ZAMBOANGA CITY – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. imposed a moratorium on the transfer of remaining regional offices from Zamboanga City to Pagadian City on Wednesday, April 19.
MAYOR John Dalipe announces the moratorium on the transfer of regional offices during a press conference in Zamboanga City. (Zambo LGU photo)
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Mayor John Dalipe announced the issuance of Memorandum Circular No. 18 that suspended the transfer during a press conference at the Zamboanga City Hall on Thursday, April 20.
The transfer was temporarily halted to provide an opportunity to study and re-assess the justifications for as well as the implications of the transfer of the regional offices.
With the signing of the memorandum circular, all departments, bureaus, and government agencies are enjoined to suspend the transfer of the regional offices in Region 9 from this city to Pagadian pending the study of the political, economic, and social implications of the transfer and consultations with stakeholders.
Regional offices that have relocated to Pagadian shall continue to operate in the area.
Six government offices remain in the city: Department of Public Works and Highways, Regional Trial Court, Department of Health, Department of Budget and Management, Department of Social Welfare and Development, and Philhealth.
MC 18 repealed MC 78, issued in 2020, that lifted the moratorium on the transfer of regional offices.
The transfer of the regional offices stemmed from Executive Order 429 issued in 1990 which reorganized the administrative regions in Mindanao to guarantee the effective delivery of field services of government agencies while taking into consideration the formation of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
EO429 reorganized Region 9 and designated Pagadian as the regional center and Zamboanga City as the commercial and industrial center of the Zamboanga Peninsula.