Bayani backs cityhood plan for Metro’s remaining municipalities

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) reiterated its expression of support to convert the four remaining municipalities into cities, even if it means giving up some P300 million in Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA).

The Metro Mayors’ Council (MMC), through its secretariat (MMDA), approved a resolution asking both the House of Representatives and the Senate to elevate the status of the municipalities of Taguig, Pateros, San Juan and Navotas into cities.

MMDA Chairman Bayani Fernando said he agreed with the resolution and will abide by the council’s decision despite the consequent P300 million cut in their budget.

"There was no objection. It was unanimously approved by MMC," he said.

Once approved, Fernando said, cityhood would foster "uniformity and increase the IRA of the local government units."

Although, it would increase the five percent contribution to MMDA’s operating funds, Fernando noted that it would still be significantly less than the P300 million they would be losing.

Once Congress approves the bills for cityhood, the MMDA would be stripped of the P300 million from its IRA. The amount would be distributed to municipalities in the provinces that needed financial assistance from the national government.

The MMDA chief added that he was surprised with the turnout in last Thursday’s MMC meeting with 11 mayors in attendance. Usually only two or three mayors are present with the rest sending representatives.

In the resolution, the MMC said Metro Manila is considered the 18th largest metropolitan area in the world, yet four of its localities are still classified as municipalities.

He recalled that in the US, there are cities with less populated areas.

Meanwhile, four Metro mayors have lamented the resistance to the cityhood of Pateros, Taguig, Navotas and San Juan.

In a statement from the Taguig government, Mayors Freddie Tinga of Taguig, Rosendo Capco of Pateros, Toby Tiangco of Navotas and JV Ejercito of San Juan said they believe that the transformation of the four remaining municipalities in Metro Manila into chartered cities would enhance their programs of government and the delivery of basic services to their constituents.

Last week, MMDA’s Fernando moved to resurrect a 2002 resolution which had been approved by the 17-member MMC asking both houses of Congress to grant city status to the four towns.

Accordingly, the move would help transform Metro Manila into a "full-pledged metropolis at par with leading urban centers in the world."

However, Taguig-Pateros Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano quickly opposed the proposal by saying that forcing cityhood on "unqualified municipalities" in Metro Manila would set a bad precedent for other towns nationwide.

However, the Commission on Elections has moved closer to resolving the issue on the true result of the 1998 Taguig cityhood plebiscite, a case that has dragged for more than six years already because of Cayetano’s opposition, the statement said.

In a recount, the Comelec found out that the "yes" votes won in the said plebiscite.

Ejercito said the issue is not the constitutionality of the proposal of Fernando, but the way this will improve the delivery of services to the people in terms of health, sanitation, housing and education.

"Obviously, Rep. Cayetano is taking the issue personally because of his private detestation towards his major political rival, Mayor Tinga. But, his way of dealing with the problem hurts not only his contender, but four local government units and its populace," Ejercito said.

Capco, lamented that Cayetano continues to block the cityhood of Taguig even if it is for the sake of the two towns that he represents.

"Sa halip ng nakikihati ang Pateros sa buong Taguig pagdating sa pondo ng aming kongresman, lalaki ang share naming dahil magiging bahagi na lang kami ng isang distrito ng Taguig kapag siyudad na ito," Capco said.

Capco believes that his town will even be more progressive given the chance to become a city as well.

For his part, Tiangco stressed that Navotas has passed the requirements for cityhood set by the Local Government Code.

Under the law, a municipality shall only be declared a highly urbanized city if it has a minimum population of 200,000; an annual income of at least P50 million and a 100 square kilometer land area.

Taguig has a total land area of 4,538.2 hectares; a population of 532,641 and an income of P792,670,718 last year, the statement said.