WHEREAS, Executive Order No. (EO) 429 dated 23 May 2005 provides for the reorganization of Administrative Region VI to include the province of Palawan and Puerto Princesa City;

WHEREAS, the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) was directed to supervise the transfer of the Province of Palawan and Puerto Princesa City from Region IV to Region VI;

WHEREAS, it is necessary to ensure that the transfer of Palawan and Puerto Princesa to Region VI is done in an orderly and well-planned manner that will actually redound to the benefit of the affected Local Government Units (LGUs) as well as their constituents;

WHEREAS, there are financial, budgetary, political, socio-economic and administrative ramifications that normally accompany structural changes like the proposed Reorganization of Region VI;

WHEREAS, these ramifications should be seriously studied and collectively addressed by all affected sectors in order to minimize the negative repercussions and optimize the positive outcomes;

WHEREAS, in order to understand all of the ratifications and appropriate responses thereto, all affected sectors should be consulted and their recommendations be considered;

WHEREAS, in order to effect a smooth transfer and realize the expressed goals of EO 429 (to guarantee affective delivery of field and public services of government agencies to accelerated social and economic development in the region), it is necessary to ensure that each agency of the government has a well planned course of action that will not diminish but instead enhance its services delivery, so that these will collectively redound to accelerated social and economic development of all the affected LGUs and their communities.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO, President of the Republic of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by law, do hereby order:

Section 1. The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) shall hold in abeyance the implementation of EO 429 (s.2005) pending approval by the President of its implementation Plan.

Section 2. The DILG is hereby directed to submit to the Office of the President, through the Executive Secretary, the proposed Implementation Plan of EO 429, which shall consist of :

1. a summary of the ramifications of the proposed reorganization of Region VI, to include the financial, budgetary, political, socio-economic and administrative consequences, implications, effects and problems related thereto; and
   
   
2. the recommended courses of action, including agency-by-agency timetables, that will effectively address all the identified issues in order to insure the smooth transfer of Palawan and Puerto Princesa to Region VI and the realization of the goals set forth in EO 429.
   

Section 3. This Administrative Order shall take effect immediately.

Done in the City of Manila, this 19th day of August, in the year of Our Lord, Two Thousand and Five.


By the President:

(Sgd.) EDUARDO R. ERMITA
Executive Secretary