Maguindanao del Norte
two Maguindanao provinces to provide better basic services like public health care, education, and transportation to the most remote villages.
Republic Act (RA) 11550 entitled “An Act Dividing the Province of Maguindanao into Two Provinces,” paved the way for the creation of MDN and MDS. It was signed into law on May 27, 2021 by former president Rodrigo Duterte.
The division of Maguindanao was ratified in a plebiscite conducted on Sept. 17, 2022. It was approved by more than 99 percent of the electorate, and declared official on September 18.
The creation of the two provinces had long been hoped for by the Maguindanaoans and their elected leaders considering their sad experience in 2006 to create a new province out of Maguindanao was nullified by the Supreme Court.
It must be noted that on Oct. 31, 2006, Maguindanaoans also approved the creation of the new province of Shariff Kabunsuan out of Maguindanao. It was established through the Muslim Mindanao Autonomy Act 201 by the then ARMM Regional Legislative Assembly.
However, in July 2008, the high court nullified the creation of the province of Shariff Kabunsuan, ruling that “only Congress can create provinces and cities because the creation of provinces and cities necessarily includes the creation of legislative districts.”
Years of armed conflict hampered the development of Maguindanao although the peace and order situation has greatly improved. Proof of this was the declaration by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) that the conduct of the plebiscite for the ratification of the division of Maguindanao province was not only clean and orderly but also peaceful, an assessment shared by election watchdog National Citizens’ Movement for Free Elections, the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police, among others.
Pursuant to the transitory provisions of RA 11550, the corporate existence of MDN commenced upon the composition, qualification and assumption of its governor, vice governor and majority of the members of its Sangguniang Panlalawigan.
The elected vice governor of Maguindanao, Bai Fatima Ainee L. Sinsuat, assumed acting provincial governor and elected highest-ranking member of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan for the first provincial district, Datu Sharifudin Tucao P. Mastura, assumed as acting vice governor of MDN.
Meanwhile, the rest of the members of the sanggunian for the first provincial district remained in office and still constituted a majority, thereby paving the way for the commencement of the corporate existence of MDN.
Following the official division of one Maguindanao and assumption into office of acting governor Fatima Ainee L. Sinsuat and other officials, they wasted no time preparing for the programs and action plans for implementation at the start of the corporate existence of MDN.
Under the 2023 General Appropriations Act, Congress allotted MDN a P1.8 billion budget, and P1.9 billion for MDS.
Having now its own budget and the commencement of its corporate existence, the new provincial government and its more than 200 employees have high hopes that it would only be a matter of time for MDN to emerge as the new economic gateway in that part of the region.
MDN has the advantage of having its own airport and seaport, located at the provincial capital town of Datu Odin Sinsuat, and host to a number of world-class but still to be developed tourist destinations.
As it is, a bright future, no doubt, is in store for the province and its people till they were rudely awakened by their first major problem — the province cannot use the P1.8-billion budget allocated by the national government to fund its programs and delivery of basic services.
According to acting MDN provincial administrator Mohajiroe M. Lauban, MDN cannot secure the release of its funds to support its operations and delivery of basic services to the prejudice of the public.
Lauban, a lawyer, said that without the fund appropriated by the national government, there’s no way for the provincial government to continue and sustain its operations and deliver basic services.