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Urdaneta losses P30 million in IRA share
URDANETA CITY, Pangasinan — Urdaneta City Mayor Amadeo R. Perez Jr. bared last week this city lost P30.9 million as a result of the reduction of its share in internal revenue allotment (IRA). He said Urdaneta has joined the League of Cities of the Philippines which filed with the Supreme Court a petition questioning the creation of 16 cities in 2007.

As a result of the creation of these cities, the IRA shares of the existing cities were sharply reduced. Mayor Perez said the new cities obtained cityhood without complying with the requirements prescribed by law. The city’s chief executive said that before a municipality becomes a city, three important factors must be met.

They should have an annual income of at least P100 million, not including IRA, should have a population of 150,000 and a territorial area of 10,000 square kilometers. Perez said he is not against the conversion of towns into cities provided they meet the requirements of the law.

He said that every Monday, members of the League of Cities of the Philippines wear black arm band as a sign of protest against the IRA reduction. Perez said at the House of Representatives, there is a pending bill seeking to convert 27 capitol towns into cities. "Sana sumunod sila sa itinatakda ng batas para maging siyudad," he said.

The mayor said that the IRA shares of almost all cities this year have decreased due to the creation of the 16 cities last year. Urdaneta’s IRA share has been reduced by P30.9 million. "This amount means a lot to us, and the loss will adversely the delivery of essential services this year," Perez said. – Jennelyn Mondejar