PUERTO PRINCESA CITY –– The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) supports the provincial government as it pushes to divide Palawan into three provinces.
NEDA Undersecretary for Regional Development Adoracion M. Navarro, said Wednesday that the agency posed no objection on the move to divide the province into Palawan del Norte, Palawan Oriental, and Palawan del Sur.
“We recognize the objectives of the proponents to manage Palawan better—to ensure that the far-flung LGUs are reached by government services,” she said.
Navarro also acknowledged the side of the opposition and said that their fears might have stemmed from previous experience.
“The premise (of the proponents) is management, not extraction. The opposition’s premise comes from distrust, so I guess what’s better for the people of Palawan—seeing there are conflicting views—is to have more discussions so there could be clarifications on each side and address the fears of those who distrust,” she added.
On April 5, President Duterte signed Republic Act 11259 dividing Palawan into three provinces. The plebiscite would be held on the second Monday of May 2020.