WHEREAS, Presidential Decree No. 289, dated September 7, 1973, has increased the membership of the Court of Appeals from twenty-four (24) to thirty-six (36) Associate Justices;

WHEREAS, both Presidential Decree No. 233 (Appropriation Decree for FY 1974) and Presidential Decree No. 289 have not provided the necessary appropriations for the enlarged Court of Appeals; and

WHEREAS, it has been estimated that there is need to appropriate an amount of one million six hundred eighty-four thousand six hundred eighty pesos (P1,684,680) in addition to the current appropriation of the Court of Appeals in Presidential Decree No. 233 to meet the additional expenses occasioned by the enlarged membership of said appellate court;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers in me vested by the Constitution as Commander-in-Chief of all the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and pursuant to Proclamation No. 1081, dated September 21, 1972, and General Order No. 1, dated September 22, 1972, do hereby order and decree the appropriation of the total amount of one million six hundred eighty-four thousand six hundred eighty pesos (P1,684,680), or so much thereof as may be necessary, out of any funds in the National Treasury not otherwise appropriated, to meet the additional expenses of the enlarged Court of Appeals for the period from October 1, 1973 to the end of fiscal year nineteen hundred and seventy-four; and thereafter, such amount as may be necessary shall be incorporated in the subsequent appropriations act for the Court of Appeals.

This Decree shall take effect immediately.

Done in the City of Manila, this 23rd day of October, in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and seventy-three.