REPUBLIC ACT NO. 2359 - AN ACT GRANTING PABLO SAMONTE A FRANCHISE TO CONSTRUCT, OPERATE AND MAINTAIN AN ICE PLANT IN THE MUNICIPALITY OF POLO, PROVINCE OF BULACAN, AND TO SELL ICE THEREIN.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. Subject to the conditions imposed by this Act, there is granted to Pablo Samonte, hereinafter referred to as the grantee, a franchise to construct, open and maintain an ice plant in the Municipality of Polo, Province of Bulacan, for the purpose of manufacturing an distributing ice therein and to charge and collect schedule of prices and rates for the ice so furnished, which schedule of prices and rates shall at all times be subject to regulation by the Public Service Commission.

SEC 2. The grantee shall manufacture and supply ice to the limit of the capacity of his plant, said limit to be determined by the Public Service Commission.

SEC. 3. All the apparatus and appurtenances to be used bv the grantee shall be modern, safe and first class in every respect, and the grantee shall, whenever the Public Service Commission shall determine that public interest reasonably requires it, change or alter any of its apparatus and appurtenances at grantee's expense.

SEC. 4. If the grantee shall not commence the manufacture and distribution of ice in the Municipality of Polo, province of Bulacan, within one year from the approval of this Act, unless prevented by an act of God or force majeure, martial law, riot, civil commotion, usurpation by a military power or any other cause beyond the grantee's control, this franchise shall become null and void.

SEC. 5. This franchise is granted subject to the provisions of Commonwealth Act Numbered One hundred forty-six, as amended, and with the understanding and upon the condition that it shall be subject to amendment, alteration or repeal by the Congress of the Philippines when public interest so requires.

SEC. 6. The books, records and accounts of the grantee shall always foe open to the inspection of the Auditor General or his authorized representatives, and it shall be the duty of the grantee to submit to the Auditor General quarterly reports in duplicate showing the gross receipts for the quarter past.

SEC. 7. In the event of any competing individual, association of persons, or corporation receiving from the Congress of the Philippines a similar franchise in which there shall be any term or terms more favorable than those herein granted or tending to place the herein grantee at any disadvantage, then such term or terms shall ipso facto become part of the terms hereof and shall operate equally in favor of the grantee as in the case of said competing individual, association of persons, or corporation.

SEC. 8. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

Approved, June 20, 1959.