QuestionsQuestions (Commonwealth Act No. 638)
CA No. 638 provides for the uniform publication and distribution of the Official Gazette in the Philippines.
All important legislative acts and resolutions of a public nature of the Congress of the Philippines.
All executive and administrative orders and proclamations are required, except those that have no general applicability.
When the courts deem them to be of sufficient importance to be published.
It includes such documents or classes of documents as may be required to be published by law.
The President may determine from time to time which documents have general applicability and legal effect, or may authorize their publication.
Because of the proviso stating that for Section 1, every order or document prescribing a penalty is deemed to have general applicability and legal effect.
It includes any order, regulation, rule, certificate, license, notice, or similar instrument issued, prescribed, or promulgated by executive departments, bureaus, offices, commissions, independent boards, agencies, or other administrative instruments—excluding the legislative or judicial branch.
The Director of Printing, authorized to publish it as frequently as the public interest of the government requires.
It is edited in the Executive Office and published in English; a Spanish edition may also be issued if the President determines it is in the interest of the service.
The Bureau of Printing effects the sale and distribution and promptly mails copies to subscribers free of postage.
At the end of each quarter, an index is supplied as part of the Official Gazette; the index in the last quarter is complete for the entire year.
Each department, bureau, office, and agency of the National Government, and each provincial, city, and municipal government, shall subscribe to the Official Gazette and pay for it from their respective funds.
They must file and properly keep it with the public records of the concerned department, bureau, office, agency, or local government for reference.
Funds already appropriated for publication are continued to be available to carry out the provisions of the Act.
It takes effect upon its approval.