Republic Act No. 5398

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

Section 1

The sum of two hundred million pesos, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is hereby appropriated out of any funds in the National Treasury not otherwise appropriated, and/or from the proceeds of bond issues and/or loans which are hereby authorized, for the architectural and engineering services, construction and completion of the national buildings on Constitution Hill in Quezon City, including the improvement of grounds and thoroughfares thereof, subject to the provisions hereinafter set forth: Provided, That the proceeds of bond issues shall not exceed thirty percent of the total loans herein authorized.

Section 2

The national buildings herein referred to in the next preceding section shall consist of the Legislative Group, the Executive Group, and the Judiciary Group, and other related structures.

Section 3

For the architectural and engineering services, construction and completion of the above-mentioned buildings and other related structures, the Secretary of the Department of Public Works and Communications through the Director of Public Works, is hereby authorized to enter into contracts with private persons, natural or juridical, for the architectural and engineering services and/or construction of said structures on Constitution Hill, in consultation with and approval of the Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Congress of the Philippines and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court as regards their respective Building Groups, and upon prior approval of the President of the Philippines.

Section 4

All architectural-engineering designs and services under this Act, after the usual government procedures for public biddings, shall be awarded to citizens of the Philippines as authorized by existing laws, within one year after approval of this Act. All construction contracts under this Act, after the usual government procedures for public biddings, shall be awarded to citizens of the Philippines or to corporations or associations as authorized by existing laws to engage in construction-business operations in the Philippines.

Section 5

In the event the Government may not have the necessary funds to be certified as available for any single contract out of the appropriation herein provided, authority is hereby granted to the contractor to finance from his own funds any single contract for any of said structures, and the appropriations authorized under Section one hereof shall be made available for the amortization of both principal and interest of any unpaid balance at a rate of interest not exceeding twelve per cent per annum; Provided, That no contract shall be amortized and paid for a period longer than twenty years.

Section 6

Notwithstanding any law, rule or regulation to the contrary, the contracts herein to be entered into are authorized to be discountable in any local bank and/or financing institution doing business in the Philippines in amounts not exceeding eighty-five per cent of the contract, provided such discounting shall have the prior favorable endorsement of the President of the Philippines.

Section 7

Upon approval of the President of the Philippines of the projects to be implemented, the Secretary of Public Works and Communications shall forthwith cause to be published once every week for three consecutive weeks in at least two newspapers of general circulation, a notice inviting all eligible contractors to participate in a public bidding for the projects so approved, subject to the usual government procedures necessary for public biddings.

Section 8

All prior appropriations for national buildings and other improvement projects pertaining to the Legislative, Judiciary and Executive Groups are hereby made increments of the appropriation provided for in Section one hereof and subject to the other provisions of this Act.

Section 9

All laws inconsistent herewith are hereby repealed.

Section 10

This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

Approved: June 15, 1968.