Section 2
SEC. 2. Section 3(k) thereof is hereby amended to read as follows: "(k) To construct works across, over, through, and/or alongside any stream, watercourse, canal, ditch, flume, street, avenue, highway or railway, whether public or private, as the location of said works may require: Provided, That such works he constructed in such manner as to afford security to life and property: And provided, further, That the stream, watercourse, canal, ditch, flume, street, avenue, highway, railway so crossed or intersected be restored as near as possible to their former state, or in a manner not to impair unnecessarily their usefulness. Every person or entity whose right-of-way or property is lawfully crossed or intersected by said works shall not obstruct any such crossing or intersection and shall grant the System or its representatives the proper authority to execute such work. The System is hereby given the right-of-way to locate, construct and maintain such works over and throughout the lands, including any street, avenue, or highway owned by the Republic of the Philippines or any of its branches and political subdivisions, and is given right of immediate entry and to prosecute any undertaking thereon without any further requirement or restriction other than due notice to the office or entity concerned. The System, or its representatives, may also enter upon private property in the lawful performance or prosecution of its business or purposes, including the construction of water mains and distribution pipes thereon, provided that the owner of such private property shall be compensated as follows: "(1) In case the land shall be acquired by purchase, the fair market value thereof, which shall be the value of the land based on the tax declaration that is valid and effective at the lime of the filing of the complaint for eminent domain or of the taking of said land by the System, whichever is earlier; and "(2) in addition, the owner shall be compensated for the improvements such as houses, buildings, structures, or agricultural crops and the like, if any, actually damaged during the construction, operation, and maintenance of such works on the land, in amounts based on the value of such improvements appearing on the tax declaration that is valid and effective and/or the prevailing valuation of such agricultural crops and the like made by the appropriate appraisal body authorized by law at the time of the filing of the said complaint for eminent domain or of the taking of said improvements by the System, whichever is earlier: Provided, further, That any action for compensation and/or damages under (1) and (2) above, shall be filed within five years from the date the right-of-way, pipelines, structures or other facilities shall have been established: Provided, finally, That after the said period of five years, no suit shall be brought to question said right-of-way, pipelines, structures or other facilities nor the amounts of compensation and/or damages involved."