Act No. 137

by Government of the Philippine Islands

UNITED STATES PHILIPPINE COMMISSION

[ ACT NO. 137 ]

AN ACT extending the provisions of the Provincial Government Act to the Province of Rizal

By authority of the President of the United States, be it enacted by the United States Philippine Commission, that:

SECTION 1.

All the provisions of an Act entitled "A general Act for the organization of provincial governments in the Philippine Islands," enacted February 6, 1901, and its amendments shall apply to and govern the establishment of a provincial government in all that territory in the Island of Luzon excepting the city of Manila, known as the Province of Manila, and the politico-military district of Morong, with such exceptions, modifications, and supplementary provisions as are hereinafter contained.

SEC. 2.

The province hereby organized shall be known as the Province of Rizal.

SEC. 3.

The compensation to be paid provincial officers of the Province of Rizal shall be at the following rate per year, money of the United States:

For the provincial governor, one thousand eight hundred dollars ($1,800);

For the provincial secretary, one thousand two hundred dollars ($1,200);

For the provincial treasurer, two thousand two hundred dollars ($2,200);

For the provincial supervisor, one thousand eight hundred dollars ($1,800);

For the provincial fiscal, one thousand two hundred dollars ($1,200).

The salary of provincial officers shall he payable monthly so that one-twelfth (¹⁄₁₂) of the annual salary shall be paid on the last day of each calendar month.

Each provincial officer shall be allowed his necessary and actual traveling expenses, not exceeding two and one-half dollars ($2.50) per day, while absent from the capital of the province on official business. The allowance shall be made by the provincial board upon the certificate of the officer that the travel was necessary for the public business, and shall not be paid until the account, accompanied by the resolution of the board approving the same, shall be forwarded to the Insular Treasurer and by him approved.

SEC. 4.

The bond of the provincial treasurer shall be ten thousand dollars ($10,000) until the first day of March, 1902, when, in view of the collection of the land tax, the Commission may require a new bond or an additional bond to cover the probable increase of the funds of which the provincial treasurer shall have custody at any one time. The bond to be given shall be conditioned to secure on the part of the provincial treasurer that he shall account for the internal-revenue collections coming into his hands as internal-revenue collector, the taxes collected by him for each municipality, for the province, and for the Central Government. The form of the bond shall be prescribed by the Insular Treasurer. If, upon the request of the Commission, the Military Governor shall detail any military officer to fill a provincial office, no bond shall be required of him and no salary shall be paid him until after July 1, 1901.

SEC. 5.

The presidents or alcaldes of the municipalities of the province shall meet on the third Monday in January, April, July, and October to consider improvements needed in the province and for the provincial governments, and to make recommendations to the provincial board. The convention shall be called together by the provincial secretary, and shall elect a chairman for each quarter's session. The provincial secretary shall act as secretary of the convention, and shall certify its recommendations to the provincial board.

SEC. 6.

The capital of the province shall he at the town of Pasig.

SEC. 7.

It shall be the duty of the provincial board to see to it that, as nearly as possible, the amounts spent for improvements from provincial funds in that part of the province which was the District of Morong shall bear the same proportion to the amount spent in the whole province for improvements as the taxes collected from Morong shall bear to the taxes collected in the whole province.

SEC. 8.

It shall be the duty of the provincial supervisor to make an examination of the causes for the flooding of the towns of the province situate on the Laguna de Bay and the rivers flowing into the same, for the purpose of determining a method of preventing a recurrence of the flooding and the consequent injuries therefrom. The provincial supervisor shall submit his report upon this subject, and his recommendations, to the provincial board, who shall transmit the same, with such comment as it deems proper, through the Chief Executive, to the Commission, for enabling legislation, if necessary.

SEC. 9.

This Act shall take effect on its passage.

Enacted, June 11, 1901.