MANILA—Dividing Maguindanao, home to about 1.7 million people, will bring public services closer to people, a lawmaker said Friday.

" 'Yung social services hindi nararating kaagad. Kailangang mas mabilis pa ang social services at ibang serbisyo na maiparating sa constituents namin," Maguindanao 2nd District Rep. Esmael "Toto" Mangungudatu told ANC.

(Social services and other services don't reach our constituents immediately. It should be faster.)

The southern province, one of the poorest in the country, had a poverty incidence of 47.8 percent, according to a 2018 data from the Philippine Statistics Authority.

This translates to about 600,000 people who were considered poor or couldn't afford "to provide their minimum basic needs of food, health education, housing and other essential amenities of life."

• Duterte approves bill splitting Maguindanao into 2 provinces

On Thursday, President Rodrigo Duterte approved the division of Maguindanao into 2 provinces. He signed Republic Act 11550 that divided the southern province into Maguindanao del Norte and Maguindanao del Sur.

According to the law, Dati Odin Sinsuat will be the capital and seat of government of Maguindanao del Norte, while Buluan will be for Maguindanao del Sur.

The 2 provinces will be created upon approval by majority of residents in a plebiscite that the Commission on Elections will supervise within 90 days from the law’s effectivity.

Local officials will be elected in the May 2022 elections, if the law is approved and ratified within 6 months before the polls.

"Mas lalong lalaki at mas lalong gaganda 'yong mga services natin plus the collections of local na maidagdag sa internal revenue allotment," Mangungudatu said,.

(Our services will expand and improve plus the collection will be added to the internal revenue allotment.)