Dinagat Islands Province
Dinagat Islands
Mindanao
Caraga Region XIII
Philippines
Information:
The Dinagat Islands is a group of islands constituting a province in the Philippines, located on the south side of Leyte Gulf. The island of Leyte is to its west, across Surigao Strait, and Mindanao is to its south.
The Dinagat Islands Province consists of 7 Municipalities:
Basilisa (Rizal)
Cagdianao
Dinagat
Libjo (Albor)
Loreto
San Jose (Capital)
Tubajon
Government Website: http://dinagatislands.gov.ph
Notes on the Creation of the Province named Dinagat Islands Province
Republic Act (R.A.) No. 9355 (An Act Creating the Province of Dinagat Islands).
On October 2, 2006, the President of the Republic approved into law Republic Act (R.A.) No. 9355 (An Act Creating the Province of Dinagat Islands).
On December 3, 2006, the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) conducted the mandatory plebiscite for the ratification of the creation of the province under the Local Government Code (LGC).
The plebiscite yielded 69,943 affirmative votes and 63,502 negative votes.
With the approval of the people from both the mother province of Surigao del Norte and the Province of Dinagat Islands (Dinagat), the President appointed the interim set of provincial officials who took
their oath of office on January 26, 2007.
http://sc.judiciary.gov.ph/jurisprudence/2011/april2011/180050.htm
Republic of the Philippines Supreme Court
G.R. No. 180050
On February 10, 2010, the Court declared R.A. No. 9355 unconstitutional for failure to comply with the requirements on population and land area in the creation of a province under the LGC. Consequently, it declared the proclamation of Dinagat and the election of its officials as null and void.
On May 12, 2010 the February resolution is RECONSIDERED and SET ASIDE.
The provision in Article 9(2) of the Rules and Regulations Implementing the Local Government Code of 1991 stating, “The land area requirement shall not apply where the proposed province is composed of one (1) or more islands,” is declared VALID.
Accordingly, Republic Act No. 9355 (An Act Creating the Province of Dinagat Islands) is declared as VALID and CONSTITUTIONAL, and the proclamation of the Province of Dinagat Islands and the election of the officials thereof are declared VALID.
Republic Act (R.A.) No. 9355
http://www.senate.gov.ph/republic_acts/ra%209355.pdf