PHILIPPINE LAWS, STATUTES, CODES & ISSUANCES
PHILIPPINE LAWS, STATUTES AND CODES
REPUBLIC ACTS
REPUBLIC ACT NO. 1600 - AN ACT
APPROPRIATING FUNDS FOR THE OPERATION OF THE GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC
OF THE PHILIPPINES DURING THE PERIOD FROM JULY FIRST, NINETEEN HUNDRED
AND FIFTY-SIX TO JUNE THIRTIETH, NINETEEN HUNDRED AND
FIFTY-SEVEN, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES |
Section 1.
Appropriation of Funds. � The following sums or so much thereof as may
be necessary, are appropriated out of any funds in the Philippine
Treasury not otherwise appropriated for the operation of the Government
of the Republic of the Philippines during the period from July first,
nineteen hundred and fifty-seven to June thirtieth, nineteen hundred
and fifty-seven, except where otherwise specifically provided: [For the sake of brevity, the itemization under this Section of the funds appropriated for the operation of the Government had been deleted. Please refer to the unabridged version of the pertinent General Appropriations Act for the details.] GENERAL PROVISIONS
Sec. 2. Authority to pay salaries not in conformity with the prescribed grades or rates of compensation. � Payment to incumbent employees of salaries the rates of which are not in conformity with the schedule of grades or rates of compensation provided in section three of Commonwealth Act Numbered Four hundred and two, as amended is hereby authorized: PROVIDED, That new appointments, whether original or promotional, to positions not carrying the salary rates prescribed in Commonwealth Act Numbered Four hundred and two, as amended, shall be made only at the rates authorized in the said Act. Sec. 3. Personnel in the classified Civil Service not to be affected by the adoption of the Performance Budget. � The adoption of the budgetary system based on functions, activities and projects in terms of expected results in the Bureau of Internal Revenue, Land Registration Commission, Bureau of Lands, Bureau of Telecommunications, Bureau of Public Libraries, Bureau of Labor, Wage Administration Service, Industrial Safety Engineering Division, Armed Forces of the Philippines, Bureau of Health, Bureau of Commerce, Institute of Science and Technology, Philippine Normal College, Central Luzon Agricultural College, Philippine College of Commerce, Mindanao Agricultural College and Mindanao Institute of Technology, shall neither result in any manner in the laying off of personnel in the classified Civil Service except for cause as provided by law nor in the reduction of actual salaries of incumbents or demotion in rank or change of status. Sec. 4. Appendix covering Plantillas of Personnel. � The appendix containing the plantillas of personnel in the different bureaus and offices whose budgets are presented pursuant to the provisions of Republic Act No. 992, is hereby made part of this Act. Sec. 5. Authority to use savings in appropriations to cover deficits. � Except as otherwise provided in this Act, any savings in the regular appropriations authorized in this Act for the Executive Departments for "personal services," for "maintenance and other operating expenses," and for "furniture and equipment" of the bureaus and offices under any Department may, with the approval of the President, be used to cover a deficit in any other item of the regular appropriations except for personal services, under the same Department: PROVIDED, That whenever authorized positions are transferred from one program to another, the corresponding amounts appropriated for personal services are also deemed transferred, without increasing the total outlay for personal services of the office concerned. In no case, however, shall any item of appropriations be augmented, pursuant to the authority granted in this section, by more than forty per centum of the original appropriation provided in this Act for such item. Sec. 6. Quarterly report to Congress on transfer of appropriations and accomplishments of bureaus and offices. � The Auditor General and the Commissioner of the Budget shall submit separately to the Congress a quarterly report of any transfer of appropriation made to cover a deficit, the report to specify the items and the amounts involved and shall furnish copies to each member of Congress in his office. The heads of bureaus or offices whose appropriations are based on the Performance Budget shall likewise submit separately to the Congress a quarterly report of their accomplishments. Sec. 7. Authority to use savings for other purposes. � The President of the Philippines is authorized to use any savings in the appropriations provided in this Act for the Executive Departments for the settlement of the following obligations incurred during the current fiscal year and/or previous fiscal years, the limitation in section 7-I(27) of Commonwealth Act Numbered Two hundred forty-six, as amended, notwithstanding: (1) claims under section 699 of the Revised Administrative Code and the Workmen's Compensation Act, whichever is applicable, of officers, employees and laborers who died or were injured in line of duty; (2) commutation of the money value of the additional leave, extended leave and accrued leave earned by American and Filipino officers and employees, or by Filipino officers and employees separated from the service except for cause, for service rendered prior to November twenty-ninth, nineteen hundred and thirty-six; (3) purchase of furniture and equipment to replace those that may be lost through fire or other calamity, or may have been damaged through the same cause, the disposal of which is deemed reasonable and necessary, it would be more expensive to have them repaired, and purchase, with the approval of the President, of furniture and equipment to replace unserviceable ones condemned by the Auditor General; (4) payment of salaries of suspended employees who have subsequently been exonerated; (5) payment of the share of the National Government in the salaries of national officials in newly created cities and provinces where no appropriation has been provided therefor; (6) three