MORE NEWS, AURORA

Automatic conversion of capital towns into cities sought by solon
By Luis Jose

BALER, Aurora — Rep. Juan Edgardo "Sonny" Angara (Aurora) urged Thursday provincial governors, whose provinces have no city yet, to appeal to President Arroyo to allow the automatic conversion into cities of the capital towns of provinces but not to the detriment of existing cities in the country.

Angara said it is unfair for small provinces if their capital towns are not converted into city because this would hamper economic, political and socio-cultural development of these towns which serve as the capital, which is the center of trade and commerce.

The congressman, a son of Senator Edgardo Angara, has filed a House resolution seeking the creation of Baler into a component city, saying that its conversion will spur the economic growth and progress of this historic town.

Located 232 km east of Manila, Baler was the birthplace of the first Commonwealth President Manuel Luis Quezon.

The declaration of Philippine-Spanish Friendship Day which was initiated by Senator Angara was jointly signed by President Arroyo and Spanish government on June 30, 2002 at the Museo de Baler here.

It depicted the heroism, bravery and gallantry displayed by both the then disease-infected Spanish soldiers and then Filipino rebels during the historic ‘Siege of Baler’ in 1898.

Founded in August 19, 1608, Baler which was composed of only 13 small villages has a very small land area of 8,180 hectares with a measly P35-million internal revenue allotment.

The town has a population of 34,000.

With the requirements provided in the Local Government Code, it’s impossible for a small province like Aurora to become a city, the younger Angara told Manila Bulletin.

"That’s why I’m calling all the governors who have no city yet in their respective provinces to appeal to President Arroyo to support the measure and its approval by Congress but not to the detriment of existing cities, the solon said.

"Kumbaga sa paghahatian ng pizza pie, sana palakihin na lang ni Presidente yung pizza pie para mas marami ang makikinabang at walang mawawalan," he said.

On the young Angara’s proposal, Senator Loren Legarda said she will look into the possibility of amending the Local Government Gode so that the clamor of governors whose respective provinces have no cities yet may be addressed.

"I will look into it, kasi sa amin sa Antique eh wala pa nga palang siyudad," the lady senator said.
Although the League of Cities of the Philippines has a pending case at the Supreme Court in connection with its opposition to the conversion of 16 towns into a cities, Gapan City (Nueva Ecija) Mayor Ernesto Natividad said he is not against the conversion of any town into a city provided that their share of internal revenue allotment is not reduced.

"Sang-ayon ako na magkaroon ng siyudad ang mga probinsiya na walang siyudad upang umangat din ang kanilang ekonomiya pero huwag lang sana bawasan ang share namin (I agree that there should also be a city for every province without a city to hasten economic growth so long as our IRA share is not reduced)," Natividad said.