An Act Making an Appropriation for Public Works and Permanent Improvements

February 5, 1915

ACT NO. 2494

AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR PUBLIC WORKS AND PERMANENT IMPROVEMENTS

SECTION 1. The following sums, or such part thereof as may be necessary, are hereby appropriated, out of any funds in the Insular Treasury from the sale of bonds for public works or permanent improvements, and in default thereof, out of any funds in the Insular Treasury not otherwise appropriated, for public works and permanent improvements as mentioned hereunder, and for other purposes of the Insular Government:

(a)	National monuments. — For the improvement and		EXECUTIVE BUREAU.
	maintenance of the monument dedicated to the heroes
	of '96, the construction of an adjacent park to said
	monument, the construction of its connections with
	Manila and Caloocan, once definitely fixed by the
	Governor-General the most adequate site for said
	monument, and for the improvement and maintenance
	of other historical monuments, which in addition to
	said monument dedicated to the heroes of '96, their
	parks and connections shall be under the care of the
	Executive Secretary: Provided, That the city of Manila
	and any provincial board affected shall be authorized to
	appropriate from their funds of any kind whatsoever,
	any sum approved by the Executive Secretary, to aid in
	the construction of the specified work herein, and such
	city of Manila and provincial boards affected shall be
	likewise authorized to collect public subscriptions to
	be destined to the same object, whenever necessary	P50,000.00
		========
			BUREAU OF HEALTH.
(b)	For necessary and indispensable repairs and improvements
	at Insular hospitals, including building and equipment of
	a new sanitary kitchen at San Lazaro Hospital	25,000.00
(c)	For the construction and equipment of buildings for the
	lodgment and isolation of suspected cases and leper
	convalescents in the city of Manila	15,000.00
(d)	For continuance of construction at Culion, including not
	to exceed P3,000 for installation of a wireless station	25,000.00
		————
	Total for the Bureau of Health	65,000.00
		=======
			BUREAU OF LANDS.
(e)	For the repair and reconstruction of the friar lands irrigation
	systems: Provided, That P25,000 shall also be made available
	for this purpose by allotment from all profits which
	heretofore may have been realized from friar lands loans:
	And provided, further, That reimbursements to the general
	appropriation made for the Bureau of Lands arising under
	section seven of Act Numbered Seventeen hundred and
	thirty-six may also be available in the fiscal year nineteen
	hundred and fifteen for the foregoing purposes	35,000.00
(f)	For filling up the estero and near-by lowlands on the
	northern part of the Calle de Isaac Peral, Manila	8,000.00
		————
	Total for the Bureau of Lands	43,000.00
		=======
			BUREAU OF SCIENCE.
(g)	For the improvement of the aquarium	2,000.00
			BUREAU OF FORESTRY.
(h)	For building for recitation rooms, laboratory and other
	purposes for forest school at Los Baños	10,000.00
		=======
			BUREAU OF QUARANTINE SERVICE.
(i)	For the necessary and indispensable repair of quarantine
	stations, buildings and structures	3,000.00
		=======
			BUREAU OF CONSTABULARY.
(j)	For the construction of a comandancia for the Constabulary
	at Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija	5,000.00
(k)	For the reconstruction, alteration, and improvement of the
	barracks of the Constabulary at Naga, Ambos Camarines; at
	Ilagan, Isabela; at Santa Cruz, Laguna; at Lingayen, Pangasinan;
	at Catbalogan, Samar; at Sorsogon, Sorsogon; for repairs,
	Laoag, Ilocos Norte; Malolos, Bulacan; Banaue, Mountain
	Province; Bontoc, Mountain Province; Dapitan, District of
	Mindanao; Cotabato, Mindanao; Zamboanga, Mindanao;
	Puerto Princesa, Palawan; Balabac; for repairs and painting
	of permanent buildings at Baguio; and for repairs to other
	buildings occupied by the Constabulary to be expended
	in the discretion of the Secretary of Commerce and Police	10,858.00
		————
	Total for the Bureau of Constabulary	15,858.00
		=======
			BUREAU OF PUBLIC WORKS.
(l)	For the construction, improvement, and where necessary
	for the maintenance of roads and bridges in such provinces
	as shall accept the provisions of Act Numbered Sixteen
	hundred and fifty-two, which by a resolution of the
	provincial board shall guarantee by continuing annual
	appropriations the establishment of a system of
	maintenance as may be necessary in the opinion of the
	Director of Public Works, on all first-class roads, at
	present constructed or which in future may be
	constructed, and are so declared by the Director of
	Public Works, including the construction, improvement,
	and maintenance of roads and bridges in the Provinces
	of Palawan and Batanes, and in the provinces organized
	under Act Numbered Twenty-four hundred and eight to
	be apportioned in proportion to the number of inhabitants
	of each province: Provided, That the continuing annual
	apportionment of five hundred thousand pesos created
	by section one of Act Numbered Nineteen hundred and
	eighty-eight, is hereby abolished to take effect January
	first, nineteen hundred and sixteen	P1,500,000.00
(m)	For the construction, improvement, and where necessary
	the maintenance of roads and bridges in the provinces
	accepting the provisions of Act Numbered Sixteen
	hundred and fifty-two, and that by resolution of the
	provincial board shall guarantee by continuing annual
	appropriation the establishment of such system of
	maintenance as may be necessary in the judgment of
	the Director of Public Works on all first-class roads
	now constructed or which may be constructed in the
	future and declared as such by the Director of Public
	Works and in the provinces organized under the Special
	Provincial Government Act, and in the provinces
	organized under Act Numbered Twenty-four hundred
	and eight, which shall be distributed amongst the
	provinces which have not so far received special
	apportionments or which have received such
	apportionments in less than fifty per centum if such