per cent contribution of the Government to the Government Service Insurance System for the employees' insurance premiums corresponding to the period from December thirty-first, nineteen hundred and forty-one to February twenty-eight, nineteen hundred and forty-five, pursuant to section four of Republic Act Numbered One hundred thirty-two, the provisions of section 7(c) of Commonwealth Act Numbered One hundred eighty-six, as amended, to the contrary notwithstanding; (7) commutation of vacation and sick leaves of employees who may be retired under existing laws; (8) additional compensation to government nurses assigned to the public health nursing at P50 a month in lieu of quarters, subsistence and laundry allowances as provided under section three of Republic Act Numbered Six hundred forty-nine; (9) purchase or rental of accounting machines to carry out the plan of mechanizing the accounting system in the Government; (10) obligation of the National Government under the provisions of subsection (a) of section 2553 of the Revised Administrative Case; (11) cash commutation of the accumulated vacation and sick leave of employees who voluntarily resign or are separated from the service thru no fault of their own, in accordance with the provisions of Republic Act Numbered Six hundred eleven, as amended by Republic Act Numbered One thousand eighty-one; (12) printing of briefs in cases appealed by the Government; (13) improvement of food rations in government hospitals and leprosaria; (14) rural improvement; (15) payment of premiums for the insurance of government properties; and (16) payment of gratuities of employees who are laid off as a result of the elimination of their positions in this Act and the government reorganization under Republic Act No. 997. Sec. 8. Limitation of special details of officials and employees. � Any provision of existing law to the contrary notwithstanding, no portion of any appropriation provided for in this Act shall be made available for the payment of salaries of officials or employees who are not actually performing the duties and functions pertaining to their positions and assigned to the place of employment as specified in this Act: PROVIDED, That this shall not apply to special assignments for a period not exceeding one hundred eighty days which shall not be renewed or extended. Any official who shall allow the payment of salaries to officials or employees who are not in their designated place of employment and performing their assigned tasks shall be required to refund to the government such sums as may have been paid to such officials or employees. Sec. 9. Suspension of expenditures of appropriations. � Except as otherwise provided in this Act and whenever in his judgment the public interest so requires, the President is authorized to suspend or otherwise stop the expenditure of any amount herein appropriated in any item or items for the Executive Departments for any purpose, except amounts for salaries of positions with incumbents, and thereupon the funds affected by such action shall become available for any other expenditures authorized in this Act for the Executive Departments as the President may determine, except for personal services; PROVIDED, That whenever authorized positions are transferred from one program to another, the corresponding amounts appropriated for personal services are also deemed transferred without increasing the total outlay for personal services of the office concerned. In no case, however, shall any item of appropriation be augmented, pursuant to the authority granted in this section, by more than forty per centum of the original appropriation provided in this Act for such item. The Auditor General and the Commissioner of the Budget shall report separately to the Congress within a period of thirty days any suspension or transfer of funds made by the President during the previous quarter and shall furnish copies to each member of Congress in his office. Section 10. Failure on the part of the Auditor General and the Commissioner of the Budget to make report. � Failure on the part of the Auditor General and the Commissioner of the Budget to make the report herein required under section 9 of this Act within the period specified therein shall automatically cause the suspension of the payment of their salaries until they shall have complied therewith. Section 11. Provision for "excess of actual salary." � Appropriations provided in this Act may be used for payment of excess of actual salaries to the incumbent of a position to which said "excess" pertains who is actually receiving the same "excess" as part of the salary granted to him upon his appointment to the said position before the reduction of the basic pay thereof to the amount provided: PROVIDED, HOWEVER, That if the position be vacated and the successor to its previous incumbent shall have previously received an equal salary plus the "excess of actual salary" in the same or any other branch of the government service, such excess shall be allowable to him. Section 12. Purchase of locally manufactured furniture, equipment, parts, accessories, supplies and materials. � All appropriations for the purchase of furniture, equipment, supplies and materials authorized in this Act shall be available only for locally manufactured furniture, equipment, parts, accessories, supplies and materials, except when none is available in the market, or when the prices of the locally manufactured article exceed those determined by the Flag Law by ten per cent. Section 13. Renting of automobiles, jitneys or trucks for a continuous period exceeding fifteen days prohibited. � No appropriation provided in this Act for the Executive Departments shall be used for renting automobiles, jitneys or trucks on the monthly basis nor on the daily basis for a continuous period exceeding fifteen days. Section 14. Authority to purchase motor vehicles. � No appropriation authorized in this Act shall be used for the purchase of automobiles, jitneys, jeeps, station wagons, motorcycles and other motor vehicles unless otherwise specifically provided in this Act.
