Cityhood case Baybay City people rejoice over ruling

BAYBAY CITY, Philippines  – Officials and residents of this town offered a thanksgiving mass at the Immaculate Conception Parish church yesterday afternoon as they jubilated at the decision of the Supreme Court, upholding with finality the conversion of 16 towns into cities, including Baybay in Leyte, Borongan in Eastern Samar and Catbalogan in Samar.

Vice Mayor Mike Cari, who said it was his mother Mayor Carmen Cari who broke the news to them, said the recent SC decision in a 7-4 vote was a clear declaration that the cityhoods laws are constitutional, as against the contention of the League of Cities of the Philippines, which has been opposing it in court.

The vice mayor said he now expects that the Department of Budget and Management would restore Baybay’s internal revenue allotment as a city, so that they could move forward with their development plans.

As a town, Baybay only gets around P100 million IRA but as a city, this allotment triples. Cari said that during the short 14 months of getting at least 350-million as a city, he was able to build 37 classrooms, increase the number of indigents covered by PhilHealth to 5,000 households, give allowances and supplies to the teachers and students, among others.

Baybay was also able to buy a 13-hectare property for the city’s sanitary landfill site and another area just near the poblacion for a government center in the future, he said.

Mayor Cari, for her part, said: “I am happy in behalf of the 16 cities that finally, our long battle is over.” – (FREEMAN)