Balamban cityhood pushed

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia has expressed her strong support to convert the Municipality of Balamban into a component city of the Province.

Provincial Board Members Alex Binghay and Caesar Ian Geronimo Zambo of the third district where Balamban belongs initiated the move when the PB passed a resolution requesting Rep. Pablo John Garcia to sponsor a bill in Congress to convert the municipality into a component city.

“I’m in full support of the move of the Provincial Board. I’m sure it reflects as well the sentiments the people of Balamban as well as the leadership of Balamban that they be upgraded from a municipality to a city,” Garcia said.

Garcia added that the present situation of Balamban meets all the qualifications.

“Hinog na gyud kayo,” Garcia told reporters.

Cebu fourth district Rep. Benhur Salimbangon, who was with the governor in her two-day visit in Bantayan Island, also expressed his support when the bill will be filed in Congress.

Rep. Garcia earlier said he was the one who requested Binghay and Zambo to sponsor a resolution in the PB to support his bill in Congress.

Binghay, former town mayor, said Balamban has already met the two requirements set under Republic Act 9009 or the amended Local Government Code of 1991.

A municipality may be converted into a city if it has a locally generated average annual income, as certified by the Department of Finance, of at least P100 million for the last two consecutive years based on 2,000 constant prices, a contiguous territory of at least 100 square meters as certified by the Land Management Bureau and lastly, a population of not less than 150,000 inhabitants as certified by the National Statistics Office.

Balamban has a total land area of 33,700 hectares, 55 percent of which is classified as alienable and disposable land while the remaining 44.51 percent is timberland.

It is composed of 28 barangays with three urban barangays - Aliwanay, Baliwagan and Sta. Cruz.

The municipality has generated a local income of P126,454,332.86 for calendar year 2010.

Balamban is the home of one of the leading medium-sized shipbuilders in the world, Tsuneishi Heavy Industries, (Cebu) Inc. (THICI).

Shipbuilding, ship repair and manufacturing of outfittings for ships and vessels constitute the main business of the company. THICI supplies medium-sized vessels to different parts of the world. (FREEMAN)