Party-list group bats for Cebu autonomy

AUTONOMY for Cebu and affordable public housing are what the Alliance Advocating Autonomy Party (1AAAP) party-list will push for once it gets a congressional seat in the coming May 13 elections.

Mike Pato, the second nominee of 1AAAP party-list, said Cebu can stand on its own without financial assistance from Manila if it retains a bigger part of the income it generates.

He said from 2013 to 2017, the province of Cebu contributed not less than P500 billion to the national coffers and only got around seven percent in return in the form of infrastructure projects.

He said this is one factor why Cebu is being limited in terms of its expansion because it relies on the Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) share from the national government.

He said Cebu can support itself and can stand on its own by keeping its resources and income to itself.

Because of this seeming imbalance, Pato said they will submit a proposal to amend Article X Section 15 of the 1987 Constitution which will allow for the creation of another autonomous region aside from the autonomous region in Muslim Mindanao and in the Cordilleras.

Pato said if their advocacy will be realized, they will then focus on building affordable public housing for the informal settlers in Cebu.

“Once we gain autonomy for Cebu, we’ll have more than enough money (to use for the housing project),” explained Pato.

For Pato, it is important to give attention to the lack of housing projects in Cebu as informal settlers in the city have grown considerably. He said this can create a social problem.

“It impacts the peace and order in the community, as well as the public’s health and education,” Pato emphasized.

Pato said they are planning to conduct an information drive to gauge the public’s sentiment.

The information drive, according to Pato, is also a way for them to tell the people about the benefits of the autonomy they are advocating, and to let them understand what it is about.

“(When we can gain autonomy), it’s only two things. It is having enough financial budget and the power to decide (on our projects),” Pato said.