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In pursuance of the provisions of section 26, Article VIII of Republic Act No. 917, known as the “Philippine Highway” Act of nineteen hundred fifty three”, and upon the recommendation of the National Transportation Board created by Executive Order No. 45, dated July 6, 1936, I, Ramon Magsaysay, President of the Philippines, do hereby establish the following national primary and national secondary and “national aid” provincial and city roads:

(See Table MOP, Bk 7 Pt. 1, v.4, p. 203-244)

GENERAL PROVISIONS

I. NATIONAL ROADS:

National Roads consist of two (2) classes, namely, national primary and national secondary. National primary roads form parts of the main trunk-line system continuous in extent; roads which are now declared national roads except those not forming parts of the continuous system, such as roads leading to national airports, seaports and parks, etc., or coast-to-coast roads not forming continuous part of the trunk-line system; and national secondary roads include all access roads, national, provincial and city roads and streets forming the secondary trunk-line system not classified as “primary roads,” but shall exclude “feeder roads.” All national roads, whether primary or secondary, shall be declared as such by the President of the Philippines upon the recommendation of the Secretary of Public Works and Communications. National roads shall have a right-of-way of not less than twenty (20) meters, provided that a right-of-way of at least 60 meters shall be reserved for roads constructed through unpatented public land and at least one hundred twenty (120) meters reserved through naturally forested areas of aesthetic or scientific value.

II. “NATIONAL AID” ROAD:

“National Aid” roads are those provincial and city roads of sufficient importance which may be incorporated eventually into the national system of highways and are so declared as such by the Secretary of Public Works and Communications upon the recommendation of the Provincial and City Board and the Commissioner of Public Highways.

III. PROVINCIAL AND CITY ROADS:

All roads connecting one municipality with another municipality, the termini to be the public plazas; all roads extending from a municipality, or from a provincial or national road to a public wharf or railway station and any other road which may be so designated by the Secretary of Public Works and Communications upon the request of the Provincial Board concerned and upon favorable recommendation of the Commissioner of Public Highways. Provincial roads shall have a right-of-way of not less than fifteen (15) meters, which may be widened to twenty (20) meters, provided that a right-of-way of at least sixty (60) meters shall be reserved for roads constructed through unpatented public land.

IV. MUNICIPAL ROADS:

All highways not included in the above classifications, Municipal and city roads shall have a right-of-way of not less than ten (10) meters; provided that the principal streets of town sites located on public lands shall have a width of sixty (60) meters and all other streets a width of not less than fifteen (15) meters.

(a) The construction, maintenance and improvement of national primary, national secondary and “national aid” provincial and city roads shall be accomplished by the Highway District Engineers and Highway City Engineers under the supervision of the Commissioner of Public Highways and shall be financed from such appropriations as may be authorized by the Republic of the Philippines in annual or special appropriation Acts. The Secretary of Public Works and Communications shall allot all funds collected under the provisions of Section 1495 of the Revised Administrative Code and Act 3992, as amended, in accordance with the provisions of Republic Act No. 917.

(b) The construction, maintenance and improvement of provincial roads shall be accomplished by Highway District Engineers under the supervision of the Commissioner of Public Highways subject to existing laws and shall be financed with provincial funds and such aid as may be authorized therefor by the Republic of the Philippines in annual appropriation act.

(c) The construction, maintenance and improvement of city and municipal roads shall be accomplished by the city or municipal government concerned subject to existing laws and shall be financed with city or municipal funds and such aids as are authorized therefor by existing laws, or may be authorized by the Republic of the Philippines in annual appropriation acts. Provided, however, that any municipal road of great importance to the province and any provincial or city road so calculated of sufficient importance as may be incorporated eventually into the National system of highways may, on request of the provincial and city boards and upon favorable recommendation of the Commissioner of Public Highways, be classified as a provincial road and “national aid” provincial or city road, respectively, by the Secretary of Public Works and Communications.

(d) The Secretary of Public Works and Communications shall cause the Commissioner of Public Highways to prepare from time to time a map showing the proposed system of national primary, national secondary and “national aid” provincial and city roads, which, upon approval by the President of the Philippines, shall constitute the official road map of the Philippines.

(e) Executive Order No. 483 dated November 6, 1951, is hereby superseded.

This Order shall take effect as of January 1, 1955.

Done in the City of Mania, this 2nd day of May, in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and fifty-five, and of the Independence of the Philippines, the ninth.

(Sgd.) RAMON MAGSAYSAY
President of the Philippines

By the President:
(Sgd.) MARIANO A. YENKO, JR.
Assistant Executive Secretary