Section 15. Officials entitled to government motor
transportation. � The following officials are entitled to use
government motor transportation chargeable against the appropriations
authorized in this Act.
Section 16. Officials entitled to transportation
allowance. � The Department Heads, including the Administrator of
Economic Coordination, the Commissioner of the Budget, the Press
Secretary, the Chairman of the Commission on Elections and the Social
Welfare Administrator are hereby granted a commutable transportation
allowance of two hundred fifty pesos each per month; the
Undersecretaries of Departments and officials with the same rank, the
Public Service Commissioner, the Executive Judge of the Court of
Agrarian Relations, the Legislative Secretary, the Legislative Liaison
Officer, the Presiding Judge of the Court of Industrial Relations, the
Presiding Judge of the Court of Tax Appeals, the Chairman of Land
Tenure Administration, the Judicial Superintendent, Office of the
Secretary of Justice and Administrator of Social Security Commission,
two hundred pesos each per month, and the following officials,
directors or chiefs of bureaus and offices, and the Sergeant-at-Arms of
the House of Representatives, one hundred pesos each per month,
chargeable against the appropriations authorized in this Act for their
respective offices:
Section 17. Bureaus and offices entitled to use,
operate and maintain government motor vehicles and launches. � No
bureau or office shall use, operate or maintain from the appropriations
authorized in this Act government service cars, jeeps, station wagons,
vans, service trucks, pick-up trucks, launches, speedboats,
motorcycles, etc., except the following: Section 18. Authority to pay representation allowance out of savings. � Heads of Departments and other members of the cabinet are hereby granted representation allowance at the rate not exceeding two hundred pesos per month commutable monthly: PROVIDED, That the said allowance shall be paid out of the savings in the appropriations provided in this Act for the respective departments, and offices of the officials concerned. Section 19. Proper use of government motor vehicles. � The use of government motor vehicles by bureaus and offices for the purpose enumerated in section seventeen hereof shall be authorized only through the issuance for each trip of a serially numbered ticket, duly signed by the chief or the administrative officer of the bureau or office concerned. These motor vehicles shall be used strictly for official business, bear government plates only and after office hours kept in the garage provided therefor by the bureau or office to which they belong, except when in use for strictly official business outside office hours. Sec. 20. Use of more than one motor vehicle prohibited. � With the exception of the President, no government official or employee authorized to use any vehicle operated and maintained from the funds appropriated in this Act shall be allowed to use more than one such motor vehicle: PROVIDED, HOWEVER, That the Vice-President, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives may be allowed to use two motor vehicles each: PROVIDED, FURTHER, That no official who has been furnished motor transportation by any government corporation shall be allowed to use motor vehicle transportation operated and maintained from funds appropriated in this Act. The Auditor General is hereby empowered to issue rules and regulations for the proper implementation and enforcement of the provisions of this section and sections 16, 17 and 19. Sec. 21. Disposition of motor vehicles not used by a bureau or office. � All motor vehicles owned by or assigned to the different department, bureaus, offices and branches of the National Government not needed by the officials and for the purposes enumerated in sections fifteen and seventeen of this Act shall be disposed of to the highest bidder at public auction sales announced in newspapers of general circulation at least ten days before the sale: PROVIDED, That the former user thereof shall be given preference if he offers and pays a price equal to that of the highest bid by others. Sec. 22. Prohibition against the use of appropriation for the payment of salaries and wages of officers or employees engaged in a strike against the Government. � Subject to existing civil service rules and regulations and the proper administrative proceedings, no part of the funds of, or available for expenditures by, any agency included in this Act shall be used to pay the salary or wages of any officer or employee who engages in a strike against the Government of the Republic of the Philippines or who is a member of an organization of government employees that in the opinion of the Secretary of Justice asserts the right to strike against the Government of the Republic of the Philippines, or who in the opinion of said Secretary of Justice advocates, or is a member of an organization that advocates, the overthrow of the Government of the Republic of the Philippines by force or violence: PROVIDED, That for the purposes hereof an affidavit shall be considered sufficient evidence that the person making the affidavit has not, contrary to the provisions of this section, engaged in a strike against the Government of the Republic of the Philippines, is not a member of any organization of government employees that asserts the right to strike against the Government of the Republic of the Philippines, or that such person does not advocate, and is