THE House of Representatives approved on second reading on Tuesday, November 27, the bill that seeks to separate the city of Mandaue from the sixth legislative district of Cebu.
Cebu 6th District Representative Jonas Cortes said House Bill No. 8511, or “An Act Separating the City of Mandaue from the Sixth Legislative District of the Province of Cebu to Constitute the Lone Legislative District of Mandaue”, will "accord the city and its constituents the right to enjoy the privileges appurtenant to a legally declared Congressional District and will ultimately redound to the benefit of the people not only of Mandaue City but also of the 6th District by way of better welfare and benefits.”
Cortes, a former mayor and native of Mandaue City, sponsored the bill.
He said the people of Mandaue have been “ardently” requesting for the passage of the bill in order to raise the status of Mandaue to its “well deserved position.”
At present, Mandaue is grouped under the sixth legislative district of Cebu along with the municipalities of Cordova and Consolacion.
According to Cortes, the City of Mandaue, which has a population of more than 365,144 individuals is “a thriving first class city” and is known as the “Industrial Heartland of Cebu.”
“About 40 percent of Cebu’s export companies are found in Mandaue and being an industrial city it is home to some of the countries biggest companies. Mandaue City also accounts for 75 percent of the country’s total exports in the furniture sector in the past two decades, making the city the furniture capital of the country,” added Cortes.
House Bill 8511 aims to ensure equitable representation for the residents of Mandaue in the legislature.
Under the bill, the incumbent representative of the present sixth district of Cebu shall continue to represent the said district until the new representative of Mandaue is elected.
The bill likewise mandates the Commission on Elections to issue the necessary rules and regulations in relation to the implementation of the bill within 30 days after its effectivity.
House Bill No. 8511 substituted House Bill No. 4117 introduced by Cortes and House Bill No. 4523 introduced by Cebu 2nd District Rep. Rodrigo Abellanosa. Both seek to separate Mandaue from the sixth district of Cebu.
Cortes filed House Bill No. 4117 in October 2016 while Abellanosa filed his version of the bill in November 2016. (SunStar Philippines)