2 towns told: Settle dispute amicably

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu Third District Rep. Pablo John Garcia has urged the local officials of Aloguinsan and Pinamungajan to settle their boundary dispute amicably.

The 45-year-old boundary dispute between the two towns was raised during a recent out-of-town session of the Cebu Provincial Board in Aloguinsan where Governor Gwendolyn Garcia also held public consultation.

During the consultation, Aloguinsan Municipal Planning and Development Coordinator Maria Irish Andrino, raised the ongoing boundary dispute and asked the provincial board to solve the problem.

But, Pablo John said the matter is better left for the two local government units to settle amicably.

He explained that even if the PB decides on the issue, it can be appealed to the Supreme Court by the disadvantaged party and it will take a long process.

PB Member Agnes Magpale, acting presiding officer, who has been in the Board of a quite long period admitted that there is really that “inherent difficulty” in addressing the issue.

In 2008, Governor Garcia gathered the mayors of both municipality and agreed to accompany a team from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in a field survey of the boundary area but it was not pushed through.

DENR has the authority to place technical landmarks for area mapping. Aloguinsan used to be barangay of Pinamungajan until it became a town in1885.

In 1966, the Provincial Board passed Resolution No. 465 presented by former PB member Salutario Fernandez, stating that the boundary of the two towns is Tutay River which is 14 meters wide and 10 kilometers long.

In 2005, the municipal council of Aloguinsan passed a resolution requesting the PB to form a committee to resolve its boundary conflict with Pinamungajan.

The boundary issue resurfaced in 2008 during the “Suroy-Suroy Sugbo Explore the Midwest Tour.”

That day, people from Pinamungajan built the welcome arc in barangay Napo, Aloguinsan claiming the place to be the boundary.

Local officials of Aloguinsan and Pinamungajan temporarily set aside the issue to give way to the Suroy-Suroy program.

They agreed to take out the “Welcome to Pinamungajan” sign to avoid taking down the arc. — (FREEMAN)