Senate okays lone district of Mandaue City, six other local bills

By Hannah Torregoza 

The Senate has approved on third and final reading a measure converting Mandaue City into a lone congressional district, as well as several separate bills that sought the creation of 11 new barangays in the provinces of Kalinga and Laguna.

Senator Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara welcomed the approval of the measures which were deliberated on and approved by the Senate local government panel which he chairs.

As chairman of the Senate committee on local government, Angara sponsored on the Senate floor House Bill 8511 separating Mandaue City from the sixth legislative district of Cebu province to constitute as a single district.

Once Mandaue City is converted into a lone district, it will not only get its own congressional representative, but also appropriation from the national government for projects and services that will benefit its constituents.

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

Under the Constitution, a locality with at least 250,000 residents should have one representative in Congress.

“This is good news for the people of Mandaue City because they are a step closer to having their own representative in Congress and additional congressional fund for development projects,” Angara said, of HB 8511 which was approved by the upper chamber on final reading last Monday.

The Senate also approved on final reading three separate bills creating barangays Ipil, Lacnog West and Bulanao Norte, all in the city of Tabuk in Kalinga.

The upper chamber, likewise, passed on final reading HB 7786 dividing Barangay San Vicente in San Pedro City, Laguna into eight distinct and independent barangays, namely: San Vicente, Pacita I, Chrysanthemum, Rosario, Pacita II, Fatima, San Lorenzo Ruiz, and Maharlika.

Also approved on third and final reading was the bill amending a provision in the charter of the city of Bacoor in Cavite, and the proposal to create the position of Assistant City Administrator in Bayawan City, Negros Oriental.

https://news.mb.com.ph/2019/02/05/senate-okays-lone-district-of-mandaue-city-six-other-local-bills/