Question & AnswerQ&A (MEMORANDUM CIRCULAR NO. 119)
The main policy is to liberate urban communities from blight, congestion, and hazards, and to promote modernization of human communities.
The Human Settlements and Planning Commission was created to implement the policies of the decree.
The Commission operates under the Office of the President of the Philippines.
The Commission is composed of the Secretary of National Defense, Secretary of Public Works, Transportation and Communications, Secretary of Local Government and Community Development, Chairman of the Board of Investments or their representatives, and the incumbent Chairman of the Task Force on Human Settlements.
Key functions include formulating national human settlements policies and plans, promulgating guidelines and standards for land use and environmental control, reviewing and approving development plans, promoting cooperation among public and private sectors, and instituting expropriation or abatement proceedings as necessary.
The Commission may, after notice and hearing, institute expropriation, condemnation or abatement of nuisance proceedings on properties considered pollutants or hazardous to public welfare.
Yes, providing false or misleading information can lead to imprisonment of not less than four nor more than six months and fines ranging from five hundred to one thousand pesos. Perjury penalties apply if the false information is under oath.
First-time offenders are warned and placed on probation; second convictions result in removal or cessation of infrastructure support; subsequent convictions may lead to imprisonment of six months to five years and fines, with responsible officers liable if the offender is a juridical person.
Yes, donations and contributions to the Commission are tax-exempt, and the Commission's operations are exempt from taxes except import taxes and duties. Its expenditures are also exempt from government procurement laws.
Appeals may be filed to the Office of the President within 30 days from receipt of the decision. A motion for reconsideration filed with the Commission suspends the appeal period until the motion is resolved.
The working staff, including the Task Force on Human Settlements, conducts studies, assists in planning and program implementation, and is considered policy-determining, primarily confidential or highly technical personnel.
The initial lump sum appropriation is ten million pesos (P10,000,000.00) for fiscal year 1973-1974, with subsequent budgets included as necessary in the General Appropriations Act.