Navotas gearing up to become a city

Navotas is gearing up to become a city, which top local officials claimed has long been overdue.

The plan has also held Mayor Toby Tiangco and Malabon-Navotas Rep. Ricky Sandoval together in a common aspiration as they both push for the immediate conversion of the coastal town into a highly-urbanized city. Navotas is the only remaining town in the Camanava (Caloocan-Malabon-Navotas-Valenzuela) area, north of Metro Manila. Caloocan became a city in 1965, followed by Valenzuela three years ago. Malabon was the latest to become a city having been ratified by its voting populace in a plebiscite in April last year.

"Cityhood should have come long ago but we believe this is the most ideal time to push for the passage of a bill that would transform the progressive town of Navotas into a city," Tiangco said.

In separate interview, Sandoval said that he has studied the pertinent documents prior to the drafting of the proposed cityhood bill. However, he said he has initial reservations about the income requirement noting that Navotas has only a reported income of P96,558,256.65 annually, which is more than P3-million short of the required P100 million.

Tiangco was quick to respond that an existing law he could not immediately recall regarding conversion of a town into a highly-urbanized city says the minimum required income is only P50 million. Navotas’ annual income based on the last two consecutive years is more than double this minimum figure required.

Tiangco said Navotas, which has been classified as a first-class municipality has also met land area requirements of at least 100 square kilometers or 10,000 hectares, including areas which cover the Fish Port Complex.

Based on the May 1, 2000 census conducted by the National Statistics Office (NSO), Navotas has a total population of 230,403. The law requires that a municipality, before it becomes a city, should have a population of at least 150,000 inhabitants.

Tiangco said the Sangguniang Bayan headed by Vice Mayor Lutgardo Cruz has done its share when it unanimously passed Resolution 2001-50. The local council said the cityhood status will give Navotas its own charter and its own representative in the Lower House.

Vowing to prioritize the cityhood plan, Sandoval said he has started campaigning by talking with his colleagues to rally them together in the planned conversion of the town into a city with the passage of a bill in Congress.

"This has been a promise to my Navotas constituents – to realize this long-time goal of advancing to a higher local government level which will largely benefit them in terms of programs and improved delivery of basic services," Sandoval said.