CEBU, Philippines - The barangay captains of the different island barangays of Lapu-Lapu City appealed to Rep. Arturo Radaza through a manifesto to sponsor a bill creating the Municipality of Olango.
The barangay captains agreed to have a municipality of their own so their future growth would be harmonized and coordinated. With the creation of a municipality, they said the full potential of a local government unit could be achieved.
The 11 barangays that would comprise the municipality include Talima, Sabang, Tungasan, Tingo, Baring, Caw-oy, Sta. Rosa, and San Vicente together with three other islets of Caubian, Caohagan, and Pangan-an.
Cyrus Eyas, barangay captain of San Vicente, said they are supporting the manifesto since it is already about time for the island barangays to actively pursue their ideals to attain their concerted effort for quality growth and development.
“We are still in our first step and we are working out the requirements,” Eyas said.
In their manifesto, the barangay leaders said the influx of the people and development in the mainland city has even outpaced much of the city’s current infrastructure support which needs to be addressed the soonest time possible.
“Lapu-Lapu City has enjoyed an unprecedented growth in the last decade resulting to the influx of people, residents and visitors alike, availing of what the city has to offer,” the manifesto further reads.
The decision of the barangay captains surprised Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Paz Radaza but she said she is willing to help village chiefs to achieve what they aim.
“Atimanunon na namo sila but all of a sudden ingon ana diay sila ka desidido. Ato lang pud silang alalayan,” Radaza told The FREEMAN.
Radaza said she was informed by some of the barangay captains about their plan but she did not expect they already signed a manifesto.
“Gisultian ko pero murag nakalitan ra pud ko kay mura’g dali kaayo,” she said.
Under Section 442 of the Local Government Code, a municipality may be created if it has an average annual income, as certified by the provincial treasurer, of at least P2.5 million for the last two consecutive years.
It should also have a population of at least 25,000 as certified by the National Statistics Office and a contiguous territory of at least 50 square kilometers as certified by the Lands Management Bureau.
But Olango Island and its neighboring islets have only 10.3 square kilometers and more or less 30,000 constituents.
Radaza is confident that the island barangays can attain the average income and the average population needed to make it into a municipality but said she needs to check first on the overall total land area of the island and some islets.
The mayor plans to meet with the barangay captains during their Association of Barangay Councils meeting this week for a thorough discussion on the matter.
“Kinahanglan sad nato ipasabot ug tan-awn unsa’y kaayohan ug unsay dili,” Radaza added.
She said her husband, Rep. Arturo Radaza is not formally informed of the matter. —(FREEMAN)