[ Act No. 3281, November 30, 1926 ]

AN ACT AUTHORIZING THE PROVINCE OF LA UNION TO ISSUE BONDS FOR THE PURPOSE OF RAISING FUNDS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF PERMANENT IMPROVEMENTS, AND AUTHORIZING ALSO AN INSULAR GOVERNMENT BOND ISSUE SECURED BY SAID PROVINCIAL BONDS, 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. Pursuant to the provisions of section eleven of the Act of Congress approved August twenty-ninth, nineteen hundred and sixteen, entitled "An  Act to declare  the purpose of the people of the United States  as to the future political status of the people of the Philippine Islands, and to provide a more  autonomous government for those Is lands,"  as amended by the Act of  Congress approved May thirty-first, nineteen hundred and twenty-two, the  Province of La Union is hereby authorized to negotiate a loan in the sum of three hundred and thirty  thousand pesos, which shall  be used for the construction of  permanent bridges over the Caba, Darigayos, Maragayap and Naguilian rivers and the payment to the Insular Government of outstanding loans contracted for permanent  improvements.   At  the request of the provincial board of  La Union, the necessary bonds for said loan shall be issued by the Governor-General of the Philippine Islands, who is hereby authorized to issue the  same in the name and behalf of  the said province. The bonds so authorized shall  be  issued in convenient denominations, in registered  form,  and  shall be registered and transferable and payable in the office  of the Insular, Treasurer in Manila.  They shall have the same date, bear interest at the same rate, and be payable at the same time as the bonds of the Government of the Philippine Islands authorized to be issued  in  section three of  this Act: Provided, however, That the interest rate on said bonds shall not be in excess of five per  centum per annum.

SEC.  2. The Governor-General is  further authorized to assign  and transfer  said bonds  to the Government  of the Philippine Islands  for a consideration, charging the same to the net proceeds of the sale of the bonds  of the Government of  the  Philippine Islands issued in  an  equivalent amount, as provided  in section  three of  this Act, and to deposit the proceeds of said assignment  in an  authorized depository  of  the  Government  of the  Philippine Islands. The proceeds  of the assignment  to the Insular Government of said bonds shall be applied by the Insular Treasurer to the payment of the outstanding indebtedness of the Province of La  Union to the Insular Government, and the balance shall  be  credited  to  the "Public  Works  Bond Issue Fund of the Province of La Union" and be withdrawn only for the purposes set  forth in this Act, by  order  of the Secretary  of Finance.

SEC.  3.  The Secretary of  War  is  hereby authorized to issue in the name and  behalf of the Government  of the Philippine  Islands,  bonds  to the amount of one hundred and sixty-five thousand dollars, United  States currency, for a term of thirty years, secured by the bonds  of the Province of La Union hereby authorized and assigned and transferred to the Insular  Government as provided  in sections one and two of this Act.  The Secretary of War shall determine the form of the  Insular bonds, the date of issue thereof, and the rate and dates  of payment of the interest thereon, which rate shall not be in excess of  five  per centum per annum.  The Insular  bonds may be  coupon bonds or registered bonds, convertible, in the  discretion  of the Secretary  of War, into  either form, and shall be  registered in the  Treasury of the  United  States, where the principal and interest  shall be payable in gold  coin of  the  United States.

The  Secretary of War is further authorized to sell such Insular bonds upon such  terms and conditions as  in  his judgment are most  favorable  to  the Government  of the Philippine Islands, and  he  shall  deposit the  proceeds of the sale thereof in an  authorized depository or depositories of the Government of  the Philippine  Islands in  the  United Mates, to the credit of the Treasurer of  the Philippine Islands.

SEC. 4. The proceeds of the  sale  of the  Insular bonds authorized to be issued by this Act are hereby appropriated tor the payment of the bonds  issued by the Province of  La Union and assigned  and transferred as security for the insular bonds above mentioned,  in accordance with sections one and two of this Act.

SEC. 5. The Insular and  provincial bonds hereby authorized to be issued  shall be exempt  from taxation  by the government of the  United States, by  the  Government of the Philippine Islands  or  any political or  municipal sub-division thereof, or by any State or territory of the United States, or by any county, municipality, or  other municipal subdivision of any State or territory of the United States, or by the District of Columbia, which fact shall be stated upon their face by virtue  of  section one of the Act of: Congress approved February sixth, nineteen  hundred and five, according to which Act, as well as in  accordance with the  Act of Congress  approved on August twenty-ninth, nineteen hundred and  sixteen,  as amended, and in accordance with this Act,  the said bonds are issued.

SEC.  6. A  sinking fund is hereby  created  for  the payment of the  Insular bonds  issued under the provisions of this Act, in such manner that  the total amount thereof at each annual  due date  of  the bond issue shall be equal to the  total of  an annuity of nineteen hundred and thirty- seven pesos  and thirteen centavos for each  one hundred thousand pesos  of bonds  outstanding, accrued at the rate of interest of three and one-half per centum per annum. Said fund shall be under the  custody of the  Treasurer of the  Philippine Islands, who shall invest the same, in such manner  as the Secretary of Finance may  approve, in accordance with the provisions of Act Numbered Three thousand and fourteen  governing  the investment  of sinking funds, shall charge all the expenses of such investment to said sinking  fund, and shall credit to the same the interest on investments and other income  belonging to it.

SEC.  7. A  standing annual appropriation is hereby made out  of the general  funds in the Insular Treasury, of such sums as may be necessary to provide for the sinking fund created in section six and for the interest on the Insular bonds issued by virtue of this  Act.  A further appropriation is hereby made out of the  general funds in the Insular Treasury, not otherwise appropriated, of  a sufficient sum to cover the  expenses of the issue and sale of the Insular and provincial bonds authorized by this Act.   The Insular Government  shall be  reimbursed  by  the  Province of La Union for the  sums  so  disbursed for the sinking fund, interest, and expenses of the issue and sale  of the bonds, within  thirty days after payment  of said  expenses by the Insular  Government.  In case the provincial board of La Union shall fail to make such reimbursement, the Collector of Internal  Revenue and  the  provincial  treasurer of the Province of  La Union are hereby authorized and directed, any provisions  of existing law  to the contrary notwithstanding, to  withhold from the revenues  of  said province that may come into their possession  an  amount sufficient to make said reimbursement  or  any other reimbursement above provided and shall deposit said sum with the Treasurer of  the Philippine Islands, to the credit of the general funds of the Insular Government.

SEC.  8. The Director of  Public Works  of the Philippine Islands  shall have charge and  exclusive control of all work to be done and improvements  to be made  under the provisions of this Act, which work shall be begun as soon as the ' Insular  Treasurer shall certify that  the funds herein provided for are available: Provided, That  in  case the sum available under this Act is not sufficient to cover the total cost of the  works and  improvements herein authorized, the Secretary of Commerce and Communications shall, with the recommendation  of the Director of Public Works,  designate the projects to be carried out.

SEC. 9. This Act shall take effect on its approval.

Approved, November  30, 1926.