Grant of Radio Paging Station Franchise to Contact Philippines, Inc.

June 17, 1967

REPUBLIC ACT NO. 5127

AN ACT GRANTING CONTACT PHILIPPINES, INC. A FRANCHISE TO CONSTRUCT, INSTALL AND MAINTAIN RADIO PAGING STATIONS WITHIN THE PHILIPPINES

SECTION 1. Subject to the provisions of the Constitution, as well as of Act Numbered Three thousand eight hundred forty-six, entitled "An Act providing for the regulation of radio stations and radio communications in the Philippine Islands, and for other purposes;" Act Numbered Three thousand nine hundred ninety-seven, known as the Radio Broadcasting Law, Commonwealth Act Numbered One hundred forty-six, known as the Public Service Act and their amendments, and other applicable laws not inconsistent with this Act, Contact Philippines, Inc. is hereby granted a franchise to install, construct and maintain radio paging stations for the transmission and reception of signs, signals, radiophoto, facsimile, music, pictures, voice and sound or intelligence of any nature by radio and other electro-magnet systems within the Philippines. cd

SECTION 2. This franchise shall continue for a period of twenty-five years from the approval of this Act, and is granted upon the express condition that the same shall be void unless the construction of the paging stations be begun within six months from the date of approval of this Act and be completed within two years from said date.

SECTION 3. This franchise is likewise made upon the express condition that the grantee shall contribute to the public welfare, shall assist in the function of public information and education, shall conform to the ethics of honest enterprise, and shall not use its station for the dissemination of deliberately false information or willful misrepresentation, or to the detriment of public health, or to incite, encourage or assist in subversive or treasonable acts.

SECTION 4. The grantee's radio paging stations shall not be put in actual operation until the Secretary of Public Works and Communications shall have allotted to the grantee the frequency and wave length to be used under this franchise and issued to the grantee a license for such use.

SECTION 5. The radio paging stations of the grantee shall be so constructed and operated and the wave length so selected as to avoid interference with existing radio stations and to permit of the expansion of the grantee's service.

SECTION 6. A special right is reserved to the President of the Philippines in time of war, rebellion, public peril, calamity, disaster or disturbance of peace or order, to cause the closing of said stations or to authorize the temporary use and operation thereof by any department of the Government without compensating the grantee for the use of said stations during the period when they shall be so operated.

SECTION 7. The grantee shall be liable to pay the same taxes, unless exempted therefrom, on its real estate, buildings, and personal property, exclusive of the franchise, as other person or corporations are now or hereafter may be required by law to pay.

SECTION 8. The franchise hereby granted shall be subject to amendment, alteration, or repeal by the Congress of the Philippines when the public interest so requires.

SECTION 9. Acceptance of this franchise shall be given in writing by the grantee within six months after the approval of this Act. When so accepted, the grantee shall be empowered to exercise the privilege granted thereby.

SECTION 10. The grantee shall not lease, transfer, grant the usufruct of, sell or assign this franchise or the rights and privileges acquired thereunder to any person, firm, company, corporation or other commercial or legal entity, nor merge with any other company or corporation organized for the same purpose, without the approval of the Congress of the Philippines first had. Any corporation to which this franchise may be sold, transferred or assigned shall be subject to the corporation laws of the Philippines now existing or hereafter enacted, and any person, firm, company, corporation or other commercial or legal entity to which this franchise is sold, transferred or assigned shall be subject to all conditions, terms, restrictions and limitations of this franchise as fully and completely and to the same extent as if the franchise had been originally granted to the said person, firm, company, corporation or other commercial or legal entity.

SECTION 11. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

Enacted without Executive approval, June 17, 1967.

Published in the Official Gazette, Vol. 65, No. 12, p. 2847 on March 24, 1969