	apportionments had been made on the basis of the
	regular apportionments, in the discretion of the
	Secretary of Commerce and Police	300,000.00
(n)	For the construction of roads, bridges, and waterworks
	in the Province of Mindoro	30,000.00
(o)	For the construction, reconstruction, and improvement
	of wharves, piers, retaining walls, dams, and dredgings
	in the different districts of the Archipelago, including
	the purchase of necessary equipment to be apportioned
	in the discretion of the Secretary of Commerce and Police	300,000.00
(p)	Artesian wells and waterworks systems. — For the
	drilling of artesian wells and the establishment of a
	waterworks system whenever the provinces or
	municipalities concerned including those organized
	under Act Numbered Twenty-four hundred and eight
	and under the Special Provincial Government Act,
	shall adopt resolutions for the appropriation of funds
	covering the cost of one-third of the cost of the work,
	to be apportioned in the discretion of the Secretary of
	Commerce and Police: Provided, That the Director of
	Public Works is hereby authorized to drill wells for
	private parties upon the payment of one-third of the
	cost of the work and upon the condition that the
	public shall be permitted continuous use of the well:
	Provided further, That any municipality or provincial
	board that by virtue of the provisions of this Act shall
	incur in the expense of an artesian well resulting in a
	failure, shall have returned the amounts expended,
	if any, and are hereby relieved of the obligation
	contracted by them for the payment thereof: Provided
	further, That funds appropriated by provinces or
	municipalities to cover the cost of one-third part of
	the work shall be covered, unless otherwise provided
	by this Act, into the Insular Treasury upon the fixing
	by the Director of Public Works of the amount thereof;
	and for the study and construction of municipal systems
	of waterworks, whenever the provincial boards or
	municipalities concerned shall adopt resolutions for
	the appropriation of funds covering the cost of one-third
	part of the work to be apportioned in the discretion of
	the Secretary of Commerce and Police: Provided, That
	the funds appropriated by the provinces and municipalities
	to cover the cost of one-third part of the work shall be
	covered into the Insular Treasury, whenever the Director
	of Public Works shall have fixed the amount thereof:
	Provided, finally, That provinces organized under Act
	Numbered Twenty-four hundred and eight shall be
	entitled to the benefits of these provisions	350,000.00
(q)	For salaries and wages, Bureau of Public Works, to
	offset the reduction of ten per centum for vacancies,
	salaries, and wages, Bureau of Public Works, Act
	Numbered Twenty-four hundred and thirty-one,
	seventy-one thousand two hundred and fifty-eight
	pesos and forty centavos: Provided, however, That
	this sum shall be distributed among projects as part
	of the general administrative expenses of the Bureau
	in accordance with the following provision of Act
	Numbered Twenty-four hundred and thirty-one:
	"Provided, That the total herein appropriated for
			SPECIAL WORKS.
(r)	For the survey work in relation with the establishment
	of the permanent lines of bays, rivers, and estuaries
	in ports of entry including the projected canal
	communicating the Bay of Misamis and the sea
	to south of Tucuran, Island of Mindanao	P15,000.00
(s)	For the expenses in the investigation of applications
	for irrigation or water rights submitted to the
	irrigation council	10,000.00
(t)	For the necessary and indispensable repairs to public
	buildings to be expended in the discretion of the
	Secretary of Commerce and Police	50,000.00
(u)	For the construction of a building for the customhouse
	and port works of Iloilo, Province of Iloilo, and for the
	maintenance and improvement of the roads leading to
	the wharves of said port	200,000.00
(v)	For the termination of Insular improvements under
	construction and for the maintenance of terminated
	improvements, continuation of wharves and other
	improvements projected by former laws, maintenance
	of roads constructed across Insular lands adjacent
	to wharves and of roads leading to such lands, in
	other ports of entry to be expended in the discretion
	of the Secretary of Commerce and Police	200,000.00
		—————
	Total for the Bureau of Public Works	2,955,000.00
		=========
			BUREAU OF POSTS.
(w)	For the construction of telegraph lines	30,000.00
(x)	For the purchase of cable and construction of cable lines	50,000.00
		————
	Total for the Bureau of Posts	80,000.00
			BUREAU OF CUSTOMS.
(y)	For the construction and reconstruction of stations,
	buoys, lighthouses, and beacons	P40,000.00
(z)	For reimbursement to the provincial treasury of
	La Union of the amount of three parcels of land in the
	municipality of San Fernando, La Union, for
	lighthouse purposes	1,442.40
		————
	Total for the Bureau of Customs	41,442.40
		=======
			BUREAU OF EDUCATION.
(aa)	To aid the municipal governments in the construction
	and repair of central school buildings and intermediate
	school buildings to be apportioned by the Secretary
	of Public Instruction	150,000.00
		========
			BUREAU OF PRISONS.
(bb)	For the construction of a tuberculosis station, Iwahig
	penal colony	4,000.00
(cc)	For the construction of a woman's building at Bilibid Prison	17,000.00
		————
	Total for the Bureau of Prisons	21,000.00
		=======
			BUREAU OF PRINTING.
(dd)	For the construction of a building for new power plant	16,000.00
		=======
			UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES.
(ee)	For the construction of a house for the curing of tobacco
	for the College of Agriculture at Los Baños, Laguna	4,000.00
(ff)	For the construction of a chemical laboratory, College
	of Liberal Arts, Manila	30,000.00
		————
	Total for the University of the Philippines	34,000.00
		=======
			POSTIGO BUILDING.
(gg)	For the reconstruction of the Postigo Building and the
	addition of a new floor for the records of the Courts
	of First Instance and the Supreme Court	65,000.00
		—————
	Total appropriations made by this section	3,551,300.40

