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. Section eleven hundred and eighty-nine of the Administrative Code, as amended by Act Numbered Thirty-four hundred and twenty-six, is hereby further amended to read as follows:

"SEC. 1189. Examination into moral and technical qualifications of applicants.—Except as otherwise specially provided, an applicant for a marine certificate shall be required to undergo a technical examination on the subjects hereinafter stated. To obtain a certificate he must show a proficiency in the subjects upon which he is examined and shall answer correctly at least seventy-five per cent of the questions propounded to him. It shall be the duty of the Board of Marine Examiners to make a thorough inquiry into the character of the applicant and to consider the evidence he presents in support of his application and such other relevant evidence as the Board shall deem proper. In this connection the Board may consider the statement, written or oral, of any person cognizant of the qualifications of the applicant, and may, in its discretion, require the production of the ships journals and logbooks for inspection.

"The Board of Examiners for deck officers in examining an applicant for a certificate as master or mate shall inquire into his character and habits, his knowledge of seamanship and navigation in its various branches, his capacity and skill in the loading and unloading of ships, and in handling and stowing freight, and all other knowledge which the Boards believe he should possess in order to properly perform his duties as master or mate.

"An applicant for the certificate as patron in the major coastwise trade shall prove to the satisfaction of the Board that he possesses the knowledge necessary for navigating in all the Philippine seas.

"An applicant for certificate as patron in the limited coastwise trade shall be required to show to the Board that he possesses practical knowledge for navigating on the limited waters for which he requests a certificate.

"An applicant for admission to the examination as patron bays, lakes, and river shall produce to the Board evidence, satisfactory to it, showing that he possesses the knowledge necessary for navigating in the harbor, bay, lake, and river for which he seeks a certificate.

"The Board of Examiners for engineer officers in examining an applicant for a certificate as marine engineer shall inquire into his theoretical and practical knowledge of the operation and repair of all classes of marine machinery; also into his practical experience, character and habits, and the Board may, in its discretion, make such practical tests and examination of the applicant as it may deem necessary to demonstrate his fitness for the position for which he seeks a certificate.

"The Board in examining an applicant for certificate as motor engineer shall inquire into his theoretical and practical knowledge in the operation and repair of internal combustion engines, his practical experience, character, and habits as the Board may believe that he should possess in order to properly perform his duties as such motor engineer.

"The examinations shall be theoretical and practical for masters, mates, marine engineers, motor engineers, and major patrons, and practical only for minor patrons, bay, river, and lake patrons, and bay, river, and lake motor engineers. The theoretical examinations shall be made in writing. Practical examinations may be made orally. There shall be an extensive permanent schedule of subjects prepared for each certificate, which shall not be modified or extended within six months immediately before the holding of such examination. The examination papers shall not be signed and the authors thereof shall be identified by means of slips enclosed in envelopes which shall not be opened until after the ratings have been given. In order to determine the general average of each candidate such oral examination as in the opinion of the Boards may be necessary shall be conducted in the presence of all the members of the corresponding Board, but no rating above twenty per cent shall be given to any oral examination. The schedule and regulations by which marine examinations are to be governed shall be promulgated by the Secretary of Finance, and for this purpose he shall from time to time as may be necessary and convenient appoint a committee to study, revise, and prepare such schedule and regulations. There shall be held in the port of Manila a marine examination in the month of January of every year, and the Secretary of Finance may, whenever deemed necessary in his discretion, order the holding of marine examinations, not more than once every year, in the ports of Cebu or Iloilo by Boards of Marine Examiners appointed and constituted in accordance with section eleven hundred and eighty-four of Act Numbered Twenty-seven hundred and eleven, known as the Administrative Code, as amended by Acts Numbered Twenty-eight hundred and fifty-two, Thirty-one hundred and seventy-seven, and Thirty-four hundred and twenty-six."

SEC. 2. A new section to be known as section eleven hundred ninety-two and three-fourths, is hereby inserted between sections eleven hundred and ninety-two and eleven hundred and ninety-three of Act Numbered Twenty-seven hundred and eleven, as follows:

"SEC. 1192 3/4. Examination fees in Cebu and Iloilo.—The admission fees for marine examinations held in Cebu or Iloilo shall be as follows:

"Masters, chief marine or motor engineers	P25.00
"Chief mates, second marine or motor engineers and major patrons	20.00
"Second and third mates, third and fourth marine or motor engineers and minor patrons	15.00
"Bay and river patrons and bay and river motor engineers	10.00"

SEC. 3. All acts or parts of any acts inconsistent herewith, are hereby repealed.

SEC. 4. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

Approved, November 16, 1931.