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Saturday, January 14, 2006
Caraga solons push Dinagat as province
By Ben Serrano
Caraga correspondent
SURIGAO CITY -- Caraga lawmakers who are co-authors in the proposed law filed before Congress as House Bill 0084, otherwise known as An Act Creating the Province of Dinagat Province, are pushing for the immediate passage of the law at the Senate.
But oppositors, mostly independent lawyers, have also urged Congress to investigate allegations of padding census results that allegedly bloated population figures.
They claimed that even names of dead persons and those residing in Davao City or outside Dinagat were included in the population list.
They added that the law, once enacted, would be designed to feed the political ambition and greed of some politicians or vested groups who want to reign in the island.
Overdue dream
Caraga Region lawmakers who are authors of the bill are Surigao del Norte Representative Robert Ace Barbers, Agusan del Norte Representative Maria Angelica Rosedell Amante, Surigao del Sur second district Representative Peter Paul Jed Falcon, Surigao del Sur first district Representative Prospero Pichay Jr., and Butuan City Representative Leovigildo Banaag.
Fifty-seven other congressmen, including House Speaker Jose De Venecia and Cebu Congressman Eduardo R. Gullas, were named co-authors of the bill.
The bill's principal author is Dinagat and Siargao Islands Representative Glenda B. Ecleo (Lakas-CMD, 1st district Surigao del Norte).
The lady lawmaker is mother of two Surigao del Norte town mayors, Gwendolyn Ecleo of Dinagat town, BenGlen Ecleo of San Jose town, and Surigao del Norte Provincial Board member Alan B. Ecleo I.
The lawmaker's late husband is the popular PBMA Divine Master and leader Ruben Ecleo Sr. His namesake and controversial son, Ruben Ecleo Jr., is a former San Jose mayor. Ruben Ecleo Jr. is touted as the inherent successor of his late father, Divine Master Ruben Ecleo Sr.
Congresswoman Ecleo explained the passage of her bill would provide opportunity for Dinagat Island to prosper.
Barbers in a text message to Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro said it is about time that the long overdue dream and aspirations of the people of Dinagat Island are achieved through the passage of the bill.
"Dinagat Island has rich natural resources and fishing grounds, which if given opportunity to be created as separate province, can help make provide economic activities giving jobs to its people," Barbers claimed.
Dinagat Island is about an hour's boat ride from this seaport city with seven municipalities, namely Basilisa, Cagdianao, Dinagat, Libjo, Loreto, San Jose, and Tubajon.
It has a total population based on the 2000 census of 106,951, with an annual growth rate of 1.55 percent in the 2000 census and a total land area of 80,205 hectares.
Around 54,223 hectares of the total 80,205 hectares of Dinagat Island are considered as mineral lands. Among minerals found abundantly are Nickel Silicate ores, Saprolite, and Limonite and Metallurgical Chromite, gold, and silver.
(January 14, 2006 issue)
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