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WHEREAS, Republic Act No. 133 consolidates and centralizes all waterworks, sewerage, and drainage systems in the Philippines under the control, direction, and general supervision of the National Waterworks and Sewerage Authority;

WHEREAS, section 1 of the above-mentioned Act provides that the National Waterworks and Sewerage Authority shall own and/or have jurisdiction, supervision, and control over all territory embraced by the former Metropolitan Water District as well as areas now served by existing government-owned waterworks, sewerage, and drainage systems within the boundaries of cities, municipalities, and municipal districts in the Philippines, including those served by the Waterworks and Wells and Drills Sections of the Bureau of Public Works;

WHEREAS, section 9 of the Act provides that the National Waterworks and Sewerage Authority shall own and control all the water and sewer distributing systems in the City of Manila and the nearby municipalities comprised by the defunct Metropolitan Water District, as well as the water and sewer distribution systems in all the other cities, municipalities and municipal districts in the Philippines; and

WHEREAS, pursuant to sections 1 and 2(g) of the aforesaid Act, the jurisdiction of the National Waterworks and Sewerage Authority shall extend to the construction, maintenance, operation, and control of non-self-supporting and/or non-revenue producing water systems and sanitary works, whether undertaken at its expense or through subsidy of the National Government, including the control and administration of all storm drains, artesian wells and springs now in actual operation in the provinces, cities, municipalities and municipal districts;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Ramon Magsaysay, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by law, do hereby order:

1. The Administrator of Economic Coordination shall cause to be transferred to the National Waterworks and Sewerage Authority all the records, properties, machinery, equipment, assets, rights, choses in action, contracts, liabilities, obligations, mortgage bonds, sinking funds and all other indebtedness of the defunct Metropolitan Water District.

2. The Secretary of Public Works and Communications shall order the transfer to the National Waterworks and Sewerage Authority of all the records, properties, machinery, equipment, assets, choses in action, liabilities, obligations arid contracts of the Waterworks Section and the Wells and Drills Section of the Bureau of Public Works, and those of the National Market and Waterworks Board operating under his Department insofar as they pertain to its waterworks functions and all other waterworks projects given ICA-PHILCUSA aid, including all unexpended fund allotments under public works and/or appropriation laws for waterworks, sewerage, storm drainage and artesian well projects, whether pending completion or proposed to be undertaken.

3. The Secretary of Health shall see to it that all the records, properties, machinery, equipment, liabilities, obligations and contracts of the Community Waterworks under the administration and control of his Department are transferred to the National Waterworks and Sewerage Authority.

4. The Executive Secretary shall circularize all the provincial, city, and municipal governments and require them to transfer to the authorized representative of the National Waterworks and Sewerage Authority all existing government-owned waterworks, sewerage, and drainage system in their respective jurisdictions, including artesian wells, springs and other water-sources, as well as all records, properties, machinery, equipment, assets, choses in action, liabilities, obligations, waterworks and sewerage bonds, sinking funds and all unexpended funds in their possession.

The above transfer shall be made at the earliest time possible but not exceeding 90 days from the date of this Order, upon proper invoice and receipt by the respective outgoing and incoming accountable officers and employees of the National Waterworks and Sewerage Authority, properly witnessed by provincial and/or city auditors concerned or authorized representative of the Auditor General.

Done in the City of Manila, this 19th day of September, in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and fifty-five, and of the Independence of the Philippines, the tenth.

(Sgd.) RAMON MAGSAYSAY
President of the Philippines

By the President:
(Sgd.) FRED RUIZ CASTRO
Executive Secretary