Solon to re-file bill creating agricultural district office

CEBU, Philippines - Re-elected Cebu Second District Representative Wilfredo Caminero will re-file his bill creating agricultural district office in the regional field offices.

Caminero said it is among his priorities once the 17th Congress starts.

With the district offices in place, he said transactions can be done without going to regional offices, thus, saving not only money but also time and resources.

Other benefits are preferential real property tax treatment (agricultural assessment and special benefit assessment), government-funded acquisition or construction projects, and private nuisance suits involving agricultural practices.

It was Caminero's fifth bill filed in Congress but was not acted upon.

Caminero, vice chairman of the House food and agriculture committee of the 16th Congress, said he expects to see an improvement in southern Cebu's agriculture sector.

He said he wants to bring in more projects for access and farm-to-market roads and water systems as well, among others, since 80 percent of the area is made up of farming communities.

He said the precursor of agriculture is basic infrastructure, saying "you cannot envision good productivity without that."

The 2nd district includes the municipalities of Argao, Dalaguete, Alcoy, Boljoon, Oslob, Santander and Samboan with a combined population of 223,360.

The district, which is coined as the food basket of Cebu, is also known for its heritage sites, beaches, and scenic spots.

Aside from the creation of agricultural district office, Caminero intends to re-file his bill for the conversion of Alcoy to Alegria provincial road to a national road.

Caminero has 15 bills filed, 14 of which are pending in Congress. The only one approved was the creation of the 7th Legislative District.

He was the principal author of House Bill 4427 creating the new seventh district, which consists of the southwest towns of Dumanjug, Ronda, Alcantara, Moalboal, Badian, Alegria, Malabuyoc and Ginatilan.

The 7th district bill or House Bill 3149 was reintroduced by Caminero in October 16, 2013, in the present Congress. It was previously proposed by then Representative Pablo Garcia, who was Caminero's predecessor.

Before the creation of a new district was floated, bills seeking to carve out a new province in southern Cebu were previously proposed by then Representative Simeon Kintanar in 2005. This, however, was met with opposition from most Cebuanos including then Governor Gwendolyn Garcia, who was on her first term.

Caminero, formerly a member of the Liberal Party (LP), recently took his oath as member of PDP-Laban in a hotel in Makati City.

He said he is expecting to still hold the vice-chairmanship for committee on agriculture and membership and retain membership with the committees on public works, DENR, national defense and foreign affairs.

He assured that even without these he will still continue to serve his district. "I need not be a chair, vice chair or member of a committee for me to serve my district and my constituents."

Caminero rose from the ranks. He was a municipal councilor of Argao from 1987 to 1992. He became town vice mayor from 1992 to 1998 and mayor from 1998 to 2007.

 He became a Provincial Board member for two terms, from 2007 to 2013.

In 2013, he beat the incumbent Garcia to represent the second congressional district. — (FREEMAN)