Monday, March 05, 2007 ‘Cebu del Norte’ revival set By Jeanette P. Malinao Sun.Star Staff Reporter
HIS rivals vowed to make an election is sue out of the bills to create three new Cebu provinces, but former congressman Celestino “Junie” Martinez Jr. will also use the issue as “a campaign slogan” in his district.
Martinez said they will advocate for Cebu del Norte in campaigning in the district, believing that another provincial government in the north is “an alternative, a solution” to the “poor” delivery of basic services.
“Only people with selfish intentions ang dili musugot (will disagree),” Martinez said in a telephone interview yesterday.
His son, Bogo Mayor Celestino “Tining” Martinez III, is running for Congress to replace his mother, Rep. Clavel Martinez.
“As a matter of fact, in our district, among sulti nga kung mudaog si Tining (if Tining wins), we will push for this,” Junie added.
Congresswoman Martinez filed in February 2005 the bill creating the nine towns in the fourth district, including the three-town Bantayan island, as Cebu del Norte.
The bill was approved at the House committee level alongside the ones for Cebu del Sur and Cebu Occidental. But they remain at the committee on rules and failed so far to get to the plenary.
“You can’t take that away from us because we believe that if we want to have progress, if we want service for the people in the rural areas, the only way is to divide management by creating new provinces,” said Junie.
He said people in his district are supporting their move and thinks it’s just a matter of making the rest understand.
Even Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal, he said, understood when the three authors explained.
However, he admitted that they will be having a hard time pushing for the move if in case not all allies of the three authors, who are on their last term, will be elected.
All the districts in Cebu will have to vote in a plebiscite.
Easier
For the authors of new provinces, the bills will make it easier for projects to reach the countryside.
Each district will then have its own provincial hospital and National Government agencies.
This is aside from having stronger representation in the Regional Development Council, where only one governor is currently representing all the districts.
Each district will have a share in the Internal Revenue Allotment as a new province, aside from having each a governor who can lobby for projects from the National Government.
But those who oppose the move have said breaking up Cebu into four provinces has several legal impediments and is an affront to Cebu’s history and territorial integrity.
They also said instead of being currently the number one out of 79 provinces in terms of assets, creating smaller Cebu provinces will reduce Cebu’s place in the hierarchy.