 

SECTION 2. The different appropriations made in subsections (c) and (d) of section two and subsection (b) of section three both of Act Numbered Twenty-two hundred and sixty-four and in section two of Act Numbered Twenty-three hundred and seventy-eight and subsection (p) of section two of Act Numbered Two thousand two hundred and sixty-four not heretofore expended, are hereby declared available as if such appropriations had been made by this Act for the same purposes. CAIaDT

SECTION 3. Authorization is hereby granted for the construction of a building, to furnish legislative offices and halls and such other governmental offices as the Governor-General may designate, to be situated at the Plaza de McKinley in the city of Manila, said building to be constructed with funds loaned from the gold standard fund in accordance with the provisions of subsection (c), section three of Act Numbered Two thousand and eighty-three, as amended: Provided, That for the year nineteen hundred and fifteen, not to exceed five hundred thousand pesos shall be expended for this purpose: And provided further, That the Director of Public Works may enter upon the construction of said building, either by contract or administration, in the discretion of the Governor-General, whether the total amount necessary to complete the building is immediately available or not, all provisions of existing law to the contrary notwithstanding.

Authorization is also hereby granted for the construction in the reclaimed district of buildings for a customhouse, including the necessary equipment and plant; the construction of a breakwater or bulkhead with sheds for cargo on the water front in the vicinity of piers numbered three and five of Manila Bay; the acquisition of equipment for said sheds; for the construction of railroads and other public works and improvements on the reclaimed area: Provided, That said buildings, breakwater, sheds, equipment, and other public works shall cost not to exceed one million five hundred thousand pesos.

Said buildings, equipment, and plant to be paid for with funds loaned from the gold standard fund in accordance with the provisions of subsection (c), section three of Act Numbered Two thousand and eighty-three as amended: Provided, That the Director of Public Works may enter upon the construction of said buildings and plant and acquisition of said equipment either by contract or administration in the discretion of the Governor-General, whether the total amount necessary to complete the buildings and plant or acquire the equipment is available or not, the provisions of existing law to the contrary notwithstanding: Provided further, That upon the completion of the construction of such buildings, the Governor-General is hereby authorized and empowered to negotiate the sale, cession, or transfer of the present internal revenue and customs buildings in such form and upon such conditions as the Legislature may authorize by law if it is deemed that such sale, cession, or transfer would be advisable to the public interest: Provided further, That the proceeds of the sale of said present buildings shall be deposited in the Insular Treasury and shall constitute a special fund in trust for the amortization of the loans acquired from the gold standard fund: And provided finally, That if the proceeds of the sale are not sufficient to pay the loan contracted from the gold standard fund, one-tenth part of the necessary sum to cover such loan and interest thereon for the period of ten years shall be deemed to have been appropriated annually from the general surplus of the Insular Government.

SECTION 4. All balances of the different appropriations made by this Act unexpended on the thirtieth of June, nineteen hundred and sixteen, shall be reverted to the unappropriated funds in the Insular Treasury, and thereafter shall not be available for withdrawal or expenditure except upon appropriation by the Legislature.

SECTION 5. Whenever the Governor-General shall believe that the probable revenues of the Insular Government will not be sufficient to cover the projects provided for in this Act, he may suspend in whole or in part temporarily or definitely to the end of the fiscal year the construction of any specified project, or projects provided for in this Act until otherwise ordered by the Legislature.

SECTION 6. This Act shall take effect on its passage.

Enacted, February 5, 1915.