Question & AnswerQ&A (Act No. 2583.)
The purpose of Act No. 2583 is to appropriate funds from the Insular Treasury for public works and permanent improvements across various sectors such as health services, education, forestry, public works, and others in the Philippines.
The funds are appropriated out of any funds in the Insular Treasury from the sale of bonds for public works or permanent improvements, and in default thereof, out of any funds in the Insular Treasury not otherwise appropriated.
The Act provides appropriations for the extension of improvements on the Gota de Leche property, purchasing land and buildings for a leper station in Cebu, constructing a dispensary building for the Southern Islands Hospital in Cebu, and a hospital building in Cuyo, Palawan.
The Act appropriates P25,000.00 for the construction of an annex to the Dispensary of the Philippine General Hospital.
The Act appropriates funds for completing the administrative building of the Forest School at Los Baños and purchasing necessary equipment (P10,000.00) and constructing quarters for the students of the School of Forestry at Los Baños (P8,000.00).
Provinces must accept the provisions of Act No. 1652 and by a resolution of the provincial board guarantee continuing annual appropriations for maintenance, as determined necessary by the Director of Public Works, for first-class roads constructed or to be constructed.
The total amount appropriated is P1,500,000.00, divided as P1,000,000.00 for first-class roads apportioned by population, P400,000.00 apportioned at the discretion of the Secretary of Commerce and Police, and P100,000.00 for interprovincial roads and bridges.
The Secretary can approve the use of funds for construction, reconstruction, repair, and maintenance of second and third-class roads, trails, and temporary bridges wherever most useful and proper for the public interest.
Provinces or municipalities must adopt resolutions appropriating one-third of the cost and such funds must be covered into the Insular Treasury. No Insular aid can exceed P25,000.00 per municipality or project, and expenses for failed artesian wells must be returned to the spending municipality or province.
All unexpended balances revert to the unappropriated funds in the Insular Treasury and cannot be withdrawn or spent again except upon new appropriation by the Legislature.
The Governor-General may suspend temporarily or definitively the construction of any specified project or projects if the probable revenues of the Insular Government are not sufficient to cover the projects until otherwise ordered by the Legislature.