Supreme Court E-Library
Information At Your Fingertips

  View printer friendly version

WHEREAS, Letter of Instructions No. 210 dated August 20, 1974 extended the Balikbayan program to another period beginning September 1, 1974 to February 29, 1976;

WHEREAS, while paragraph 4 of Letter of Instructions No. 210 reminds all concerned about the benefits extended by Presidential Decree No. 439 to homecoming Overseas Filipinos intending to permanently reside in the Philippines, said Decree specifically provided the arrival of those homecoming Overseas Filipinos to be not later than August 31, 1974, which date has to be amended to coincide with the new extension of the Balikbayan program to expire on February 29, 1976;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution, do hereby amend Section 1 of Presidential Decree No. 439 to read as follows:

SECTION 1. Provisions of Section 105 of the Tariff and Customs Code, as amended, to the contrary notwithstanding, professional instruments and implements, tools of trade, occupation or employment, wearing apparel, domestic animals, and personal and household effects belonging to persons coming to settle in the Philippines or Filipinos and/or their families and descendants who are now residents or citizens of other countries, such parties hereinafter referred to as Overseas Filipinos, in quantities and of the class suitable to the profession, rank or position of the person importing them, for their own use and not for barter or sale, accompanying such persons, or arriving within a reasonable time, in the discretion of the Collector of Customs, before or after the arrival of their owners, which shall not be later than February 29, 1976, upon the production of evidence satisfactory to the Collector of Customs that such change of residence was bona-fide and that the privilege of free entry was never granted to them before or that such person qualifies under the provisions of Letters of Instructions 105, 163 and 210, and that the articles are brought from their former place of abode, shall be exempt from the payment of customs duties and taxes: Provided, That vehicles, vessels, aircraft, machineries and other similar articles for use in manufacture, shall not be classified hereunder.

SEC. 2. This decree shall take effect immediately.

Done in the City of Manila, this 2nd day of December, in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and seventy-four.