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Republic of the Philippines 9 aa oetnn
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES DATE:
Quezon City, Metro Manila vue: Teer Ga

BY:

Seventeenth Congress
First Regular Session

RFEISTRATION UNIT
BILLS AND iNOEX SERVICE

HOUSE BILLNO.__ 2000

Introduced by Hon. Frederick F. Abueg

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The proposed bill seeks to convert the circumferential road from Barangay Poblacion and
around along the coast, municipality of Balabac in the Second Congressional District of Palawan
into a national road to be known as Mayor Matias Vicente Highway. The municipality of
Balabac is an island municipality located in the southernmost part of the province with a distance
of approximately fifty (50) kilometers north from Sabah across the Balabac Strait.

Mayor Matias Vicente was the founding mayor of the municipality of Balabac. He also
served first as mayor of the municipal district of Balabac after the Second World War and the
first mayor when Balabac was declared a regular municipality in an executive order issued by
President Quirino in 1951.

It is home to 35,758 residents as of 2010 census conducted by the National Statistics
Office (NSO). The municipality is notable for its unique indigenous plant and animal species
such as the Philippine mouse-deer or Pilandok which can only be found in the island. Apart from
the distinct flora and fauna, the historic Cape Melville Lighthouse located in the said
municipality was declared as a National Historical Landmark by the National Historical
Commission of the Philippines in 1996.

At present, residents of the island depend on farming, fishing, and barter trading with the
nearby islands of Sulu and Sabah market centers as sources of livelihood. The conversion of the
circumferential road into a national road would further enhance trading with nearby
municipalities in Palawan as well as neighboring islands in the South. Products can be easily
transported to and from Balabac with the nationalization of said road and strengthen the
economy of said municipality.

In view of the foregoing, the approval of this bill is earnestly recommended.

—

FREDERICK F. ABYEG
Representative, b™ District of Palawan



Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

Seventeenth Congress
First Regular Session
dou
HOUSE BILL NO.

Introduced by Hon. Frede!

F. Abueg

AN ACT
CONVERTING THE CIRCUMFERENTIAL ROAD FROM BARANGAY
POBLACION AND AROUND ALONG THE COAST, MUNICIPALITY OF
BALABAC, PROVINCE OF PALAWAN, INTO A NATIONAL ROAD TO BE
KNOWN AS MAYOR MATIAS VICENTE HIGHWAY AND APPROPRIATING
FUNDS THEREFOR

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress
assembled:

SECTION 1. The Circumferential Road from Barangay Poblacion and around
along the cost, in the municipality of Balabac, province of Palawan to be known as
Mayor Matias Vicente Highway, is hereby converted into a National Road.

SEC. 2. The Secretary of the Department of Public Works and Highways shall
include in the Department’s program the improvement, maintenance and repair of the
said road, the funding of which shall be included in the annual General Appropriations
Act.

SEC. 3. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after publication in the
Official Gazette or in two (2) national newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,