Second district division awaits action from Senate

CEBU, Philippines - The proposal to create additional congressional district in Cebu now hangs in the hands of the Senate after the House of Representatives approved it on third and final reading before it adjourned on sine die.

Second district Representative Wilfredo Caminero, author of House Bill 4427, which seeks to divide the second district and create the seventh congressional district out of it, said that the proposal had been deliberated fully in the committee on local government as well as in the plenary.

The committee chairman, Rep. Pedro B. Acharon, Jr. of the first district of South Cotabato, has already noted that the bill was duly approved on third and final reading.

“The compelling and urgent reasons for the creation of the Seventh Legislative District of the Province of Cebu have been fully deliberated and favorably acted upon by the House of Representatives in the 14th and 15th Congress,” Caminero said.

 Caminero quoted his predecessor, former Deputy Speaker Pablo Garcia, who said in a privilege speech during the 15th congress, that the congressman of the second district of Cebu is having a much more difficult time discharging his constituency services, attending to the needs of 15 municipalities, and 284 barangays, which cover an area that is almost one-third of the total land area of the province.

 Garcia filed the original proposal to divide the second district. But, he lost to Caminero by a margin of 6,961 votes in the last elections.

As of  May 1, 2010 census, the second district has a population of 423,452 or twice the number required by law to create a new district.

“More than ever, if not more urgent, over six years after the first effort to pass the measure, the creation of an additional legislative district in the Province of Cebu remain as valid,” Caminero said.

The bill was filed in 2008. It seeks to divide Cebu’s largest congressional district, which consists of 15 towns.

 If the bill gets through with the Senate, a new district composed of Argao, Dalaguete, Alcoy, Boljoon, Oslob, Santander and Samboan will be carved out which shall be known as the seventh congressional district.

The remaining eight towns; Dumanjug, Ronda, Alcantara, Moalboal, Badian, Alegria, Malabuyoc and Ginatilan, shall compose the second district. — (FREEMAN)