(Eagle News)—President Rodrigo Duterte has signed a law splitting Palawan into three provinces.
Under Republic Act 11259 which was signed on Friday, April 5, Palawan will be divided into Palawan del Norte, Palawan Oriental, and Palawan del Sur upon approval by the majority of the votes cast by the voters of the affected areas in a plebiscite to be supervised by the Commission on Elections on May 11, 2020.
Residents of Puerto Princesa, as a highly urbanized city, cannot vote in the plebiscite and for candidates for the provincial elective posts.
The incumbent representatives of the present province of Palawan shall continue to represent the legislative districts until new ones are elected on May 9, 2022, after which the three provinces’ corporate existence will start.
Coron, Culion, Busuanga, Linacapan, Taytay and El Nido will comprise Palawan del Norte; Roxas, Araceli, Dumaran, Cuyo, Agutaya, Magsaysay, Cayancillo, and San Vicente, Palawan Oriental; and Aborlan, Narra, Quezon, Rizal, Espanola, Brooke’s Point, Bataraza, Balacbac and Kalayaan, Palawan del Sur.
The capital of Palawan del Norte will be Taytay, while Roxas and Brooke’s Point will be the capitals of Palawan Oriental and Palawan del Sur, respectively.
The law takes effect 15 days after it is published in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general and local circulation.