Creation of the Public Recreations Bureau in the City of Manila

June 15, 1968

REPUBLIC ACT NO. 5264

AN ACT CREATING THE PUBLIC RECREATIONS BUREAU IN THE CITY OF MANILA, AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACT NUMBERED FOUR HUNDRED NINE, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE REVISED CHARTER OF THE CITY OF MANILA

SECTION 1. Republic Act Numbered Four hundred and nine, as amended, otherwise known as the Revised Charter of the City of Manila, is hereby further amended by inserting between Articles XIV and XV thereof, a new article to be known as Article XIV-B, which shall read as follows:

"ART. XIV-B — Public Recreations Bureau.

"SEC. 80-C. Composition. — There is hereby created a Public Recreations Bureau in the City of Manila, under the Office of the Mayor of Manila, which shall be under a director who shall receive an annual salary of sixteen thousand pesos: Provided, however, That the incumbent veterinary director of the Manila Zoo shall continue as the director of such bureau. The director shall be assisted by the Administrative officer of the Manila Zoo who shall be the executive officer of the bureau with a compensation of twelve thousand pesos per annum.

"SEC. 80-D. Duties and responsibilities of the director. — The director shall have the following duties and responsibilities:

1. Administer, supervise, maintain, and improve the zoo, botanical garden and nurseries, aquarium, oceanarium, planetarium, playgrounds, parks, monuments, historical sites and shrine, historical markers, natural history museum and public recreation buildings of the City of Manila; and to prescribe reasonable rules and regulations subject to the approval of the Mayor for their orderly administration, operation and maintenance and proper care and protection; cdt

2. Implement and carry out their development and improvement plans and/or expansion under the supervision and direction of the City Mayor;

3. Undertake, subject to the approval of the Mayor, fund campaigns or otherwise receive and accept financial or material assistance by donation, solicitation, voluntary contribution, or the sponsorship of carnivals, exhibits, shows, etc., for the improvement, development, expansion and operation and maintenance of the zoo, botanical garden and nurseries, aquarium, oceanarium, planetarium, playgrounds, parks, monuments, historical sites and shrines, historical markers, natural history museum, and other public recreational facilities;

4. Provide mechanical and/or electrical amusement devices, rides and other recreation facilities for rent to the public;

5. Coordinate with cultural, scientific, educational, athletic and civic organizations to insure the successful accomplishment of its projects, programs and activities;

6. Acquire different species of animals, plants and natural history specimens and necessary recreational facilities, devices and equipment for exhibition or public use;

7. Authorize, subject to the approval of the Mayor, the establishment or installation by private persons of amusement and recreational devices within its property and the collection of a reasonable fee for the use of the same: Provided, That not less than twenty per centum of the gross receipts therefrom shall accrue to the credit of this office;

8. Dispose, through sale and exchange, excess animals no longer needed for exhibition in the zoo, and plants grown and propagated in the botanical garden and nurseries; casia

9. Enforce all laws and ordinances pertaining to the protection, preservation or safety of animals, plants, historical exhibits, playgrounds and park facilities, etc.;

10. Perform such other duties as the Mayor may assign from time to time.

"SEC. 80-E. Entrance and recreation fees under a revolving fund. — The director shall, with the approval of the Mayor, provide and collect reasonable entrance fee and charges for recreational facilities and rents or royalties, the provisions of all laws and ordinances to the contrary notwithstanding; all collections from this source as well as all royalties, rents, donations, contributions, proceeds from shows, carnivals, exhibits, etc., shall accrue to the credit of this office and treated as a special revolving fund to be expended exclusively for the improvement, development, expansion, maintenance and operation and the purchase of necessary equipment, recreational devices, animals, botanical exhibits, and research, or otherwise for the betterment and promotion of the operation and management of this office."

SECTION 2. The incumbent officials affected by this Act shall automatically assume their new positions and receive their new salaries without the necessity of a new appointment.

SECTION 3. Upon the organization of the Public Recreations Bureau, all records, personnel, balance of funds and appropriations, equipment, tools, implements, buildings and facilities of the Manila Zoological and Botanical Garden, the Division of Parks and Monuments and the Division of Public Recreation of the Department of Engineering and Public Works shall be transferred to the Public Recreations Bureau.

SECTION 4. All laws, ordinances, administrative orders or parts thereof in conflict with any of the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed.

SECTION 5. This Act shall take effect upon its approval. aisa dc

Enacted without Executive approval, June 15, 1968.

Published in the Official Gazette, Vol. 65, No. 22, p. 5571 on June 2, 1969