ARTICLE  III ARTICLE  IV Officials Authorized to Execute Government Conveyances and Contracts SECTION  308 . Authority of Governor-General to Execute Conveyances and Contracts Relating to Real Property . — When the Government of the Philippine Islands is party to a deed or any instrument conveying the title of real property or is party to any lease or  other contract relating to real property belonging to said Government, said deed, instrument, or contract shall be executed on behalf of said Government by the Governor-General, unless authority to execute the same is by law expressly vested in some other of ficer. [1705-1.] SECTION  309 . Authority of Insular Officials to Make Contracts . — Written contracts not within the purview of the preceding section shall, in the absence of special provision, be executed, with the approval of the proper Department head, by the chief of the  Bureau or Office having control of the appropriation against which the contract would create a charge; or if there be no such chief, by the proper Department head himself or the Governor-General, as the case may require. Contracts on behalf of the Insular Government with companies operating vessels engaged in the coastwise trade to secure the carriage of freight and passengers for the Government shall be executed by the Secretary of Commerce and Police, subject to such res trictions as may be prescribed by law; but vessels engaged in the coastwise trade and vessels plying between Philippine ports shall continue to carry mail free. IcHDCS Gratuitous Conveyance of Government Property for Certain Purposes SECTION  310 . Conveyance of Government Property to Province, City, or Municipality . — When real property belonging to the Government of the Philippine Islands is needed for school purposes or other proper governmental use by the province, city, municipality,  or other local political division wherein the property is situated, it shall be competent for the Governor-General to execute to such province, city, municipality, or other local political division a proper conveyance thereof by way of gift, sale, lease, e xchange, or otherwise, and upon such terms, to be inserted in the instrument of conveyance, as shall seem to him most convenient for the interests of the parties concerned. But nothing herein shall be deemed to authorize the conveyance of unreserved publ ic land, friar land, or any Copyright 2012 CD Technologies Asia, Inc. and Accesslaw, Inc. Philippine Law Encyclopedia 2011 104