[ REPUBLIC ACT NO. 1, July 15, 1946 ]

AN ACT APPROPRIATING FUNDS FOR THE OPERATION OF THE GOVERNMENT OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF THE PHILIPPINES BEGINNING JULY FIRST, NINETEEN HUNDRED AND FORTY-SIX, UNTIL THE GENERAL APPROPRIATION ACT FOR THE FISCAL YEAR NINETEEN HUNDRED AND FORTY-SEVEN IS APPROVED.



Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. Pending: the approval of the General Appropriation Act for the fiscal year nineteen hundred and forty-seven, the sums equal to the various items of appropriations on the yearly basis authorized in Commonwealth Act Numbered Seven hundred and twenty-three, as herein amended, are hereby appropriated from any funds in the National Treasury not otherwise appropriated for the operation of the Government of the Commonwealth of the Philippines beginning July first, nineteen hundred and forty-six.

SEC. 2. The following items provided in Commonwealth Act Numbered Seven hundred and twenty-three are hereby amended to read as follows:

CONGRESS OF THE PHILIPPINES SENATE
(a) Item A (1)-IV-1, page 8. For traveling and other expenses of Committees of the Senate when authorized by resolution of the latter to undertake studies in and outside of the Philippines.......................................................................
200,000.00
OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT
(b) Item B-IV (13), page 36. For expenses of the inauguration of the Republic of the Philippines on July fourth, nineteen hundred and forty-six, including transportation, accommodation and entertainment of official guests and other incidental, expenses...........................................................
200,000.00
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND PUBLIC WELFARE

(c) Item L-I (4)-2, page 440. One Director 7,200.00 Excess of actual salary ......................................................................

240.00
CONTINGENT FUNDS
(d) Item 1. For covering deficits in the appropriations authorized in this Act for the Executive Branch of the Government of the Commonwealth of the Philippines which the President may authorize .....................................................................................
375,000.00
SEC. 3. The following sums or so much thereof as may be necessary, are appropriated for the purposes herein specified for the operation of the offices concerned in addition to the appropriation authorized for said offices in Commonwealth Act Numbered Seven hundred and twenty-three: Provided, That no amount authorized under the Department of Justice, items (a) and (b), for the People's Court and the Office of Special Prosecutors shall be available for creating new positions nor for increasing the compensations authorized for existing positions: Provided, further, That the appropriation authorized under this section shall be available for the payment of expenses incurred prior to July first, nineteen hundred and forty-six:

CONGRESS OF THE PHILIPPINES SENATE nona
(a) For other services, including transportation and additional secretarial services for the members of the Senate, or expenses incurred by direction of the President of the Senate.........................................................
P100,000.00
(b) For the alteration, repair, rental, and maintenance of the offices of the Senators in the City Hall, including furniture and equipment .......................................................
200,000.00

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
a) For other services, including transportation and additional secretarial services for the members of the House of Representatives, or expenses incurred by direction of the Speaker......................................................................
P400,000.00
OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT
(a) For expenses of investigating committees or commissions as the President may authorize.................
P200,000.00
(b) DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
A. For Department proper (Home Office) —
     

1. For salaries and wages.........................

P469,060.00
 
 
 

2. For sundry expenses...........................

P363,000.00
 
 
 

(a) Traveling expenses of personnel ........

P70,000.00
 
(b) Freight, express, and delivery service...
5,000.00
 
(c) Postal, telegraph, telephone, radio, and cable service…....................................
10,000.00
 
(d) Illumination and power service........
2,000.00
 
(e) Other services, including contributions and subscriptions to, or membership dues in, foreign services or international organizations; expenses for entertainment of foreign diplomatic representatives; and allowances for representation expenses as may be authorized by the President.......
250,000.00
 
(f) Consumption of supplies and materials...
20,000.00
 
(g) Printing and binding reports, documents, and publications........................................
3,000.00
 
(h) Maintenance and repair of equipment....
3,000.00
 
 
 

3. For furniture and equipment..................

P50,000.00
 
 
 

4. For special purposes.............................

556,480.00
 
 
 

(a) For salaries, traveling, representation and other expenses of delegates to the United Nations, and to International conventions and conferences ....................................

