CREATING THE PROVINCE OF TAWI-TAWI

• Number: Presidential Decree No. 302
• Sections: 8

Preamble

WHEREAS, a fundamental aim of the Government is the

economic development of the entire country;

WHEREAS, the islands comprising the Tawi-Tawi group are so

distant from the seat of the provincial government of Sulu and

communication facilities so inadequate that it is extremely difficult to

administer the government affairs in the area;

WHEREAS, the effective implementation of the programs of the

Government on rehabilitation, reconstruction and development depends

primarily on administrative efficiency on the local government level;

and

WHEREAS, it is the avowed policy of the Government to uplift

the socioeconomic well-being of the inhabitants in the area that is

generally known as the Tawi-Tawi group;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the

Philippines, by virtue of the powers in me vested by the Constitution as

Commander-in-Chief of all the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and

pursuant to Proclamation No. 1081, dated 21 September 1972, and General

Order No. 1, dated 22 September 1972, as amended, do hereby order and

decree:

Section 1

SECTION 1. The following municipalities in the Tawi-Tawi

group:

(a) South Ubian

(e) Balimbing

(b) Tandubas

(f) Bungao

(c) Simunul

(g) Cagayan de Sulu

(d) Sitangkai

(h) Turtle Island

are hereby removed from the territorial jurisdiction of the

Province of Sulu and constituted into a separate province to be known as

the Province of Tawi-Tawi.

Section 2

SEC. 2. The Provincial Capital of the Province of Tawi-Tawi

shall be Bato-Bato, Balimbing.

Section 3

SEC. 3. Except as hereinafter provided, all provisions

of law now or hereafter applicable to regular provinces shall be

applicable to the Province of Tawi-Tawi.

Section 4

SEC. 4. The present elective provincial officials of the

Province of Sulu shall continue to perform their duties as such

officials in the province herein created until the provincial officials

of the said Province shall have been appointed by the President. Such

officials thus appointed shall hold office until their successors shall

have been elected in the election for provincial and municipal officials

following the issuance of this Decree and shall have qualified unless

sooner removed at the pleasure of the President. Such appointive

officers and employees as may be necessary to organize or to complete

the government personnel of the Province herein created shall be

appointed as provided by law.

Section 5

SEC. 5. The Province herein created shall remain part of

the present representative district of Sulu until a law shall have been

passed re-apportioning the representative districts pursuant to Article

VIII, Section 2 of the Constitution.

Section 6

SEC. 6. Upon the effectivity of this Decree, the

proportionate share of Tawi-Tawi in the obligations, funds, assets and

other properties of the Province of Sulu shall be transferred by the

President to the Province herein created upon the recommendation of the

Auditor General.

Section 7

SEC. 7. This Decree shall take effect immediately.

Done in the City of Manila, this 27th day of September, in the

year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and seventy-three.

(Sgd.) FERDINAND E. MARCOS

President

Republic of the Philippines

By the President:

(Sgd.) ROBERTO V. REYES

Acting Executive Secretary