An Act Creating the Office of Agricultural Marketing News Service Under the Bureau of Agricultural Economics, Providing for the Functions and Authorizing the Appropriation of Funds Therefor

REPUBLIC ACT No. 4148

An Act Creating the Office of Agricultural Marketing News Service Under the Bureau of Agricultural Economics, Providing for the Functions and Authorizing the Appropriation of Funds Therefor

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

Section 1. Declaration of policy. -It is hereby declared to be the policy of the State:

Section 2. Powers and functions of the Bureau of Agricultural Economics. -For the effective implementation of the policy enunciated in Section one hereof, the Director of the Bureau of Agricultural Economics, with the approval of the Secretary of Agriculture and National Resources, is hereby authorized and empowered to organize, within six months after the approval of this Act, the Office of Agricultural Marketing News Service, which shall be directly under the control and general supervision of the Director of said bureau: Provided, However, That the said office shall be headed by a ranking economist of recognized competence and experience in the field of agricultural economics, with formal training and/or experience in agricultural marketing, and shall have a salary range of fifty-five if the WAPCO salary scale for purposes of position classification: Provided, further, That the Secretary of Agriculture and Natural Resources, upon the recommendation of the Director of the Bureau of Agricultural Economics, shall promulgate such rules and regulations as will effectively implement the provisions of this Act: Provided, finally, That the said office shall be delegated the full authority to implement the following aims, powers, duties and functions:

Section 3. Cooperation of government bureaus, offices, or agencies, required. -For the effective implementation of this Act, all bureaus, offices and agencies, having to do directly with the communication and diffusion of information of any kind, among the people, relating to the policies, plans, programs and activities of the Government, are hereby required to extend their cooperation and make available to the Office of Agricultural Marketing News Service, their appropriate facilities upon request of the Director of the Bureau of Agriculture Economics.

Section 4. Appropriation. -In order to carry out the policy enunciated in Sections one and two hereof, there is hereby authorized to be appropriated out of any funds in the National Treasury not otherwise appropriated, the sum of one million pesos which shall be immediately made available for disbursement by the Director of the Bureau of Agricultural Economics, pursuant to the provisions of this Act.

Section 5. Penalty for failure to comply with lawful duties towards the bureau and/or office.— Persons concerned in the implementation of this Act who fail to perform their duties accordingly shall, upon conviction, be punished by a fine of not more than six hundred pesos or by imprisonment for not more than one year, or both, at the discretion of the court.

Section 6. Repealing clause. -Any law or parts of laws, executive or administrative orders or regulations inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed.

Section 7. Effectivity. -This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

Approved: June 20, 1964.