Question & AnswerQ&A (Republic Act No. 333)
The capital of the Philippines established by Republic Act No. 333 is Quezon City, which is also the permanent seat of the national government.
Quezon City has perpetual succession, can use and alter a common seal, sue and be sued, take and dispose of properties, contract and be contracted with, and execute all powers conferred by the law.
Quezon City's territory contains approximately 15,660 hectares, defined by specific geographic points and lines including directions and distances as described in the law, encompassing areas such as the Novaliches watershed reservation and points crossing the Mariquina river.
It is a commission created to plan and develop Quezon City, composed of seven members appointed by the President with consent of the Commission on Appointments, three of whom are not government officials; the Commission includes a chairman and an executive secretary.
Responsibilities include making and adopting a general physical development plan, establishing zoning districts, adopting rules for land acquisition and subdivision, appointing technical employees, and generally ensuring coordinated and harmonious development for public welfare.
The Commission can acquire private estates by purchase or expropriation; sale prices shall be cost plus 6% on a cash basis or with additional interest for installment sales; lease rates are fixed with President's approval and awards should be to the highest bidder when practicable.
The President is authorized to issue bonds up to 20 million pesos to fund land acquisition, subdivision, and municipal improvements; a sinking fund is created for bond payments, managed by the Central Bank, with annual appropriations for interest and expenses.
The sinking fund is created for payment of the bonds, accruing funds annually to cover bond maturities, invested under Central Bank supervision, with expenses charged to the fund and interest credited to it.
Members except the chairman receive 25 pesos per diem for meetings up to twice a week, with travel expenses; the chairman receives 10,000 pesos per annum; the executive secretary receives 6,000 pesos per annum.
All income from sale or rental is credited to the revolving fund created from bond proceeds and is used exclusively for the execution, improvement, or extension of the master plan and maintenance and operation of public services in Quezon City.