Republic Act No. 7637

Short Title.* – This Act shall be known as the "*Mt. Pinatubo Assistance, Resettlement and Development Fund.*"

Declaration of Policy.* – It is hereby declared the policy of the State to assist the victims in the communities damaged or destroyed or adversely affected by the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo and its aftereffects by extending to them aid, relief, resettlement, rehabilitation or repair and reconstruction of infrastructure to the end that life may return to normalcy at the earliest possible time and the development of Central Luzon may be accelerated.

It is hereby further declared the policy of the State to restore the living conditions of the Aetas and other members of the cultural communities in the area to their productive pre-eruption conditions, with the settlement being chosen according to its suitability as permanent upland abodes thereby ensuring the improvement of these communities.

Countless individuals, organizations and financial institutions here and abroad, as well as foreign governments, have spontaneously and unselfishly contributed their time, effort and resources which the State acknowledges with gratitude.

Statement of Objectives and Guidelines.* – This Act is intended to help the victims of the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo and its aftereffects. It aims to provide additional funds for the immediate relief of the victims; to establish resettlement centers, homesites and townsites for displaced families; to provide livelihood and employment opportunities; to repair, reconstruct or replace government infrastructure damaged or destroyed by said disaster whenever economically, socially and technically advisable; and to construct new infrastructure facilities by the community.

The term "victims" when used for purposes of this Act refers to the following:

Disbursement of said Ten billion pesos (P10,000,000,000) shall be programmed as follows:

Pinatubo Assistance, Resettlement and Development Commission.* – For purposes of this Act, there is hereby created the Mt. Pinatubo Assistance, Resettlement and Development Commission, hereinafter referred to as the Commission.

It shall be organized within thirty (30) days after the approval of this Act. It shall have a term of six (6) years from its organization: provided, that the President by proclamation may, within six (6) months prior to the expiration of the term, extend the period of its existence once for not more than three (3) years.

Such amount as may be necessary for the initial organization and/or operational expenses of the Commission shall be set aside from the amount herein appropriated.

For administrative purposes, the Commission shall be attached to the Office of the President.

Powers of the Commission.* – To carry out its objectives under this Act, the Commission shall have the following powers:

Executive Director; Powers and Responsibilities.* – The President shall appoint a professional manager as the Executive Director of the Commission, who shall serve as the chief executive officer. He shall serve until such time as the Commission is dissolved or unless sooner removed from office by the President. He shall have the following powers and functions:

With respect to aid, relief, resettlement, rehabilitation and livelihood services to individual beneficiaries, the Commission may seek the assistance and use the services of the Philippine National Red Cross and all other relief agencies and volunteer organizations with proven record in providing relief work.

The departments and agencies of the Government involved with the aid, relief, resettlement, rehabilitation and livelihood services as well as infrastructure support shall continue to be the implementing agencies of the Commission and shall submit to the Commission every quarter the data and information required under Section 12 hereof.

Preference for Local Residents.* – Residents in the affected areas, especially the victims, shall be given preference in hiring or employment in the construction or repair and reconstruction of damaged or destroyed government infrastructure and facilities and other labor requirements in all other projects.

Report to Congress.* – The Commission shall submit to the President and to Congress a detailed quarterly report on the funds allocated indicating the amount released, obligated and disbursed for:

The Commission shall also submit as part of the quarterly report a list of local and foreign donors and the nature of their donations.

Joint Congressional Oversight Committee.* – There is hereby created the Joint Congressional Oversight Committee to monitor the implementation of this Act. The Committee shall be composed of five (5) senators and five (5) representatives to be appointed by the Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, respectively. The Oversight Committee shall be co-chaired by a senator and a representative designated by the Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, respectively.

The mandate given to the Joint Congressional Oversight Committee under this Act shall be without prejudice to the performance of the duties and functions by the respective existing oversight committees of the Senate and the House of Representatives.

Prohibition Against Running for Public Office.* – An officer or employee of the Commission shall not be qualified to be a candidate for public office for the election next following his resignation or separation. This prohibition does not apply to the Chairman and members of the Commission.

Punishable Acts.* – Any person who takes advantage of the calamity by buying and selling relief goods which he knows or should be known to him as intended for donation, or misrepresenting the source of relief goods, or submitting or approving a false or inflated claim shall be prosecuted and, upon conviction, suffer a fine of not less than Fifty thousand pesos (P50,000) nor more than One million pesos (P1,000,000) or imprisonment for not less than six (6) years nor more than fifteen (15) years, or both, at the discretion of the court, including perpetual disqualification from public office if he is a public officer, and confiscation or forfeiture in favor of the Government of any prohibited interest. If the offender is a corporation, partnership or association, or other juridical entity, the penalty shall be imposed upon the officer or officers of the corporation, partnership, association, or entity responsible for the violation and, if such is an alien, he shall, in addition to the penalties prescribed, be deported without further proceedings after service of sentence.

Rules and Regulations.* – The President shall, within ten (10) days after the organization of the Commission, issue the necessary rules and regulations for the effective implementation of this Act.

Transfer of Operating Funds, Records, Assets and Liabilities.* – All operating funds, records, properties, other assets and liabilities of the Task Force on the Rehabilitation of Areas Affected by the Eruption of Mt. Pinatubo created under Presidential Memorandum Order No. 369, Series of 1991, as amended, are hereby transferred to the Commission.

Separability Clause.* – If any provision of this Act shall be held unconstitutional or invalid, the other provisions not otherwise affected shall remain in full force and effect.

Repealing Clause.* – Any law, decree, or rules and regulations which are inconsistent with or contrary to the provisions of this Act are hereby amended or repealed.

Effectivity Clause.* – This Act shall take effect upon its publication in at least two (2) national newspapers of general circulation.