An Act to Make Obligatory the Employment of a Physician in Certain Vessels Engaged in Coastwise Trade

REPUBLIC ACT No. 70

An Act to Make Obligatory the Employment of a Physician in Certain Vessels Engaged in Coastwise Trade

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippine Congress Assembled:

Section 1. It shall be unlawful for any vessel of Philippine register, engaged in coastwise trade, with a carrying capacity of fifty or more passengers and regularly making voyages lasting more than twelve hours without touching port, to sail or attempt to sail from any port of the Philippines unless it has in its complement a physician.

Section 2. It shall be the duty of the Bureau of Customs to see to it that all provisions of this Act are hereby complied with by the owner or agent of the vessel.

Section 3. Any owner, charterer, agent, or master of a vessel who violates section one of this Act shall be punished by a fine of not more than one thousand pesos or by imprisonment of not more than two years, or both such fine and imprisonment in the discretion of the court.

Whenever the violation is committed by a corporation, association or partnership, the president and each one of the directors or managers of said corporation, association or partnership who shall have knowingly permitted or failed to prevent the commission of such violation, shall be held liable.

Section 4. This Act shall take effect on the sixtieth day after its approval.

Approved: October 21, 1946.