Lapu-Lapu City is now a lone district

CEBU, Philippines - Lapu-Lapu City is finally a lone congressional district.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo signed last Thursday Republic Act 9726, the law creating the lone congressional district of Lapu-Lapu City.

Cebu 6th District Rep. Nerissa Soon-Ruiz said, President Arroyo signed the law at 4 p.m. last Thursday.

In a statement released to The FREEMAN, Mayor Arturo Radaza expressed his thanks for the realization of the dream of the people of Lapu-Lapu City.

Mayor Radaza said, “I join the rest of the Oponganons in celebrating yet another milestone in the city’s journey to progress with the signing into law of Republic Act 9726, which gives our beloved city of Lapu-Lapu a lone legislative district in Congress.”

The statement further said “The city at last will have an opportunity to be heard in the national legislature and aid our city’s to more quality development. Indeed our sacrifices and hope have not been put to waste.”

Vice Mayor Mario Amores said the people of Lapu-Lapu will benefit in terms of projects with this latest development.

The city of Lapu-Lapu has a population of around 300,000 and was declared a highly urbanized city last 2007.

With the declaration of Lapu-Lapu City as a lone congressional district, the 6th District is now composed only of Mandaue City and the towns of Consolacion and Cordova.

The charter of Lapu-Lapu City, after its declaration as highly urbanized city, prohibits the residents in electing candidates for governor, vice governor and members of the provincial board.

In an interview over DYLA, Rep. Soon-Ruiz, who is the principal author of the law, said the people of Lapu-Lapu City will elect their first congressman in the May 2010 elections.

Rep. Soon-Ruiz, whose term will end next year, said the people of Lapu-Lapu will benefit from the new law because the new congressman, who would represent the district will utilize the funds for the district alone.

Every congressman of a regular district will receive P70 million annual priority development assistance fund (PDAF) aside from the insertions for the budget to finance the implementation of the different projects in the district.

The law will now be forwarded to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) central office so the poll body could consider the new district of Lapu-Lapu in printing the ballots for the elections.

Businessman Efrain Pelaez Jr., in a radio interview, said he believes that the creation of the new district is just another political accommodation for Mayor Radaza.

Pelaez claimed that it is designed to accommodate the political plans of Radaza, who is now in his final term and rumored to be the candidate for congressman of the new district.

Another opposition leader, former Punta Engano barangay captain Angel Rodriguez said the law making Lapu-Lapu a lone congressional district has long been a dream of the Oponganons especially the urban poor sector.

Rodriquez said, whoever will be elected as the first congressman of Lapu-Lapu City should focus on providing socialized housing for informal settlers.

According to Rodriguez, it is true that a problem in collecting taxes from the Philippine Economic Zone Authority and the Mactan Airport exists, but the serious and immediate focus in Lapu-Lapu City should be at the suffering urban poor sector.

At present, there are ten members of the city council excluding the ex-officio members, but now that it is a lone congressional district, another two members will be added. —/NLQ (THE FREEMAN)