(a)Commissioned officers of the Bureau of Coast and Geodetic Survey shall be promoted whenever vacancies occur within the limitations imposed under Section 1 hereof in accordance with a set of regulations prescribed by the Secretary of National Defense, and shall receive the same base pay, longevity pay and other allowances as are now or may hereafter be authorized for officers of corresponding grades in the Armed Forces: Provided, That for purposes of this Act, officers commissioned on July 1, 1947 shall be construed to have a length of service equivalent to all the service they have completed with the coast and geodetic survey: Provided, further, That service as an officer in the Armed Forces shall also be included in the computation of length of service.
(b)Commissioned officers in the PI C&GS shall be entitled to time-in-grade promotion after selection on the basis of seniority, fitness, and efficient service by the Personnel Board constituted by the Secretary of National Defense for the purpose.
(c)Irrespective of the existence of any vacancy, individual commissioned officers of the PI C&GS shall be considered by the Personnel Board for promotion to the next higher grade sufficiently in advance of the date on which they complete the corresponding number of years of active commissioned service required hereunder in order that such officers as are recommended by the Personnel Board may be promoted to and appointed in such higher grade on the date on which they correspondingly complete such requisite length of service:
(1)Ensign to lieutenant (junior grade) after three (3) years as ensign;
(2)Lieutenant (junior grade) to full lieutenant after five (5) years as lieutenant (junior grade);
(3)Lieutenant to lieutenant-commander after seven (7) years as lieutenant: Provided, That the total number of lieutenant-commanders shall not exceed nineteen per centum (19%) of the total authorized number of commissioned officers in the active list;
(4)Lieutenant-commander to commander after seven (7) years as lieutenant-commander: Provided, That the total number of commanders shall not exceed fourteen per centum (14%) of the total authorized number of commissioned officers on the active list;
(5)Commander to captain after six (6) years as commander: Provided, That the total number of captains shall not exceed eight per centum (8%) of the total authorized number of commissioned officers on the active list.
(d)Any provisions of existing law, executive orders, rules and regulations to the contrary notwithstanding, savings in the appropriations authorized for any fiscal year for the Bureau of Coast and Geodetic Survey for salaries and wages, for sundry expenses, and/or for special purpose may, with the approval of the President of the Philippines, be used to cover the amount necessary to effectuate the time-in-grade promotions herein provided.
(e)Promotions to all grades shall be made by the President: Provided, That no person shall be appointed ensign or shall be promoted from ensign to lieutenant (junior grade), and from lieutenant (junior grade) to lieutenant without passing a satisfactory mental and physical examination conducted in accordance with regulations prescribed by the Secretary of National Defense.