CEBU, Philippines – Sixth District Representative Luigi Quisumbing will be filing a bill that would make Consolacion into a city, but admitted that doing so involves a very long process starting with consultations and dialogues with stakeholders.
Consolacion is a first class municipality with a population of 87,544 based on the 2007 census. Under the Local Government Code, a town needs to reach a population of 150,000 to qualify for a cityhood status.
Consolacion is composed of 21 barangays and soon to be the home of the second SM Mall in Cebu.
Quisumbing said Cebu is entitled to at least four more congressional districts, as earlier confirmed by Third District Representative Pablo John Garcia after the province has reached a population of 2.44 million based on the 2007 census.
In fact, Quisumbing said, Mandaue City should have been a separate district ahead of LapuLapu City. He said other towns like Consolacion and Cordova would benefit from redistricting because Consolacion, for instance, reportedly could go along with Mandaue. He said Cordova should have been part of the Lapu-Lapu district.
"Although I am happy that Lapu-Lapu City is now a separate district, ideally Mandaue City should be a separate district ahead of Lapu-Lapu City," Quisumbing said.
To date, Cebu has a total seven congressional districts.
Cebu congressmen earlier rejected the plan for redistricting, as the same has to undergo consultation with mayors because their respective towns are the ones that will be affected. (FREEMAN)