PB member backs splitting 2nd district

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu Provincial Board member Peter John Calderon has expressed support on the bill splitting the second district of Cebu into two separate congressional districts.

Calderon, who represents second district in the PB, said the division would make the two areas more manageable with more time and resources that can be shared to each district.

“I support the effort of Congressman (Wilfredo) Caminero to divide the district considering nga dako man kaayo ang distrito. It would really come out better for everybody. The advantage is gamay na lang ang area nga atubangon sa usa ka representative,” he said.

House Bill 3149 that seeks to create a seventh district in Cebu by dividing the second district into two separate congressional districts got stuck in the Senate after it was approved on the third and final reading in the House of Representatives.

Caminero revived what was actually a proposal of his predecessor, former congressman Pablo Garcia, who filed the original proposal in 2008, though it did not materialize due to ‘lack of time’.

The second district, the biggest in Cebu, is composed of 15 municipalities, which is more than one third of the 44 municipalities in the province. It has the biggest number of barangays at 284.

Under the said bill, the new district, which will be known as the seventh legislative district, shall be composed of the municipalities of Dumanjug, Ronda, Alcantara, Moalboal, Badian, Alegria, Malabuyoc, and Ginatilan.

The towns of Argao, Dalaguete, Boljoon, Alcoy, Oslob, Santander, and Samboan will remain as second district.

Once the bill is made into law, there will be additional representatives both in House of the Representatives and in the Provincial Board.

Cebu Governor Hilario Davide III, who expressed gratitude over the development, said it would even be better to expand the districts into nine from the present six.

“The congressman will have fewer towns to attend to. In terms of services, the congressman can deliver more,” he told reporters. — (FREEMAN)