Senate oks bill making General Trias City its own legislative district

The Senate approved today on third and final reading two house bills which sought to reapportion certain legislative districts in Cavite province and create a new barangay in Villanueva, Misamis Oriental.

Senator Sonny Angara, chairman of the Senate Committee on Local Government, said House Bill No. 5367 sought to reapportion certain legislative districts in Cavite province which, in effect, would make General Trias City its own legislative district.

"Our measure is about more than giving General Trias a greater say in its future by making its own legislative district. It is also about deepening democracy by enhancing the ratio of representation afforded to the other Local Government Units in the 6th District," Angara said in his sponsorship speech.

Angara said the Constitution allowed a representative for cities with more than 250,000 population. Based on the National Census, he said, more than 350,000 people resided in General Trias by yearend last year.

"The Constitution states that legislative districts should be apportioned among the provinces, cities and the Metropolitan Manila area in accordance with the number of their respective inhabitants and on the basis of a uniform and progressive ratio to give equal representation to an equal number of people," Angara explained.

Aside from General Trias, Angara said, the city of Trece Martires and municipalities of Tanza and Amadeo currently comprise the 6th District. As of the 2015 census, he said, the 6th district was the 10th most populous in the country with 734,000 residents.

He said General Trias had become among the fast-rising centers of growth in the greater Metro Manila area. Many who work in Manila had chosen it as their home.

"With such population, it is high time that General Trias be made into its own legislative district," Angara said.

The Senate also approved House Bill 1926 which aimed to complete the creation of Barangay Poblacion 2 in Villanueva, Misamis Oriental.

Angara said Barangay Poblacion 2 was created in 2006 through a local government unit ordinance. He said the measure also sought to entitle the barangay to its own share of the Internal Revenue Allocation (IRA).

Angara explained that the Local Government Code allowed the establishment of a barangay within a municipality if it has reached the minimum number of 2,000 residents. He said that based on the 2015 population census, Barangay Poblacion 2 had met the population requirement with 2,355 residents and a land area of 83.2 hectares.

"Since its creation, Barangay Poblacion 2 has not received its share of the IRA despite the law allowing it. Because of lack of funding, the barangay could not stand on its own and its barangay council could not help their constituents implement barangay projects for their development," Angara said. (PM)