Big recla project seen to speed up cityhood

CEBU, Philippines - With the big-ticket reclamation project signed, Minglanilla Mayor Elanito Peña remains optimistic on converting the first class municipality of Minglanilla to be one of the component cities of Cebu.

Peña, who is on his first term and will seek for reelection in the upcoming local elections, said the town is very much ready to be a city, especially that Cebu Provincial Reclamation Authority (CPRA) is now giving its green light for the 100-hectare reclamation project that will pave the way for an industrial park in the town.

"Kung mapatuman ang reclamation project karong tuiga, modako na gyud ang among income. Daghan na kaayong mga dagkong kompaniya ang nag-atang nga mapatuman na ang reclamation," Peña said.

Under the Local Government Code, a town can be converted into a city if it has a locally generated income of at least P100 million in the last two years as certified by the Department of Finance; a population of 150,000 or more as certified by the Philippine Statistics Authority; and a contiguous territory of 100 square kilometers.

Peña admitted that the town is not yet qualified as the 2010 survey showed they only have a population at 113,178 and an annual income of over P80 million.

It has a total land area of 65.96 square kilometers.

Peña expects the town to experience an economic boom within the next few years, taking into consideration the start of a 100-hectare reclamation project in the coastal barangays of Tulay and Calajo-an.

However, for Cebu First District Representative Gerald Anthony "Samsam" Gullas, it will take time before Minglanilla will be converted into a city.

In a separate interview with The FREEMAN, Gullas said he will support the move of the mayor provided that all requirements needed for the conversion are ready.

"Once Minglanilla passes the criteria, I will file a bill for the conversion of Minglanilla," he said.

Aside from Minglanilla, the town of Consolacion in the north is also eyeing cityhood.

Consolacion Mayor Teresa Alegado recently said they are optimistic to meet the population requirement of 150,000 by 2016, citing the fast growing migration rate in the municipality.

As of now, Alegado said they are waiting for the official count of the Philippine Statistics Office. But based on its own tally, the town has a population of around 138,000 this year.  During the 2010 census, it registered a population of 106,649.

Aside from the population requirement, a town needs to satisfy the income requirement of P100 million for it to qualify for cityhood. Consolacion, according to Alegado, already met this requirement two years ago when the town hit the P100-million mark in local revenues.

The mayor is hoping that Cebu Sixth District Representative Gabriel Luis Quisumbing would file a bill for the cityhood of Consolacion before the latter's term in Congress ends next year.  (FREEMAN)