[ Act No. 3114, March 19, 1923 ]

AN ACT TO APPROPRIATE THE SUM OF ONE MILLION PESOS TO BE DISBURSED AS INSULAR AID FOR THE CONSTRUCTION AND EQUIPMENT OF HOSPITALS IN THE REGULARLY ORGANIZED PROVINCES

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.  There is hereby appropriated, out of any funds in the Insular Treasury not otherwise appropriated, the sum of one million pesos, which shall not be set up on he books of the Insular Auditor until released for expendure by the Governor-General, with the approval of the council of State, as aid to regularly organized provinces the construction, equipment, and maintenance of hospitals in said provinces: Provided, however, That in order to be entitled to the aid herein authorized, the province concerned  shall contribute a sum of not less than one-half the sum which the Insular Government is ready to expend in said province, which money it shall either appropriate out of its own funds or raise by subscription on the part of the municipalities concerned or of private citizens, or in any other manner which shall not be a direct or indirect aid on the part of the Insular Government; and shall also bind itself to defray  such portion of the cost of maintenance as the Insular Government may assign to it.

SEC.  2. Not later than October twenty-fifth, nineteen hundred and twenty-three, the Governor-General shall submit to the Philippine  Legislature a report of the steps taken by him in pursuance of section one of this Act, and shall also submit, for its approval, a complete plan for the administration and maintenance  of the hospitals the  construction of which is hereby authorized: Provided, however, That the administration and maintenance of hospitals constructed in  accordance with this  Act  prior  to  October twenty-fifth,  nineteen hundred  and twenty-three, shall  be determined by the Governor-General,  with the  approval of the Council of State, and shall  be in force and effect until otherwise provided by the Philippine Legislature.

SEC. 3. Nothing provided in this Act shall be construed — to modify or alter in any manner the status of the supervision,  administration,  and maintenance of the Philippine General Hospital, which,  with its present divisions  and dependencies, shall continue as heretofore under the  authority of the Director of the Philippine General Hospital and supervision  and control  of the Secretary of the Interior.

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

Approved,  March  19,  1923.