House starts bill deliberation

CEBU, Philippines - A bill creating Mandaue City into a lone district of Cebu is now in the hands of the members of the House Committee on Local Government of the House of Representatives, which would then discuss it in a plenary session.

For Cebu sixth district Representative Jonas Cortes, House Bill 4117 is gaining ground

"The passage of this bill has long been ardently requested by the good people of Mandaue in order to raise the current status of their beloved city into its well-deserved position," he said.

City Councilors Demetrio Cortes (the congressman’s brother) and Elstone Dabon, along with 22 barangay captains attended the house committee deliberation yesterday. The matter is still subject a committee report at the plenary.

Representative Cortes said the bill seeks to separate Mandaue from the current 6th legislative district of Cebu and to become a new district.

This echoes the sentiment of the Mandaue City Council, which approved Resolution No. 86-2016 sponsored by Demetrio, who argued that the city is qualified to become a lone district. 

The sixth district is composed of Mandaue and the towns of Consolacion and Cordova.

If the bill is approved, the necessary appropriations for the newly created congressional district shall be included in the General Appropriations Act of the year following its approval and every year thereafter.

In 1992, there was already a bill making Mandaue a long district filed in Congress but several local officials opposed it.

In 2000, former congressman Efren Herrera filed a similar bill but it was opposed by then senator John Henry Osmeña at the Senate.

In 2011, Mayor Gabriel Luigi Quisumbing, who was then the sixth district representative, filed a bill making the city a separate congressional district. 

The Cebu Provincial board has likewise expressed its support for the bill. In a resolution authored by Provincial Board Members Glenn Bercede and Thadeo Jovito Ouano, they said their sixth district constituents have been clamoring for Mandaue to become a lone district ever since it was classified as a Highly Urbanized City in 1991.

“The creation of the Mandaue Congressional District shall ensure and guarantee further representation of at least one congressman to carry their interests and verbalize the aspirations of Mandaue City (, it) being a highly industrialized manufacturing hub of the Province of Cebu,” read the resolution. — Garry B. Lao, Le Phyllis F. Antojado (FREEMAN)