Senate sees creation of additional district in Cebu

The Senate has approved on third and final reading a bill seeking to create an additional legislative district in Cebu province.

Senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., chairman of the Committee on Local Government, said House Bill 4427 sought to create an additional legislative district out of the existing second congressional district in Cebu province to be known as the seventh legislative district.

The measure was introduced in the House by Represenatives Wilfredo Caminero, Benhur Salimbangon, Aileen Radaza and Gwendolyn Garcia.

Marcos said that under the proposed bill, the seventh legislative district shall be composed of the municipalities of Dumanjug, Ronda, Alcantara, Moalboal, Badian, Alegria, Malabuyoc, and Ginatilan. Marcos said the proposed new district has a population of 200,092 based on the 2010 census of the Philippine Statistics Authority.

He said the municipalities of Argao, Dalaguete, Alcoy, Boljoon, Oslob, Santander and Samboan would continue to comprise the second legislative district of the province. These municipalities have a combined population count of 223,360 based on the 2010 census of the Philippine Statistics Authority.

Marcos said Cebu, which is ranked as the fifth most populated province in the country, has six legislative districts. The present second legislative district, which is composed of 15 municipalities, has more than one-third of the 44 municipalities of the province. It has the biggest number of barangays at 284 and has 246.8 kilometers of national roads, the longest among the six legislative districts of the province.

According to the proponents of the bill, Marcos said, the enormous size of the land area of the present second congressional district, as compared to the remaining congressional districts of Cebu province, burdens its present representatives in the effective discharge of its duties to its constituents.

"The creation of a new legislative district will boost the development efforts not only in the said area but in the whole province," Marcos said in this sponsorship speech, adding:

"With the increasing population of the Province of Cebu and its fast development, the province indeed deserves an additional seat in the House of Representatives."