|
Thursday, February 17, 2005
Despite flak, solon files Cebu del Sur bill
By Jeanette P. Malinao
CEBU CITY -- Representative Simeon Kintanar filed eight days ago House Bill 3733 to form a separate province out of his turf, the 15-town second district of Cebu.
When asked for details of "The Province of Cebu del Sur," Kintanar said he "supposes" it's similar to the bills Representatives Antonio Yapha and Clavel Martinez filed to create Cebu Occidental, out of the third district, and Cebu del Norte, out of the fourth district.
Kintanar could not say yet which of the 15 towns would be the seat of government: "I have not yet read all the pages. Makapal kasi, but I guess it would be any one of the bigger towns like Dalaguete or Argao."
He projects that the proposed Cebu del Sur will get over P200 million as its share of the Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA).
In a telephone interview, Kintanar said he does not expect people to immediately embrace the proposal, as it is with anything new. But he is confident his constituents will find it viable once "the figures and the principles we are working on are explained to them."
"It is the responsibility of the authors of the bills to present the rationale. Of course, there will be opposition kay wa pa man sila kasabot. But after a while, you too will be convinced," he said.
Allegations of personal motives behind the move are mere speculations, considering they are on their last term, he added.
'Legacy'
But he only wants "to leave a legacy of a better structure for whoever will sit as governor."
"We're still trying to put up a staffing pattern for the new offices and we still have to see if the income we can get will be enough. But I am optimistic there will be more than sufficient funds for personnel services and further developments," said Kintanar.
Like Yapha and Martinez, Kintanar also wants the existing Cebu Province to share half of its assets and properties with the new province.
Cebu Province now gets P96 million in IRA share, from a sum equally divided among 79 provinces. But Kintanar said each of the six future provinces will get almost P91 million.
When multiplied by six, Cebu as a whole will get P546 million in IRA share alone, a huge increase from the current P96 million.
"We can get all that and satisfy a province's mandated functions. Di mi pataka ug file ug balaud if nonsense. The direction is full of reasons and benefits," he said.
Mayors wary
In the bill's explanatory note, Kintanar said the current Provincial Government "seems not to have sufficient funds" to support devolved services.
The proposed Cebu del Sur will cover the southern towns of Argao, Dalaguete, Alcoy, Boljoon, Oslob, Santander, Samboan, Ginatilan, Malabuyoc, Alegria, Badian, Moalboal, Alcantara, Ronda and Dumanjug.
Earlier interviews with mayors of these towns show they are either undecided or against the proposal. None has so far voiced out support for the move.
"The intention to create smaller provinces out of Cebu is primarily aimed to make delivery of basic governmental services more efficient and effective," read the explanatory note of House Bill 3733.
Kintanar pointed out in his bill that Cebu Province, excluding the cities of Cebu and Mandaue, had a population of 2,377,588 as of May 2000, making it among the biggest provinces in the country in terms of population.
"At present, the two devolved government services namely health and agriculture, are very inadequate... Even minor surgical cases have to be brought to Cebu City because district hospitals are not equipped to handle them," he added.
(February 17, 2005 issue)
Write letter to the editor.Click here.
Join the Sun.Star message board.Click here. |
|
|
|
[return to top]
[home]
|
|
Moody's hands down two-notch downgrade on RP