REPUBLIC ACT NO. 4596 - AN ACT TO FURTHER AMEND ACT NUMBERED THIRTY-FOUR HUNDRED AND TWENTY EIGHT, ENTITLED "AN ACT PRESCRIBING THE COMPENSATION TO BE RECEIVED BY EMPLOYEES FOR PERSONAL INJURIES, DEATH OR ILLNESS CONTRACTED IN THE PERFORMANCE OF THEIR DUTIES," AS AMENDED BY ACT NUMBERED THIRTY-EIGHT HUNDRED AND TWELVE, BY COMMONWEALTH ACT NUMBERED TWO HUNDRED AND TEN, AND BY REPUBLIC ACTS NUMBERED SEVEN HUNDRED AND SEVENTY-TWO, EIGHT HUNDRED EIGHTY-NINE, AND FORTY ONE HUNDRED AND NINETEEN.

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

SECTION 1. Section seven-A of Act Numbered Thirty-four hundred and twenty-eight, as amended by Republic Act Numbered Forty-one hundred and nineteen, is amended to read as follows:

"SEC. 7-A. Bureau of Workmen's Compensation and Workmen's Compensation Commission .—The Bureau of Workmen's Compensation, hereinafter referred to as the Bureau, and the Workmen's Compensation Commission attached thereto for a close working relationship as consti­tuted and organized under the provisions and authority of Republic Act Numbered Nine hundred ninety-seven, as amended by Republic Act Numbered Twelve hundred forty-one, shall continue to exercise the powers, functions and duties under Act Numbered Thirty-four hundred and twenty-eight, as amended: Provided, however, That the Workmen's Compensation Commission shall henceforth be composed of a chairman and three associate commissioners.

"The Chairman and two associate commissioners shall have the same qualifications as those of judges of the court of first instance. The new associate commissioner who shall also be known as the medical commissioner shall be a qualified doctor of medicine with experience in work­men's compensation work of at least ten years, to be appointed in the same manner and receive the same salary as the present associate commissioners.

"The funds necessary for the salary of the new associate commissioner shall be taken from the Workmen's Com­pensation Fund: Provided, That in the succeeding years, his salary shall be included in the national budget.

"Except as otherwise provided herein, the jurisdiction, powers and duties heretofore pertaining to the Commis­sioner and Deputy Commissioner of Workmen's Compen­sation under Republic Act Numbered Seven hundred and seventy-two shall be assumed and exercised by the Com­mission, which body is authorized to delegate the same to the extent that it shall remain as an appeal source with corresponding duties of promulgating related rules and re­gulations. The referees assigned to regional offices shall have the power to hear and decide all cases currently pend­ing before said regional offices, which referees shall take jurisdiction thereof, administer and settle the same subject, to appeal to the Commission in accordance with prescribed rules and regulations. Said referees shall assume original jurisdiction of all cases arising henceforth. The Commis­sion may promulgate rules and regulations governing its internal functions as a quasi-judicial body including the power of each member to decide appealed cases from a referee, allowance for appeal from the decision of an individual member to the Commission en banc , and other allied rules covering jurisdiction to review, modify, or affirm all rules and regulations prepared by the Bureau."

SEC. 2. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

Approved, June 19, 1965.