Guadalupe split supporters lack campaign funds

CEBU, Philippines - Although the United Banawa-Englis Association, Inc. (UBEAI) lacks funds to campaign, they remain confident that the residents of Barangay Guadalupe will support the separation of sitios Banawa and Englis from the barangay to form their own.

UBEAI Vice President for internal affairs Jaime Sala said that for now, they have started soliciting from their fellow supporters to wage their campaign.

But he said as much as possible they are avoiding soliciting from politicians.

The campaign period will start tomorrow.

Yesterday, they met with Mayor Michael Rama to seek advice on how to proceed with the campaign.

The mayor also advised them to focus their campaign in other sitios in Guadalupe since they have sure supporters in sitio Banawa and Englis. The mayor also told them to be optimistic and keep the same passion for the cause. 

Rama was one of the proponents of City Ordinance 1661 creating a separate barangay from sitios Banawa and Englis. It was passed in 1996 when Rama was still a councilor.

The last time the UBEAI campaigned for the split was in 2010. Sala said that they will have to campaign again so the people will remember why they are passionately pushing for the split.

Sala said this will be their fifth time to campaign. He hopes that this attempt will be successful.

If lack of campaign funds will prevent them from reaching out to all 28,421 qualified voters in the barangay, Sala said they are still confident that the votes they expect from 8,337 qualified voters in sitios Banawa and Englis alone will make the split materialize.

“The Comelec said that the turnout will probably be only 40 to 50 percent. Basta mulabaw lang mi’g usa ka boto, okay na kaayo,” Sala said.

Sala said that the split will be both advantageous to the whole barangay, especially to the inhabitants of sitios Banawa and Englis.

He said that the load of works of the current barangay will be minimized since a separate unit will govern the 40,000 inhabitants of sitios Banawa and Englis.

Barangay Guadalupe is the biggest barangay in Cebu City in terms of population. It has over 90,000 residents, almost half of which are from the two sitios seeking separation. –(FREEMAN)