Republic of the Philippines
House of Representatives
Quezon City,  Metro Manila
Nineteenth Congress
First Regular Session
HOusEB[Liiro.6405
Introduced by Representative Khymer Adam T. 0]aso
EXPLANATORY NOTE
On   October   12,    1990,   then   President   Corazon   C.   Aquino   issued
Executive    Order   No.    429,    "Providing   for   the   Reorganization   of   the
Administrative Regions in Mindanao,  and for other purposes."It provides that
the  City  of  Pagadian  shall  serve  as  the  regional  center  while  the  city  of
Zamboanga shall remain the commercial and industrial center.  This EO was a
result of the enactment of RA No. 6734 which provided for the creation of the
Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). The reorganization of the
administrative  regions  in  Mindanao  was  done  "taking  into  consideration  the
formation of the ARMM" I .
As  a  result  of  such  EO,  Region  9  was  composed  of  the  following
provinces and cities:
Provinces:
a.    Zamboanga del Norte
b.    Zamboanga del sur
c.     Basilan
d.    Misamis occidental
e.    Lanao del Norte
Cities:
a.       Zamboanga
b.       Pagadian
c.       Dipolog
d.      Dapitan
e.       Oroquieta
f.       Tangub
g.       Ozamis
h.       Iligan
1.        Marawi
1 E.O. No. 429, s. 1990 issued by President Corazon C. Aquino. 12 October 1990.


While  Sulu  and  Tawi-Tawi  Provinces  were  no  longer  with  Western
Mindanao, Lanao del Norte and Misamis Occidental initially joined it, giving
practical reasons to relocate the regional  seat to make  it closer to  constituent
localities   while   also   dispersing   economic   opportunities.   Both   provinces
eventually opted out of Region 9.
Thus, on September 19, 2001, former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo
issued Executive Order No.  36 which provided for the "Reorganization of the
Administrative Regions in Mindano and for other Purposes. In the said EO, the
composition of Region IX was reduced in view of the inclusion of the Province
of Basilan  and  the  City  of Marawi  in  the  ARMM"2  and  only  included  the
following provinces and cities:
Provinces:
a.    Zamboanga del Norte
b.    Zamboanga del sur
c.    Zamboanga sibugay
Cities:
Tzamboanga
b.       Dipolog
c.       Dapitan
d.       Isabela
e.       Pagadian
On  November  12,  2004,  the  Executive  Secretary  of President  Arroyo
issued  Memorandum  Circular  No.   75  directing  the  "Transfer  of  Regional
Offices of All Departments and Agencies from Zamboanga City to Pagadian
City Pursuant to Executive Order No. 429 Series of 1990."3 In the said MC, it
further provided that the "Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department
of Labor and Employment (DOLE)  and Department of Tourism (DOT)  shall
remain in Zamboanga City, the commercial and industrial center."4
Eventually,  on  December  22,  2010,  President  Benigno  C.  Aquino  Ill,
through MC  11,  suspended the transfer of government agencies in Region IX
from Zamboanga to Pagadian City.
However, Memorandum Circular (MC) 78 of President Rodrigo Duterte
lifted  the  moratoriuln  on  the  transfer  of the  remaining  regional  goverrment
offices from Zamboanga City to Pagadian City in Zamboanga del Sun.
The  huge  funding  requirement  to  operationalize  the  transfer  of  the
remaining regional  offices to Pagadian City will not only take  its toll  on the
2 Executive Order No. 36, s. 2001 issued by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. 19 September 2001.
3 Memorandum Circular No. 75 issued by Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita dated 12 November 2004.
4  lbid.


burgeoning fiscal deficit that our country currently has but will also cause the
displacement and  disenfranchisement of thousands  employees  of the  regional
offices in Zamboanga City.
It should be emphasized that the regional offices of the various national
government agencies in Zamboanga City have been operating exceedingly well
and the transfer order would abruptly uproot and seriously dislocate thousands
of personnel at a time when the country is in dire straits.
In view of the foregoing, approval of this bill is earnestly sought.


Republic of the Philippines
House of Representatives
Quezon City,  Metro Manila
Nineteenth Congress
First Regular Session
HOUSE BILL No. 64 05
Introduced by Representative Khymer Adam T. OIaso
AN ACT
2     DncLARING      ZAMBOANGA      CITy      AS      THE      REGloNAL
3     GOVERNMENT   CENTER   0F   REGION   IX   AND   FOR   OTHER
4     PURPOSES.
5
6                 Be  it   enacted  by  the   Senate   and  House   Of  Representatives   Of  the
7      Philippines in congress assembled.
8
9                 SECTION   1.   Zamboanga   City   is   hereby   declared   as  the   Regional
lo     Government  Center  for  Region  IX.  All  regional  offices  of departments  and
11     agencies whose offices were established in pagadian city are hereby directed to
12     transfer to zamboanga city within 2 years from effectivity of this Act.
13
14                 SEC. 2. Regional offices of departments and agencies whose offices were
15      established  in Pagadian  City  shall  serve  as  the  regional  offices'  or agencies'
16     sub-regional  office  and  shall  headed by the  department  or agency's  assistant
17     regional director for Region Ix.
18


1                  SEC. 3. Sepczrczbz./zty chactse -If for any reason, any provision of this Act
2      is  declared to  be  unconstitutional  or invalid,  the  other  sections  or provisions
3     hereof which  are  not affected thereby  shall  continue  to  be  in  full  force  and
4      effect.
5
6                  SEC.   4.   jzepecr/z.#g   C/czz{se   -   All   laws,   decrees,   orders,   rules   and
7     regulations, and other issuances or parts thereof which are inconsistent with this
8     Act are hereby amended, repealed or modified accordingly.
9
1o                  SEC. 5. EJorecfz.vz.fy c/crzjse -This Act shall take effect upon completion of
11      its publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation.
12
T3                  Approved,
14