Presidential Decree No. 701 (PD 701) — Further Amending Certain Provisions of the Revised Philippine Highway Act, as Amended by Presidential Decrees Numbered Seventeen, One Hundred Thirty, and Three Hundred Twenty.
WHEREAS, Republic Act 917, otherwise known as the Philippine
Highway Act of 1953, was previously amended by Presidential Decree Nos.
17, 130 and 320, for the purpose of providing among others, road
maintenance funds for national, provincial, city and municipal roads;
WHEREAS, there is a need to adequately maintain Feeder or
Farm-to-Market Roads, in order to facilitate the movement of goods and
people, particularly agricultural products which are the life-blood of
our economy;
WHEREAS, the Barangays are not financially capable of
providing the required counterpart fund for the Maintenance of existing
and unabandoned Feeder or Farm-to-Market Roads;
WHEREAS, road and bridge projects within barangay areas are
generally provided with limited appropriations, and therefore
necessitates assistance from the National Government, by subsidizing
equipment rentals on barangay road and bridge projects where use of
equipment is very necessary for the construction, improvement, and
maintenance thereof;
WHEREAS, it is deemed appropriate and advantageous to the
local community being the direct beneficiary of these projects if
barangays be given the responsibility of maintaining all feeder or
farm-to-market roads within their respective areas;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the
Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution,
in order to accelerate further the National economic development through
effective highway administration by providing adequate maintenance of
Feeder or Farm-to-Market Roads, do hereby decree and order;
SECTION 1. Sub-paragraph (d), Section 6, Article III of R.
A. 917, as amended, is further amended to read as follows:
"SECTION 6. Deductions for administrative expenses,
preliminary engineering, contingent emergency expenditures, and
discretionary fund.
* * * * * * * *
Discretionary Fund.—Ten per centum of the Highway Special
Fund shall be alloted to the Discretionary Fund under the control of the
Secretary of Public Highways to be used; first, to augment any
deficiency in the allotment for administrative expenses; for payment of
gratuity benefits and the money value of accrued leaves; for payment of
compensation benefits to employees who become sick and/or injured in the
course of employment; second, to increase other allotments provided for
in this Act third, to subsidize 50% of the expected equipment rental
required to undertake the construction, improvement, and maintenance of
selected feeder road and bridge projects within barangay areas where
equipment use is very necessary as determined by the highway
District/City Engineer concerned.
All unexpended portion of this fund shall be carried over to the
next fiscal year for the same purpose."
SEC. 2. Section 8, Article IV of Republic Act 917, as
amended, is hereby further amended to add one sub-paragraph to allocate
maintenance funds for Feeder or Farm-to-Market Roads, to read as
follows:
"SECTION 8. National Aid-Highway Maintenance Fund.—The
apportionment for national aid for maintenance of local roads shall be
determined as follows:
* * * * * * *
National aid for Feeder or Farm-to-Market Roads shall be
P2,500.00 per physical Kilometer, whose existence is determined by the
Barangay Council, recommended by the Highway District/City Engineer and
approved by the Secretary of Public Highways or his designated
representative."
SEC. 3. Section 10, Article IV of Republic Act 917, as
amended, is hereby further amended by inserting the following:
"In the case of National Aid for Feeder or Farm-to-Market Roads
as provided in Sub-paragraph (h) Section eight of this Act, it shall be
released without requiring the counterpart funds, by the Secretary of
Public Highways, thru the Highway District/City Engineer, to the
Barangay officials concerned who has been duly authorized to handle
public funds. In the absence of the duly authorized barangay official,
it shall be released to the Municipal Treasurer concerned."
SEC. 4. All laws, rules and regulations inconsistent with
the provisions of this decree are hereby amended, revoked, or modified
accordingly.
SEC. 5. This decree shall take effect upon its approval.
Done in the City of Manila, this 16th day of May, in the year
of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and seventy-five.
(Sgd.)
FERDINAND E. MARCOS
President
Republic of the Philippines
By the President:
(Sgd.)
ALEJANDRO MELCHOR
Executive Secretary
Source: Supreme Court E-Library, Republic of the Philippines. Philippine laws are public documents (works of the government).
