An Act Granting the Bataan Pulp and Paper Mills, Inc. a Temporary Permit to Construct, Maintain and Operate Private Fixed Point-to-Point and Land-Based Radio Stations for the Reception and Transmission of Radio Communications Within the Philippines

REPUBLIC ACT No. 2285

An Act Granting the Bataan Pulp and Paper Mills, Inc. a Temporary Permit to Construct, Maintain and Operate Private Fixed Point-to-Point and Land-Based Radio Stations for the Reception and Transmission of Radio Communications Within the Philippines

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

Section 1. There is hereby granted to the Bataan Pulp and Paper Mills, Inc., its successors or assigns, a temporary permit to construct maintain and operate in the Philippines, at such places as the grantee may select, subject to the approval of the Secretary of Public Works and Communications, private fixed point-to-point and land-based radio stations for the reception and transmission of wireless messages on radiotelegraphy or radiotelephony, each station to be provided with radio transmitting apparatus and a radio receiving apparatus.

Section 2. This temporary permit shall continue to be in force during the time that the Government has not established similar service at the places selected by the grantee, and is granted upon the express condition that the same shall be void unless the construction or installation of said stations be begun within one year from the date of the approval of this Act and be completed within two years from said date.

Section 3. The grantee, its successors or assigns, shall not engage in domestic business of telecommunications in the Philippines, it being understood that the purpose of this temporary permit is to secure to the grantee the right to construct, install, maintain and operate private fixed point-to-point and land-based radio stations in such places within the Philippines as the interests of the grantee may justify.

Section 4. No fees shall be charged by the grantee as the radio stations that may be established by virtue of this Act shall engaged in communications regarding the grantee’s business only.

Section 5. The grantee, its successors or assigns shall so construct and operate its radio stations as not to interfere with the operation of other radio stations maintained and operated in the Philippines.

Section 6. The grantee, its successors or assigns, shall hold the National, provincial, city and municipal governments of the Philippines harmless from all claims, accounts, demands or actions arising out of accidents or injuries, whether to property or to persons, caused by the construction or operation of its radio stations.

Section 7. The grantee, its successors or assigns, is authorized to operate its private fixed point-to-point and land-based radio stations on the medium frequency, high frequency and very high frequency, that may be assigned to it by the Secretary of Public Works and Communications.

Section 8. A special right is hereby reserved to the President of the Philippines in time of war, insurrection, public peril, calamity or disaster to cause the closing of the grantee’s radio stations or to authorize the temporary use or possession thereof by any department of the Government upon payment of just compensation.

Section 9. This temporary permit shall be subject to amendment, alteration or repeal by the Congress of the Philippines when public interest so requires, and shall not be interpreted as an exclusive grant of the privilege herein provided for.

Section 10. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

Approved: June 19, 1959.