Question & AnswerQ&A (Act No. 222)
The main purpose is to provide for the organization of four key Departments in the Philippine government: the Department of the Interior, the Department of Commerce and Police, the Department of Finance and Justice, and the Department of Public Instruction.
The Department of the Interior includes the Bureau of Health, Quarantine Service of the Marine Hospital Corps, Bureau of Forestry, Bureau of Mining, Bureau of Agriculture, Bureau of Fisheries, Weather Bureau, Bureau of Pagan and Mohammedan Tribes, Bureau of Public Lands, Bureau of Government Laboratories, and Bureau of Patents and Copyrights.
It includes the Bureau of Island and Inter-Island Transportation, Bureau of Post-Offices, Bureau of Telegraphs, Bureau of Coast and Geodetic Survey, Bureau of Engineering and Construction of Public Works other than Public Buildings, Bureau of Insular Constabulary, Bureau of Prisons, Bureau of Light-Houses, Bureau of Commercial and Street Railroad Corporations, and all Corporations except Banking.
The Department controls the Bureau of the Insular Treasury, Bureau of the Insular Auditor, Bureau of Customs and Immigration, Bureau of Internal Revenue, Insular Cold Storage and Ice Plant, Bureau of Banks, Banking, Coinage, and Currency, and the Bureau of Justice.
The Department controls the Bureau of Public Instruction, Bureau of Public Charities, Public Libraries and Museums, Bureau of Statistics, Bureau of Public Records, Bureau of Public Printing, and Bureau of Architecture and Construction of Public Buildings.
The Secretaries of the respective Departments exercise executive control under the general supervision of the Civil Governor.
The Civil Governor exercises direct executive control through the Executive Secretary over provincial and municipal governments and the civil service, notwithstanding the general supervision by the Department Secretaries.
Each Department comprises the secretary and assistant clerks or other employees as provided by law. Official correspondence and some clerical work may be done in the office of the Executive Secretary by direction of the Department head.
No, the Act explicitly states that it does not affect the powers of the Insular Treasurer and Insular Auditor conferred by Act Numbered Ninety, preserving the Auditor's independence in auditing and adjudicating accounts.
The Act took effect immediately upon its passage on September 6, 1901.