[ Act No. 3537, November 02, 1929 ]

AN ACT TO CREATE THE PROVINCES OF ORIENTAL MISAMIS AND OCCIDENTAL MISAMIS; ESTABLISH THE BOUNDARIES THEREOF; ASSIGN ONE REPRESENTATIVE TO EACH PROVINCE; AND REPEAL ACT NUMBERED THIRTY-THREE HUNDRED AND FIFTY-FOUR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Legislature assembled and by the authority of the same:

SECTION 1. The Province of Misamis is hereby divided  into two provinces, to be known as Oriental Misamis and  Occidental Misamis, in the following manner:

The Province of Oriental Misamis shall consist of that portion of the present Province of Misamis which comprises  the municipalities of Balingasag, Cagayan, Gingoog, Initao, Salay, Quinoguitan, Talisayan, Tagoloan, and the island of Camiguin with its municipalities and adjacent small islands, and the municipal districts of Claveria, Lourdes, and Napiliran.

The Province of Occidental Misamis shall consist of the  other portion of the present Province of Misamis, comprising the municipalities of Baliangao, Plaridel, Lopez Jaena, Oroquieta, Aloran, Jimenez, Tudela, Clarin, and Misamis.

SEC. 2. The capital of Oriental Misamis shall be Cagayan and that of Occidental Misamis shall be the municipality designated by the majority of the municipal presidents and of the members of the councils of the municipalities of Occidental Misamis in a convention called for said purpose by the provincial governor, which shall be held not later than ten days after the constitution of said province.

SEC. 3. All provisions of law now or hereafter applicable to the regular provinces shall be applicable to the Provinces of Oriental Misamis and Occidental Misamis. 

SEC. 4. The elective provincial officers of the former Province of Misamis elected at the last general election shall continue to govern the Province of Oriental Misamis until their successors shall have been elected and qualified. The provincial governor, the provincial treasurer, and the provincial fiscal of Oriental Misamis shall continue to receive the salaries they are now receiving, until the new readjustment of salaries in accordance with existing law. 

SEC. 5. As soon as this Act shall be carried into execution, the elective provincial officers of the Province of Occidental Misamis shall be appointed by the Governor-General, with the advice and consent of the Senate, and shall hold office until their successors shall have been duly elected and qualified. The provincial governor and other appointive provincial officers shall receive an annual compensation in accordance with the rules established in Act Numbered Twenty-eight hundred and twenty-nine, and each member of the provincial board shall receive a per diem of not to exceed fifteen pesos for each day of session actually attended by him. 

SEC. 6. The Provinces of Oriental Misamis and Occidental Misamis shall each have one Representative: Provided, That the present Representative for the First District of Misamis shall be considered as Representative for Oriental Misamis and the Representative for the Second District shall be considered as Representative for Occidental Misamis.   

SEC. 7. The funds and obligations and the property of all kinds to be assigned to the Provinces of Oriental Misamis and Occidental Misamis upon the execution of the provisions of this Act shall be distributed equitably between the two provinces, in such manner as the Insular Auditor may recommend and the Governor-General approve. 

SEC. 8. Act Numbered Thirty-three hundred and fifty-four and all acts or parts of acts inconsistent with the provisions hereof are hereby repealed.  

SEC. 9. This Act shall take effect on January first, nineteen hundred and thirty.   

Approved, November 2, 1929.