WHEREAS, there art many officials and employees of the Bureau of Public Highways who had retired or who will retire under the provisions of Subsection c, Section 12, Commonwealth Act No. 186, as inserted by Republic Act No. 1616, as amended, and further amended by Republic Act Nos. 4968 and 5969, and many officials and employees who are laid off as a result of (he elimination of their positions in the implementation of the Integrated Reorganization Plan;

WHEREAS, these retiring or retired officials and employees, as well as those who were separated, are entitled to payment of retirement benefits or gratuities and the corresponding money value of their accrued leaves;

WHEREAS, the retirement benefits or gratuities and unpaid balances of the money value of terminal leaves of these officials and employees affected cannot be paid by the Bureau for lack of funds and/or appropriation therefor;

WHEREAS, the current Appropriation Act for Fiscal Year 1973-1974, as approved under Presidential Decree No. 233, which created a Retirement Gratuity Fund and Terminal Leave Benefits Fund, did not include the officials and employees of the Bureau of Public Highways as beneficiaries of these funds; and

WHEREAS, in order that these officials and employees of the Bureau of Public Highways can be paid their retirement benefits or gratuities and the money value of their terminal leaves, it is necessary that said officials and employees be included among the authorized recipients of the Retirement Gratuity Fund and the Terminal Leave Benefits Fund created under Presidential Decree No. 233;

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, as amended, do hereby promulgate this Decree as part of the law of the land.

SECTION 1. The special provisions of the Retirement Gratuity Fund and the Terminal Leave Benefit Fund treated under Presidential Decree No. 233 are hereby amended to include the officials and employees of the Bureau of Public Highways among the authorized beneficiaries of the funds appropriated therein.

SEC. 2. The effectivity of this Decree shall retroact as of July 1, 1973.

Done in the City of Manila, this 18th day of October, in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and seventy-three.