WHEREAS, the Province of Basilan is at present subdivided into political units of a size and number not complementary to the size of the area;

WHEREAS, in order to render the territorial partition of the Province of Basilan, under Presidential Decrees No. 356 and No. 593, more responsive to the pacification, rehabilitation and total development program for the area;

WHEREAS, in order to effect a more viable political status for the Province of Basilan, a new subdivision of the province is consequently in order;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers in me vested by the Constitution do hereby order and decree as follows:

SECTION 1. The City of Basilan is abolished and the province of Basilan is the territory embracing the whole island of Basilan and the adjacent islands, with the capital seat in the municipality of Isabela.

The province shall be comprised of seven (7) municipalities hereby organized as follows:

1. The municipality of Isabela shall comprise the areas covered by the former City of Basilan, and the former municipalities of Isabela and Malamawi;
2. The municipality of Lantawan shall comprise the areas covered by the municipality of Lantawan and the former municipality of Pilas;
3. The municipality of Sumisip shall comprise the areas covered by the municipality of Sumisip and the former municipality of Tapiantana;
4. The municipality of Maluso;
5. The municipality of Tipo-Tipo;
6. The municipality of Lamitan;
7. The municipality of Tuburan.

SEC. 2. Except as hereinafter provided, all provisions of law now or hereafter applicable to regular provinces shall be applicable to the province of Basilan.

SEC. 3. The Regional Commissioner of Region IX is hereby authorized to reappoint, redesignate or reassign employees of the provincial and municipal governments and to recommend to the President of the Philippines the reappointment, redesignation or reassignment of incumbent elective officials such that the governmental framework in the province remains unimpaired and effective. Such employees and officials reappointed, redesignated or reassigned shall hold office until their successors shall have been appointed or elected in accordance with the law, unless sooner removed for cause by the Regional Commissioner in the case of employees of the provincial and municipal governments, or by the President of the Philippines upon the recommendation of the Regional Commissioner in the case of elective officials.

SEC. 4. Employees of the National Government assigned in the Province of Basilan shall be reappointed, re-designated or reassigned in accordance with the provisions of appropriate law.

SEC. 5. The amount of one million seven hundred twenty thousand pesos (P1,720,000.00) is hereby authorized to be appropriated from funds in the National Treasury not otherwise appropriated.

SEC. 6. The Regional Commissioner is hereby authorized to reallocate or reassign the use of existing properties, buildings, equipment and other effects of the provincial and municipal governments to the different municipalities until such time as the formal turnover of these properties to the pertinent political subdivisions is finalized in accordance with applicable administrative rules or regulations therefor.

SEC. 7. This Decree shall take effect immediately.

Done in the City of Manila, this 11th day of December, in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and seventy-five.