P200,000.00
 
(b) For allowances, transportation and other expenses of trainees in foreign service......
P250,000.00
 
(c) For salaries and other expenses of Advisers and Consultants in Foreign Affairs.
P50,000.00
 
(d) For cultural publicity, including participation in fairs and expositions of the Republic of the Philippines.......................
P50,000.00
 
(e) For reimbursement to the General Auditing Office for salaries of personnel of the accounting-auditing services................
P6,480.00
 
     

B. For Embassy, Washington, D. C.—

     

1. For salaries, wages and post allowances ..

P278,680.00
 
2. For sundry and other expenses
150,000.00
 
 
 

C. For Consulates General (San Francisco, New York City and Honolulu) —

 
 

1. For salaries, wages and post allowances ..

P105,200.00
 
2. For sundry and other expenses................
P120,000.00
 
 
 

D. For other diplomatic and consular establishments that may be set up as the needs of the service may require.................

P907,580.00
 
 
 
Total.......................................................
P3,000,000.00
3,000,000.00
(c) For the payment of pensions to veterans of past Philippine revolutions or wars in accordance with the provisions of Commonwealth Act No. 605, including the operating expenses of the Board on Pensions for Veterans..
P300,000.00
(d) For the payment of retirement gratuities to officers and employees of the Office of the Resident Commissioner of the Philippines to the United States, who may be separated from the service upon the establishment of the Government of the Republic of the Philippines on July fourth, nineteen hundred and forty-six, subject to the provisions of section four (b) hereof.............................................................
P300,000.00
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

(a) Four delegates at P6,000 ………..............................

24,000.00
(b) For carrying out activities in the restoration and maintenance of peace and order, and other contingent expenses as may be authorized by the Secretary of the Interior with the approval of the President......................
P500,000.00
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

(a) For the operating expenses, including salaries and wages, sundry expenses, and furniture and equipment, of the People's Court in carrying out the provisions of Commonwealth Act No. 682……..................................

P650,000.00
(b) For the operating expenses, including salaries and wages, sundry expenses, and furniture and equipment, of the Office of Special Prosecutors in carrying out the provisions of Commonwealth Act No. 682 ….....................................
P750,000.00
(c) For the organization and operation of liaison offices between the United States Army, Navy, or other agencies or instrumentalities of the Government of the United States established in the Philippines and the Government of the Philippines to help veterans, widows, and orphans of Filipino citizens who served in the Armed Forces of the United States, and Filipino citizens who suffered losses and/or damages not exceeding P2,000 on account of war operations, in the enforcement of their claims by reason of such services and/or losses or damages, and for the training of personnel for the purpose.........................................
P300,000.00
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND COMMERCE

(a) For the purchase and production of breeding animals in connection with the campaign for increased meat production ……..................................................

P1,000,000.00
(b) For the restocking of breeding stations and stock farms.................................................................
P500,000.00
(c) For the reconditioning, reestablishment, equipment, operation and maintenance of the Sisiman Quarantine Station and Slaughterhouse...................................
P150,000.00
(d) For the purchase of seeds and other planting materials, as well as the cost of their propagation and distribution to increase agricultural production.............................
P600,000.00
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
(a) For the organization and maintenance of labor placement offices to assist unemployed persons, including demobilized personnel of the Philippine Army, unemployed USAFFES and guerrillas, members of the women's auxiliary service, volunteer guards, "bolo" battalions, and laid-off civilian employees who shall be given first priorities in the procurement of employment....................................
P250,000.00
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND PUBLIC WELFARE

(a) For relief and rehabilitation of indigent widows, orphans, invalids, and other indigent war victims who are not entitled to the benefits provided by existing laws, and for immediate relief to, indigent widows and orphans of members of the USAFFE, volunteer guards and members of "bolo" battalions of duly recognized guerrillas, and of unrecognized guerrillas killed by the Japanese for guerrilla activities until the United States Veterans Administration should begin payment of their claims or allowances, in which case they shall refund the amount of relief they may have received from the proceeds of their claims against the United States Veterans Administration: Provided, That not more than P40,000 hereof shall be used for salaries and wages of new or additional social workers and other employees: Provided, further, That the disposition of this appropriation shall be in accordance with rules and regulations to be promulgated by the Secretary of Health and Public Welfare with the approval of the President ………...........................................

