Palawan to be broken up into 3 provinces under newly signed law

President Rodrigo Duterte signed a new law dividing Palawan into three provinces: Palawan del Norte, Palawan Oriental, and Palawan del Sur.

Duterte signed Republic Act 11259 on Friday, April 5, but copies of the law were only released on Saturday.

President Duterte signed on April 5 the law (Republic Act 11259) dividing Palawan into three new provinces: Palawan Del Norte, Palawan Oriental and Palawan Del Sur. @gmanews pic.twitter.com/yWEw9cQ3jE

— Virgil Lopez (@virgillopez) April 13, 2019

Under the new law, the province of Palawan del Norte will be composed of the municipalities of Coron, Culion, Busuanga, Linapacan, Taytay and El Nido.

Under the new law, the province of Palawan del Norte will be composed of the municipalities of Coron, Culion, Busuanga, Linacapan, Taytay and El Nido. @gmanews

— Virgil Lopez (@virgillopez) April 13, 2019

The province of Palawan Oriental will be comprised of the municipalities of Roxas, Araceli, Dumaran, Cuyo, Agutaya, Magsaysay, Cayancillo, and San Vicente.

The province of Palawan Oriental will be comprised of the municipalities of Roxas, Araceli, Dumaran, Cuyo, Agutaya, Magsaysay, Cayancillo, and San Vicente. @gmanews

— Virgil Lopez (@virgillopez) April 13, 2019

The province of Palawan del Sur, meanwhile, will be composed of the municipalities of Aborlan, Narra, Quezon, Rizal, Espanola, Brooke's Point, Bataraza, Balacbac and Kalayaan.

The province of Palawan del Sur will be composed of the municipalities of Aborlan, Narra, Quezon, Rizal, Espanola, Brooke's Point, Bataraza, Balacbac and Kalayaan. @gmanews

— Virgil Lopez (@virgillopez) April 13, 2019

Under the new law, Taytay will become the capital of Palawan del Norte, while Roxas and Brooke's Point will be the respective capitals of Palawan Oriental and Palawan del Sur.

The incumbent representatives of the present province shall continue to represent their respective legislative districts until new ones shall have been duly elected, qualified, and assumed office.

Apart from their internal revenue allotment, the three new provinces will have a combined share of not less than 40 percent of the gross collection derived by the national government from the preceding fiscal year.

The law also mandates the creation of at least five fire stations with adequate personnel, a district jail, and a separate schools division in each of the three new provinces, within two months upon the commencement of the provinces' corporate existence.

The three provinces shall be created upon approval by the majority of the votes cast by the voters of the affected areas in a plebiscite to be conducted and supervised by the Commission on Elections on May 11, 2020.

Residents of Puerto Princesa, as a highly urbanized city, shall not be qualified to vote in the plebiscite and for candidates for provincial elective posts.

Meanwhile, the election of the provincial officials shall be held on May 9, 2022, after which the three provinces' corporate existence will start.

The law takes effect 15 days after its publication in the Official Gazette and in a newspaper of general and local circulation. —KG/MDM, GMA News