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Thursday, June 08, 2006
Malig: City of San Fernando district
By Jun A. Malig
Cognition
IF EVERYTHING goes smoothly in the Senate, Fernandinos would have the opportunity to elect their own representative in the Lower Chamber for the first time in May next year. Of course, this would mean more infrastructure and social services for the capital city through Priority Development Assistance Fund (Pdaf) and related congressional allotments.
The House of Representatives approved House Bill (HB) 4207, sponsored by Pampanga Third District Representative Reynaldo Aquino, on December 23 last year and transmitted it to the Senate on the same date. The bill, "An act amending Section 58 of Republic Act (RA) 8990, otherwise known as the Charter of the City of San Fernando," is also known as "Constituting the City of San Fernando, Pampanga into a lone congressional district."
Although a few politicians have been questioning the "timeliness" of creating new congressional districts in Pampanga, there is no doubt that the electorates in general are supportive of Dr. Rey's proposal.
While the surgeon's HB 4207 is already pending before the committee level of Senate, Pampanga First District Representative Francis Nepomuceno's HB 5317 known as "An act constituting Angeles City in the province of Pampanga into a lone congressional district and for other purposes" is still being discussed in the House committee on local government. The bill was read in the lower chamber only last March 6.
Generally, Fernandinos and Angeleños very much welcome the idea of having their respective congressmen. The people of Mabalacat and Magalang also want to have their own representative in the national legislature and be separated from the vote-rich Angeles City. A P90 million Pdaf for a lesser number of inhabitants and reduced territory would mean greater benefits for the people of a district.
As I cited in one of my previous columns, it is high time for Angeles City and the City of San Fernando to become lone congressional districts. The two are ripe enough in every sense to have their respective representatives in the Lower Chamber. I'm sure that proficient economists and other experts of state economic policies would agree that the economy or fiscal condition of a country with about a trillion pesos annual budget would not be affected by the creation of a new congressional district.
Officials and politicians in the City of San Fernando and the rest of Pampanga's third district, both allies and rivals, have set aside their major and minor political and personal differences and recently showed their oneness in supporting HB 4207 on the simple premise that the measure would make the lives of Fernandinos and the people of the province's third district a bit better. I believe that politicians in the first district (some of whom have been singing an entirely different tune) should manifest a similar unity for the sake of their constituents.
(June 8, 2006 issue)
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