not a member of an organization that advocates, the overthrow of the Government of the Republic of the Philippines by force or violence. Sec. 23. Per diems outside of the Philippines. � No per diems in excess of fifty pesos shall be paid to any official or employee traveling outside of the Philippines. Sec. 24. No transfer of salary savings to the Government Service Insurance System. � The provisions of Republic Act No. 660 to the contrary notwithstanding, no savings from personal services under the general fund and the special, revolving, trust, depository and other funds shall be transferred to the Government Service Insurance System. Sec. 25. Reinsurance of government buildings to be equitably distributed among private insurance companies in the Philippines. � In all cases where appropriations are provided in this Act for payment of premiums covering the insurance of government buildings with the Property Insurance Fund, reinsurance shall be equitably distributed among private insurance companies doing business in the Philippines at least sixty per cent of the capital stock of which are owned by citizens of the Philippines on uniform terms, conditions and rates of premiums. Sec. 26. Prohibition against the transfer of appropriations of the Department of National Defense. � The provisions of section nine of this Act to the contrary notwithstanding, no amount appropriated for the Department of National Defense shall be transferred to any other Executive Department. Sec. 27. Authority to harmonize the appropriation structure with new terminology of classification of accounts. � The Commissioner of the Budget is hereby authorized to harmonize the appropriation structure with the new terminology of classification of accounts that may be prescribed by law or regulations: PROVIDED, That such reclassification shall not increase or decrease the aggregate sum appropriated in this Act for the various objects affected under each Department, bureau, or office. Sec. 28. The Committee on Finance of the Senate and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives authorized to look into all matters relating to public expenditures. � The Committee on Finance of the Senate and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives are hereby authorized to look at any time into all matters relating to funds for the expenditures of the National Government and for the payment of public indebtedness; auditing of accounts and expenditures of the National Government; claims against the Government; and in general all matters relating to public expenditures. The authority herein granted shall be without prejudice to the right of any member of the Congress to request the Committee on Finance of the Senate or the Committee on Appropriations of the House as the case may be to look at any time into matters referred to in this section either as member of the aforementioned committees or as a member of the Congress. Sec. 29. Expenditure and disbursement of special funds. � No expenditure shall be incurred, nor any disbursement made, out of the appropriations authorized in this Act from special, revolving and trust funds and from receipts automatically appropriated which will exceed at any one time either the fund itself or the cash in the National Treasury pertaining to such fund, except when, in the opinion of the President, such expenditure or disbursement is required by the exigency of the service, and sufficient income or receipts are expected to accrue to such funds to cover said expenditure or disbursement, in which case the necessary amount may be advanced from the general fund. Sec. 30. Appropriations chargeable against the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Fund. � The appropriations provided in this Act for carrying out the activities heretofore financed from the receipts of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Fund shall continue to be charged against the said Fund, and the Board of Directors of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes shall allot the amounts thereof in the distribution of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Fund. Sec. 31. Immediate payment of accounts. � In order to insure the immediate collection of income due any bureau or office for services rendered or sale of any commodity or article produced or manufactured by the same, no such service shall be rendered or sale made except on the cash basis. Any official or employee who allows such service to be rendered or sale to be made on account shall be held personally liable therefore and such act shall be considered sufficient ground for his removal from office: PROVIDED, That the provisions of this section shall apply only to transactions of the government with private parties: and PROVIDED, FURTHER, That government-owned or controlled corporations, and officials and employees of the government holding regular positions shall not be considered as private parties. Sec. 32. Remittance of premiums for life and retirement insurance with the Government Service and Insurance System. � The provisions of Republic Act Numbered Six hundred sixty, as amended, to the contrary, notwithstanding, the premiums, for life and retirement insurance of the employees of the National Government and its instrumentalities shall be remitted monthly to the Government Service Insurance System as they are due and collected.
Sec. 33. Effective date. � This Act shall take
effect on July first, nineteen hundred and fifty-six, except where
otherwise provided. |