PRRD signs law that divides Palawan

QUEZON CITY, April 13 (PIA) -- Pres. Rodrigo R. Duterte signed recently Republic Act No. 11259, an act that divides the country’s largest island province into three provinces  creating Palawan del Norte, Palawan Oriental and Palawan del Sur.

Palawan del Norte, identified as a tourism and fisheries cluster, shall be made up of the municipalities that compose the Calamianes Group of Islands -  Busuanga, Coron, Culion, Linapacan, and the mainland towns of El Nido and Taytay which shall be the capital town.

Palawan Oriental, considered as fishing, tourism and fruit crops cluster, will be composed of all the eastern island municipalities of Cuyo, Magsaysay, Agutaya, Cagayancillo, Dumaran and Araceli; and mainland municipalities of San Vicente and Roxas, the capital town.

Palawan del Sur, the largest both in terms of land area and population, is the agro-industrial and tourism cluster. It shall be composed of Aborlan, Narra, Quezon, Rizal, Española, Bataraza, Balabac, and Brooke’s Point as the capital town.

Puerto Princesa City, a highly urbanized city, will have its own governing authority which will not be covered by the three provinces. It will not be qualified to vote in the 2020 plebiscite as stipulated in Sec. 54 of the law.

The three provinces will be created only upon approval by the majority votes of voters in the affected areas in a plebiscite set on the second Monday of May in 2020.

If ratified, these provinces will start its corporate existence upon the election and proclamation of its provincial governor, provincial vice governor, and the members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan. The election shall be held in the 2022 national and local elections. (VSM/MIMAROPA/Quezon City)