Act No. 793 Authorizing Loan to the Province of Batangas after Market Fire in the Batangas Town, 1903
In 1903, a destructive fire apparently burned down the market of the Municipality of Batangas and likely also nearby areas, rendering a “large number of people” homeless. To enable the provincial government to assist in this emergency, the Philippine Commission authorized the release of $1,000 in United States currency to the Batangas Provincial Government.
This was done by way of Act of the Philippine Commission Number 7931, the contents of which are provided below:
AN ACT to authorize a loan of one thousand dollars, United States currency, to the Province of Batangas, to enable the provincial board to make provision, by loan or otherwise, to meet the emergency in the municipality of Batangas caused by a fire destroying the market and rendering homeless a large number of people
By authority of the United States, be it enacted by the Philippine Commission, that:
SECTION 1. The provincial board of Batangas is hereby authorized to borrow, by resolution, from the Insular Treasury, the same to be paid out of the three-million—dollar relief fund, the sum of one thousand dollars, United States currency; said sum to be used by the provincial board as it may deem wise in aid of the municipality of Batangas to meet the emergency presented by a fire destroying its market and rendering homeless a large number of its people. The sum thus borrowed shall be repaid by the provincial board without interest to the Insular Treasurer on or before the expiration of two years from the date of the loan. The amount loaned shall be paid to the provincial treasurer Of Batangas upon receipt by the Insular Treasurer of a resolution of the provincial board accepting the loan and agreeing to repay the same as by this section provided.
SEC. 2. There is hereby appropriated, out of the three-million-dollar relief fund voted by the Congress of the United States for use in the Philippine Islands, the sum of one thousand dollars, United States currency, to comply with the provisions of this Act.
SEC. 3. The public good requiring the speedy enactment of this bill, the passage of the same is hereby expedited in accordance with section two of “An Act prescribing the order of procedure by the Commission in the enactment of laws,” passed September twenty-sixth, nineteen hundred.
SEC. 4. This act shall take efiect on its passage.
Enacted, June 30, 1903.