of rental to be charged for each term which shall not exceed twenty-five per centum of the value of the books for one year or fifteen per centum for one semester shall be decided by the Secretary of Public Instruction upon the recommendation of the Director of Education. The rent shall be payable in advance before such term or semester: Provided, That pupils desiring to purchase instead of rent textbooks may be allowed to do so: And provided, further, That if in the opinion of the Director of Education, the funds available for the purchase of textbooks to be rented in accordance with the provision of this Act are not enough to acquire textbooks for the intermediate and secondary pupils, preference shall be given to the purchase of textbooks for the lower grades.

SEC. 2. The books to be rented shall be purchased by the Bureau of Education out of the reimbursable funds provided under the authority of section six hundred and four of the Revised Administrative Code. All income from the renting or sale of these books shall accrue to that fund.

SEC. 3. When textbooks rented shall become unserviceable through ordinary wear and tear, they should be condemned by the Insular Auditor or his authorized representative.

SEC. 4. The Secretary of Public Instruction is hereby empowered to promulgate rules and regulations governing the operation of the system of renting textbooks as provided in this Act, including the guaranty to be given for the return of the books or the value thereof and to cover any damage not occasioned by ordinary wear and tear.

SEC. 5. This Act shall take effect on its approval.

Approved, November 23, 1934.