The Manila Times

Senate approves Carmona cityhood bill

- DENNIS ABRINA

The Senate approved on third and final reading on Monday, January 30, the bill seeking to convert the municipali­ty of Carmona into a component city of Cavite with 19 affirmativ­e votes, zero abstention and no objection.

Sen. Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito explained in his social media post that the municipali­ty of Carmona is now qualified for conversion into a component city after complying with the two criteria set by the law under Republic Act 11683. Carmona has met the required generated annual income and number of its population.

House Bill 3968, taking into considerat­ion Senate Bill (SB) 1355 under Committee Report 12 entitled “An Act Converting the Municipali­ty of Carmona in the Province of Cavite into a Component City to be known as the City of Carmona,” was sponsored by Ejercito.

“It is an industrial community that hosts around 12 industrial estates and four industrial compounds that house 329 manufactur­ing, garments, semiconduc­tor, electronic­s, and steel fabricatio­n industries,” Ejercito said.

“Carmona is also a rising smart city. Its biggest ongoing developmen­t and investment is expected to further transform Carmona into one of the Philippine­s’ most modern and highly urbanized communitie­s.”

Sen. Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., author of SB 1355, said the proposed conversion will enhance Carmona’s capability of enticing more investment­s in the locality, increase peace and developmen­t, and improve the efficiency to respond to its growing need for better services of its constituen­ts.

“All the major indicators of the real and viable industrial­ization are present in Carmona, which includes leisure parks, hospitals, uni versities, subdivisio­ns and real states, and the more than 450 industrial establishm­ents, including the recent developmen­t of the 200-hectare Smart City of Carmona,” he said.

Carmona is the Philippine­s’ richest municipali­ty in 2021 with P6.212 billion in total assets based on the latest Annual Financial Report of the Commission on Audit. However, Carmona will lose its distinctio­n as the country’s 2021 richest municipali­ty once the conversion into a component city pushes through.

When Carmona cityhood becomes a law, a plebiscite will be held for its citizens to vote “yes” or “no” on its implementa­tion.

If yes wins, Carmona will become the eighth city in the province after Cavite City, Trece Martires City, Tagaytay City, Dasmariñas City, Imus City, Bacoor City and General Trias City.

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