Fixing what’s not broken
I WAS in Mactan Island the entire day yesterday for the company outing of Radyo GMA (GMA) employees at Agus Hotel in Barangay Agus. It was an annual activity where company officers and employees together with their families relax and enjoy. The event was also very timely because everybody was so tired during our election coverage last week. Imagine, we went on the air for 48 hours for our continuous coverage. It was, indeed, a great bonding yesterday.
As I drove going here before noon, I encountered traffic problem near Gaisano Capital. What caused the traffic were abusive trisikad and tricycle drivers who just parked their vehicles along the road to wait for passengers. I don’t know if the city government bans trisikad along Maximo Patalingjug Ave., a national road. Mind you, it was a Sunday where people with cars opted to stay at home. I can just imagine if it was a working day?
Good that some of the city’s roads were already fixed. When I passed by the area a year ago for the same activity, roads were dilapidated. The road leading to Agus hotel was under repair. City officials should give attention to its infrastructure projects as the island is a known tourist destination.
*** Before congresswoman-elect Aillen Radaza opens her mouth about converting Mactan Island into a province, she should check first the requirements set in the Local Government Code on the matter. Is the island qualified to become a province based on its income, land area and population? If it is, what will be its future and its contribution in the economic growth in the entire province?
Is she pushing this just to expand their political control of the island? What is wrong with the present setup of LapuLapu as a highly urbanized city and a lone congressional district? The city is already independent. Converting it into a province will just create political problems with the mainland, with its neighboring local government units, especially Cordova.
Ok, first things first. Let’s grant that Mactan is qualified to become a province. A province is composed of several LGUs not necessarily a city or cities. Before Aillen sponsors a bill for the island’s conversion, she should sponsor first a bill creating a municipality or municipalities out from “clustered barangays.”
And is she sure that those “clustered barangays” like Olango Island are qualified to become a municipality again based on land area, population and income? She cannot sponsor those bills simultaneously. It should be one after the other. After the passage of the bill, a plebiscite will be held. But before that a thorough consultation will be conducted that will include Cebu Provincial officials.
If Mactan Island will become a province, provincial officials (a governor, vice governor and members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan) would also be elected. It would create various departments and hired more personnel. This would mean additional burden for the taxpayers. The only consolation is that it would received a bigger share of the Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) from the national government.
Will it be beneficial to the people of the island? Will it help alleviate their plight? Will it improve basic services? Not all islands converted into a province have improved, like Biliran, which used to be a sub-province of Leyte, and Guimaras Island which used to be a sub-province of Iloilo. The conversion of Dinagat Island which is controlled by the Ecleos was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.
The move of the young Radaza will only serve their interest, which is to gain political control in the island. They will be creating their own “kingdom.” A ‘gerrymandering’ move. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.