Mandaue now a congressional district

CEBU, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte has signed into law Republic Act 11257 or An Act separating the City of Mandaue from the Sixth Legislative District of the Province of Cebu to constitute the Lone Legislative District of the City of Mandaue.

The Sixth District is composed originally of Mandaue, Consolacion, and Cordova.

Duterte signed the bill into law on April 5, 2019 but Malacañang released it only yesterday.

RA 11257 will take effect 15 days after it is published in a newspaper of general publication and separation of Mandaue from the Sixth District shall commence in the next national and local elections after the effectivity of the Act.

This means that the incumbent representative of the Sixth District shall continue to represent the district until the new representative is elected.

Thirty days after the Act takes effect, the Commission on Elections is mandated to come up with the rules and regulations in implementing the provisions of the law.

The author of the law in the House of Representatives, Sixth District Rep. Jonas Cortes, said the passage and signing of the law is a victory for Mandaue and the entire Cebu because it means Cebu will have additional representation in the lower house.

"In my term as Congressman, I have passed three significant laws that directly impact the lives of the people of the Sixth district. I could never have done this without the support of our constituents; my fellow public servants in the district, especially Mayor Nene Alegado and Mayor Tetchie Sitoy-Cho; and the officials of Consolacion and Cordova; and, of course the Mandauehanons! Dili matugkad ang among kalipay sa pagkahimong kaugalingong distrito sa Mandaue. Ang among way kinutobang pasalamat ni Senator Sonny Angara ang author sa senate version ug ni President Rodrigo Duterte for granting us this privilege," Cortes said in a statement.

Cortes said Mandaue has been qualified to be a lone district since 1992 but efforts to make it so failed.

Angara himself said the separation of Mandaue from the Sixth District will improve the delivery of basic services.

“This is good news for the people of Mandaue City because they will now have their own representative in Congress and additional congressional fund for development projects,” Angara said.

Mandaue City, dubbed as Cebu’s “industrial heartland,” has a population of 365,144 based on the 2015 census.

The Constitution provides that a locality with at least 250,000 residents should have one representative in Congress.

Mandaue Vice Mayor Carlo Fortuna said the long wait is over.

"We will forever be grateful to the President for granting to us the lone legislative district that we have been asking for," he said. JMO (FREEMAN)