2008 Quezon del Sur creation plebiscite

Choice	Votes	%
Yes	157,457	43.41%
No	205,265	56.59%
Valid votes	362,722	99.53%
Invalid or blank votes	1,705	0.47%
Total votes	364,427	100.00%
Registered voters/turnout	957,199	38.07%

The Quezon del Sur creation plebiscite was a plebiscite on the creation of the province of Quezon del Sur from Quezon; the original Quezon province would have been renamed to "Quezon del Norte" had the plebiscite been approved by the residents of Quezon. The plebiscite was held on December 13, 2008, and the result was a slight majority rejecting the creation of the province.

Gumaca would have been the capital of Quezon del Sur, while Lucena would have been retained as Quezon del Norte's capital. Both provinces would have remained part of Calabarzon under their original acronym "zon".^[1]

The Quezon del Sur creation plebiscite was supervised and officiated by the COMELEC pursuant to Resolution No. 8553.

The question of the said plebiscite was:

In 2007, Quezon was proposed to be split into Quezon del Norte and Quezon del Sur. Quezon del Norte was to be composed of the first and second congressional districts of the province (Burdeos, General Nakar, Infanta, Jomalig, Lucban, Mauban, Pagbilao, Panukulan, Patnanungan, Polillo, Real, Sampaloc, Tayabas, Candelaria, Dolores, San Antonio, Sariaya, Tiaong and Lucena City), with Lucena City as its capital. Quezon del Sur, with its capital at Gumaca, would have been composed of the third and fourth congressional districts (Agdangan, Buenavista, Catanauan, General Luna, Macalelon, Mulanay, Padre Burgos, Pitogo, San Andres, San Francisco, San Narciso, Unisan, Alabat, Atimonan, Calauag, Guinayangan, Gumaca, Lopez, Perez, Plaridel, Quezon and Tagkawayan). Republic Act No. 9495, the law stipulating the division, lapsed into law without the signature of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on September 7, 2007.

As required by law, the COMELEC held a plebiscite on December 13, 2008, 60 days after Republic Act No. 9495 took effect. Governor Rafael Nantes, one of the original authors of the law, and Vice Governor Kelly Portes opposed the division of the province. Quezon Provincial Board member Sonny Pulgar and businessman Hobart Dator Jr. launched the "Save Quezon Province Movement." The Comelec allotted ₱50 million for the plebiscite.^[2] Academician Prof. Joseph Jadway "JJ" Marasigan provided what he called the "strong theoretical framework" that deemed the said split as a step backward. He instead called for the professionalization of service institutions and the differentiation of functions as the answer to the province's increasingly becoming complex environment. He organized students and fellow academicians to oppose such move. His participation resulted in a grave misunderstanding with Lucena Catholic Bishop Emilio Marquez who strongly supported the idea of splitting the province. Marasigan maintained that bishops have no business in dealing with entirely political matters and should refrain from using their influence over their flock. Nantes later softened his stand against the proposed creation of Quezon del Sur.^[3] Accordingly, upon request of Comelec Chair Jose Melo, a ₱38 million "Special Allotment Release Order" was issued by the Department of Budget and Management to the Commission on Elections (Philippines) to fund the holding of the plebiscite.^[4]

On November 17, 2008, Save Quezon Province Movement (SQPM) asked the Supreme Court of the Philippines to declare Republic Act No. 9495 as unconstitutional, and to restrain the implementation of a November 12 COMELEC Resolutions Nos. 8533, 8534, 8535, 8537, 8538 and 8539,^[5] setting the plebiscite.^[6][7] Yet the plebiscite proceeded with the majority of votes rejecting the division, therefore the split did not push through.

Plebiscite for the approval of Republic Act 9495

Choice	Votes	%
No	205,265	56.59
Yes	157,457	43.41
Required majority	50.00
Valid votes	362,722	99.53
Invalid or blank votes	1,705	0.47
Total votes	364,427	100.00
Registered voters/turnout	957,199	37.89
Source: COMELEC report

Source: COMELEC^[8]

• Charter of Quezon del Sur

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