P1,000,000.00
CONTINGENT FUNDS

(a) For the payment of bonuses to employees embraced in Grades 10 to 5 and the first rate of Grade 4 of the present schedule of salaries, as follows:
(1)    For rates    in    Grade    10:    P50
(2)    For rates    in    Grade    9:    P45
(3)    For rates    in    Grade    8:    P40
(4)    For rates    in    Grade    7:    P35
(5)    For rates    in    Grade    6:    P30
(6)    For rates    in    Grade    5:    P25
(7)    For the first    rate in    Grade 4: P15
Provided, however, That no employee receiving salary other than any of the rates prescribed for the corresponding grade in which the said salary falls shall be given less than the salary, including bonus, of another employee in the next lower rate: Provided, further, That the bonuses to be given to employees whose salaries are chargeable against special funds shall be paid out of such funds : And provided, finally, That the President may, at any time during the fiscal year nineteen hundred and forty-seven, order the reduction of the rates of bonuses authorized herein or suspend or otherwise stop the payment thereof whenever, in his judgment, the public interest so requires, but in case of reduction, the same shall be general and the reduction shall be uniform for similar rates of bonus..............................................
P38,000,000.00
SEC. 4. Notwithstanding the provisions of section one hereof—

(a) No expenditure shall be authorized from the appropriations provided for the following purposes under Commonwealth Act Numbered Seven hundred and twenty-three: Item 5, page 35, P5,265; item 8, page 35, P160,095; item 10, page 35,P75,000; item 12, page 36, P22,500; item 18, page 40, P37,500; item 16, page 101, P17,310; item 7, page 238, P18,750; item 2, page 444, P7,035; item 4, page 445, P60,000; item 2, page 470, P5,000,000; item 2, page 475, P3,000,000; and item 3, page 475, P10,000,000.
(b) Of the appropriations authorized under Commonwealth Act Numbered Seven hundred and twenty-three for the Office of the Resident Commissioner of the Philippines to the United States, only so much thereof as corresponds to a period of one month shall be available for further expenditure beyond June thirtieth, nineteen hundred and forty-six. Any officer or employee of the Office of the Resident Commissioner of the Philippines to the United States who, after, July thirty-first, nineteen hundred and forty-six, may not be reemployed in, or reassigned to, any other branch of the Philippine Government either at home or abroad on or before August thirty-first, nineteen hundred and forty-six, shall be considered retired and may be paid gratuity chargeable against the appropriation authorized under the Office of the President in item (d), section 3 of this Act, at the rate of one-half month's pay for every year of continuous service prior to separation, but not exceeding six months, and return transportation to the Philippines in kind if availed of not later than December thirty-first, nineteen hundred and forty-six: Provided,  That any officer or employee who, having received retirement gratuity under the provisions hereof, is recalled to the service prior to the expiration of the gratuity period, shall refund the gratuity corresponding to the unexpired portion of the said period from the date of such recall, irrespective of whether or not the same is accepted by such officer or employee.

SEC. 5. This Act shall take effect on July first, nineteen hundred and forty-six, unless otherwise stated, and shall continue in force until the General Appropriation Act for the fiscal year nineteen hundred and forty-seven is approved: Provided, however, That upon the approval of the said General Appropriation Act, such expenses as may actually have been incurred by authority of this Act chargeable to appropriations for which corresponding appropriation items shall be provided in the General Appropriation Act for the fiscal year 1946-1947, shall be charged against such appropriation items in the said General Appropriation Act for the fiscal year nineteen hundred and forty-seven.

SEC. 6. The provisions of Commonwealth Act Numbered Seven hundred and twenty-three, except Section 5(1) thereby of, page 477, not inconsistent with the provisions of this Act, are hereby re-enacted and made parts hereof.

Approved, July 15, 1946.