Amid South China Sea dispute, Philippines’ Palawan is besieged by political split
The Philippine province of Palawan is set to decide on a law that will divide the province into three: Palawan del Norte, Palawan Oriental and Palawan del Sur.
Palawan stands on the Philippines’ western border and is the country’s sentinel in the maritime dispute in the South China Sea.
Anti-division groups have raised concerns that the split will weaken the implementation and management of environmental programs Palawan has been known for, and in the process, endanger the province’s already threatened ecology.
Palawan’s marine ecosystems have been under constant threat from illegal fishing and poaching by foreign vessels encroaching on its waters.
SunStar
File March 12, 2021 COMMISSION on Elections (Comelec) Commissioner Antonio Kho called on Palaweños to go out and cast their votes on Saturday, March 13, 2021, in the plebiscite aimed at ratifying a law dividing Palawan into three.
Comelec records show that there are a total of 490,639 registered voters in 2,959 clustered precincts in Palawan, currently the largest province in the country.
The plebiscite question is, Pumapayag ka ba na hatiin ang Probinsya ng Palawan sa tatlong probinsya na papangalanang Palawan del Norte, Palawan Oriental, at Palawan del Sur alinsunod sa Batas Republika 11259?”
(Are you in favor of dividing Palawan Province into three, namely, Palawan del Norte, Palawan Oriental, at Palawan del Sur based on Republic Act 11259?)
endIndex: On March 13, residents of Palawan will gather to the polls to vote on whether they approve or reject the move to split the province into three. (FILE PHOTO)
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 12) On March 13, residents of Palawan gather to the polls to vote on whether they approve or reject the move to split the province into three. Here s what you need to know about this historic event.
The Palawan plebiscite is the first voting event in the country to take place in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic with the implementation of minimum health protocols.
The Commission on Elections reported 490,639 registered voters but only a maximum of 200 will be allowed per clustered precinct and five at a given time. There are 2,959 clustered or grouped precincts, 3,250 established precincts and 487 voting centers in 23 municipalities except Puerto Princesa, as a highly urbanized city.
Q&A: 3 Palawan provinces? Residents do not fully understand consequences of March 13 plebiscite May Butoy and Helen Graido of the Legal Network for Truthful Elections (Lente) are in Palawan for the first elections to be held during the pandemic, taking crucial lessons for the 2022 Philippine general election. Covid-19 worries are expected to affect voter turnout, but lack of understanding among residents regarding the consequences of the plebiscite is a bigger concern. March 12, 2021 | 12:00:00 AM
After a postponement of nearly a year, Palaweños will finally decide on Saturday, March 13, whether or not the island will be split into three provinces.
Republic Act 11259 created the provinces of Palawan del Norte, Palawan del Sur and Palawan Oriental, but the 2019 law will only be implemented if it wins the plebiscite vote. Residents will vote “Yes” if they want the three provinces created or “No” if they are against it