[ Act No. 3279, November 30, 1926 ]

AN ACT AUTHORIZING THE PROVINCE OF TARLAC TO ISSUE BONDS FOR THE PURPOSE OF RAISING FUNDS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF PERMANENT IMPROVEMENTS, AND AUTHORIZING ALSO AN INSULAR GOVERNMENT BONDS 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  Islands,"  as amended by  the  Act of  Congress approved May thirty-first, nineteen hundred and twenty- two,  the Province  of Tarlac  is  hereby authorized to negotiate a loan in the sum  of three hundred and forty-two thousand pesos, to be used for the construction of the following permanent improvements: a permanent bridge over the Parua River,  in the  municipality of  Bamban; a permanent  bridge over the Cut-cut River, in the municipality of Capas; a permanent bridge over the San  Isidro River, in the municipality of Moncada; and also for reimbursement to the Insular Government of  outstanding  loans contracted  for the construction of permanent improvements. At the request of the provincial board of Tarlac, 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 and registered and transferable and payable in the office of the Insular  Treasurer in Manila.  They shall have the same and 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 and one-half 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 with 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  Tarlac with  the Insular  Government, and the balance shall be credited  to  the  "Public Works Bond Issue Fund of the Province of Tarlac" 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  seventy-one  thousand  five  hundred" dollars,  United States  currency, for  a  term of  thirty years, secured by the bonds of the Province of Tarlac herein 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  and one-half 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  with an authorized depository or depositories of the Government of the  Philippine Islands in the United States, 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 for the payment of  the bonds issued  by the Province of Tarlac  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 count;", 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, a.s well a.s 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, for 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  Tarlac 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 Tarlac shall fail to make such  reimbursement, the Collector of Internal Revenue and the  provincial  treasurer  of  Tarlac  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.

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

Approved, November 30, 1926.