Section 4Sec./Art. 4

No rural bank shall be operated without a Certificate of Authority from the Monetary Board of the Central Bank. Rural banks shall be organized in the form of stock corporations. Upon consultation with the rural banks in the area, duly established cooperatives and corporations primarily organize to hold equities in rural banks may organize a rural bank and/or subscribe to the shares of stock of any rural bank: Provided, That a cooperative or corporation owning or controlling the whole or majority of the voting stock of the rural bank shall be subject to special examination and to such rules and regulations as the Monetary Board may prescribe.

With exception of shareholdings of corporations organized primarily to hold equities in rural banks as provided for under Section 12-C of Republic Act 337, as amended, and of Filipino-controlled domestic banks, the capital stock of any rural bank shall be fully owned and held directly or indirectly by citizens of the Philippines or corporations, associations or cooperatives qualified under Philippine laws to own and hold such capital stock: Provided, That any provisions of existing laws to own and hold such capital stock: Provided, That any provision of existing laws to the contrary notwithstanding, stockholdings in a rural bank shall be exempt from any ownership ceiling for a period of ten (10) years from the approval of this Act: Provided, further, That any such exemption shall require the approval of the Monetary Board.

If subscription of private shareholders to the capital stock of rural cannot be secured or is not available, or insufficient to meet the normal credit needs of the locality, the Land Bank of the Philippines, the Development Bank of the Philippines, or any government-owned or controlled bank or financial institution, on representation of the said private shareholders but subject to the investment guidelines, policies and procedures of the bank or financial institution and upon approval of the Monetary Board of the Central Bank, shall subscribe to the capital stock of such rural bank, which shall be paid in full at the time of subscription, in an amount equal to the fully paid subscribe and unimpaired capital of the private stockholders or such amount as the Monetary Board may prescribed as may be necessary to promote and expand rural economic development: Provided, however, That such shares of stock subscribe by the Land Bank of the Philippines, the Development Bank of the Philippines or any government-owned or controlled bank or financial institution may be sold at any time at market value to private individuals who are citizens of the Philippines: Provided, finally, That in the sale of shares of stock subscribed by the Land Bank of the Philippines, the Development bank of the Philippines or any government-owned or controlled bank or financial institution, the registered stockholders shall have the right of preemption within one (1) year from the date of offer in proportion to their respective holdings, but in the absence of such buyer, preference, however, shall be given to residents of the locality or province where the rural bank is located.