Republic Act No. 5176

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

Section 1

Pursuant to the provisions of Republic Act Numbered Three hundred thirty-three, the Department of General Services, hereinafter referred to as the Department, is hereby directed to expedite the transfer of national government offices to the Capital City and create thereat a government center.

Section 2

To finance the construction of the buildings that will house said offices in the Capital City and/or the acquisition or purchase of land to be occupied by them, there is hereby created a building fund account in the department: Provided, That the executive, the Judiciary and the two Houses of Congress shall each form and constitute a committee of their own choice which shall be in consultation from time to time with the architect and the builder to the end that the needs and requirements of their respective departments are considered and taken into account, consistent with the demands of harmony and reflective of the art, culture and history of the Philippines: Provided further, That in the event of any disagreement between the aforesaid committee and the architect and the builder, said disagreement shall be resolved by the office of the President of the Philippines.

Section 3

The following shall constitute the building fund account:

(a) Proceeds from the sale, and rentals from the lease of government properties as provided under Section five hereof; and

(b) All amounts for the rental of office space by any agency or instrumentality of the national government that may no longer spend or pay for such rental.

Section 4

No amount in the building fund account can be used for any purpose other than to pay the amortization of any loan obtained under Section six hereof and/or to finance the construction of the buildings not exceeding the corresponding appropriation made by law, including the acquisition and/or purchase of the corresponding sites as provided under Section two hereof.

Section 5

Subject to existing rules and regulations, the Department upon recommendation of the Bureau of Building and Real Property Management is empowered to sell or lease through public biddings, such real property within its jurisdiction and/or administration that are not actually allocated for permanent use by the government or any of its agency or instrumentality including government-owned or controlled corporations.

Section 6

Subject to approval of the President of the Philippines and to the supervision of the Secretary of Finance, the Department is authorized to borrow funds from any local or foreign financial institution payable for a period not exceeding twenty years, to finance the construction of buildings including the purchase and/or acquisition of site as provided in Section 4 hereof: Provided, That the building project has been authorized by Congress: and Provided, further, That the total loan which may be obtained by virtue of this Section shall not exceed three hundred million pesos.

All loans obtained under this Section shall be fully guaranteed by the Republic of the Philippines as to amortization. In the event the Department shall be unable to pay said amortization, the Secretary of Finance shall pay the amount thereof which is hereby authorized to be appropriated out of any funds in the National Treasury not otherwise appropriated and thereupon, the amounts so paid shall be reimbursed by the Department from whatever amount as may be available in the building fund account.

Such sums as are reimbursed to the Secretary of Finance shall automatically accrue to the general fund of the government.

Section 7

The design and construction of the buildings herein provided shall be undertaken under the supervision of the Bureau of Public Works in coordination with the Bureau of Building and Real Property Management.

Section 8

All laws, executive orders, rules and regulations, or a part thereof, inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

Section 9

This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

Approved: August 4, 1967.