Republic Act No. 7193

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

Section 1

The Islands of Culion Leper Colony, Marily, Sand, Tampel, Lamud, Galoc, Lanka, Tambon, Dunaun, Alava, Chindonan and a small island without a name situated directly south of Chindonan Island in latitude 11 deg. 55'N, longitude 12 deg. 02'E, comprising the national reservation for lepers in the Province of Palawan as described under Executive Order No. 35, Series of 1912, are hereby constituted into a distinct and independent municipality to be known as the Municipality of Culion.  The seat of government of the new municipality shall be in Barangay Balala.

Section 2

The Municipality of Culion shall be bounded and described as follows:

The municipality shall be bounded on the north by the Municipality of Busuanga-Coron Island with Concepcion and Salvacion in the Calamian Island Group; on the south by the Municipality of Bacuit-Taytay and Linapacan area; on the east by the South China Sea; on the west by the Cuyo West Pass.

The land contained in all the above named islands in Section One is shown on C.G. Map No. 4717 published in Washington D.C., September, 1908, and lies within the following limits, i.e. between the parallels of 11 deg. 36'N and 12 deg. 03'N, and the meridians of 119 deg. 47'E and 120 deg. 15' E.

Section 3

The Municipality of Culion shall begin to exist upon the ratification by the majority of the votes cast in a plebiscite to be conducted in the areas affected within One hundred eighty (180) days after approval of this Act.

The Commission on Elections shall conduct and supervise the plebiscite.  The expenses for such plebiscite shall be paid out of the appropriations provided for the Commission on Elections under the annual General Appropriations Act.

Section 4

After the approval of the creation of such municipality in the plebiscite, the mayor, vice-mayor and members of the sangguniang bayan of the new Municipality of Culion shall be elected in the next regular election of local officials.  The new municipality shall be considered duly organized upon the assumption of office of the first set of elected local officials.

Section 5

All laws, decrees, executive orders or regulations contrary to or inconsistent herewith are hereby repealed or amended accordingly.

Section 6

This Act shall take effect upon its publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,

NEPTALI A. GONZALES President of the Senate	RAMON V. MITRA Speaker of the House of Representatives
This Act which originated in the House of Representatives was finally passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate on December 9, 1991 and December 3, 1991, respectively.
LORENZO E. LEYNES, JR. Acting Secretary of the Senate	CAMILO L. SABIO Secretary General House of Representatives

Approved: February 19, 1992

CORAZON C. AQUINO President of the Philippines