REPUBLIC ACT No. 3761

An Act Appropriating the Sum of Thirteen Million Pesos for the Relief and Rehabilitation of People Who Suffered or May Suffer Damages From, and Areas Which were Damaged or May be Damaged by Certain Public Calamities, and for Other Purposes

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippine Congress Assembled:

Section 1. The sum of thirteen million pesos is appropriated, out of any funds in the National Treasury not otherwise appropriated, for aid to, and for the relief and rehabilitation of, people who suffered or may suffer damages from, and areas which were or may be damaged by, public calamities, such as typhoons, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, floods, fires, epidemics and the like, when occurred or may occur from July first, nineteen hundred sixty-two, to June thirtieth, nineteen hundred sixty-four: Provided, However, That of the said sum of thirteen million pesos, six million pesos shall be expended for aid to, and for the relief and rehabilitation of, the people in Mindanao who suffered or may suffer damages from the said public calamities and for the repair, reconstruction and/or construction of flood control works, roads, bridges, public buildings and other public works in Mindanao which were damaged or may be damaged by the said public calamities, including the construction of new flood control works; Provided, further, That the sum of eight hundred thousand pesos shall be set aside for the investigation, survey, and preparation of an integrated flood control plan for the Island of Mindanao; and three million pesos for the Visayas and four million pesos for Luzon to be expended for the repair, reconstruction and/or construction of flood control works, roads, bridges, public buildings and other public works which were or may be damaged by the said public calamities including the construction of new flood control works.

Such portion of the six million pesos appropriated by virtue of this Act which shall be given in form of relief to the indigent or deserving flood and/or typhoon victims of Mindanao for the rehabilitation of their homes, farms, animals, livestock, seeds, clothing, business, and other properties essential to their welfare and well-being, shall be distributed to each victim by the Social Welfare Administrator and the Secretary of Agriculture and Natural Resources or any of their duly authorized representatives in the different provinces and cities in accordance with the allocation prepared and approved, after consultation with the heads of the local governments concerned, by a special committee composed of the Social Welfare Administrator as Chairman, and as members, one representative of the President and one representative of the Philippine National Red Cross duly designated by the chairman thereof; Provided, That the consultation of the local governments shall be carried out within a period of ten days from notification by the committee; Provided, further, That in the allocation above referred to, indigents and the needy shall have priority, but in no case shall any family receive an amount exceeding two hundred pesos as relief and/or rehabilitation in cash or in kind; Provided, furthermore, That any person who fraudulently files a claim or collects any amount in excess of any actual damages he may have suffered and any person or official who knowingly causes such a claim to be paid, shall be sentenced to pay a fine of not less than one hundred pesos nor more than one thousand pesos or suffer imprisonment of not less than one month nor more than one year, or both, in the discretion of the court: And Provided, finally, That if the guilty party is in charge of distributing releases, the penalty shall be imprisonment for not less than one year, or as provided for by existing law.

Section 2. Aside from the expenditures of the amount herein appropriated, the President of the Philippines shall arrange with public credit institutions and/or private banks only to facilitate the extension of long-term loans to victims of calamities for the reconstruction of their destroyed dwellings and the acquisition of their lost implements and tools needed in their occupation or calling.1âшphi1

Section 3. Any unexpended balance or unobligated amount of this appropriation as of December thirty-first, nineteen hundred and sixty-four, shall revert to the general fund.

Section 4. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

Approved: June 22, 1963.


The Lawphil Project - Arellano Law Foundation