WHEREAS, measures are being taken to improve the administrative structure of the country by creating regions within which government operations can be coordinated and made more effective;

WHEREAS, this system of creating administrative regions is expected to bring Government closer to the people and encourage the participation of the people in the development of their areas;

WHEREAS, a review of present conditions in these regions suggests that refinements have to be made in the groupings and their structure;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution do hereby amend Presidential Decree No. 742 as follows:

1. Region IX shall be composed of the provinces of Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Zamboanga del Norte and Zamboanga del Sur, and the cities of Dapitan, Dipolog, Pagadian and Zamboanga, with Jolo as Regional Center.
2. Within Region IX shall be established two sub-regions, Sub- Region IX-A and Sub-Region IX-B, composed respectively of the provinces of Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi for Sub-Region IX-A and the provinces of Zamboanga del Norte and Zamboanga del Sur and the cities of Dapitan, Dipolog, Pagadian, and Zamboanga for Sub-Region IX-B, with Zamboanga. City as Center for Sub-Region IX-B.
3. Assistant Regional Commissioners shall be appointed for each of these sub-regions to assist the Regional Commissioner of Region IX in the performance of his functions.
4. Likewise, all agencies of government with responsibilities extending throughout Region IX shall appoint Assistant Regional Directors for each of the sub-regions to assist in the performance of functions assigned to these agencies.

This Decree shall take effect immediately.

Done in the City of Manila, this 21st day of August, in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and seventy-five.