Radazas to pursue bill creating Mactan province

A bill creating a new Province of Mactan will be the first proposal filed in Congress by 28-year-old Aileen Radaza, the newly elected representative of the lone district of Lapu-Lapu City.

She said this will speed up growth in Lapu-Lapu City and create two new municipalities of Olango and Opon.

In a victory speech yesterday, the only daughter of Mayor Paz Radaza and Rep. Arturo Radaza thanked voters for her mandate and promised to fulfill her campaign promise to focus on three pillars – jobs, education and senior citizens.

She said the creation of Mactan Province “has long been thought of by my father after the successful creation of Lapu-Lapu City’s lone congressional district.”

But due to health issues – a knee operation and ongoing therapy – her father decided to focus on this proposal “plan to have me work for the creation of the Province of Mactan if I win the seat.”

She said Lapu-Lapu city must be ready for “tremendous growth” and put in place the needed infrastructure.

She cited projections for 80,000 jobs in five to ten years with the development of Mactan Newtown, a reclamation project from barangay Ibo to Mactan and the recent entry of Ayala Corp. which plans a 12-hectare project.

One district

Aileen won the 2013 election under the Lakas party with over 50 percent of the vote against two contenders.

The draft bill prepared by Congressman Radaza and his legal team is ready, she said.

As proposed, Lapu-Lapu City will revert from its status as a highly urbanized city to a component city under Republic Act No. 3134 with the amendment that it will belong to the Province of Mactan, not the Province of Cebu.

The Province of Mactan, including Lapu-Lapu city, will form one legislative district. (At present Lapu-Lapu city is a lone district.)

Under Section 7, reclamation of foreshore lands and submerged lands in its jurisdiction will be authorized only by the Province of Mactan and component city of Lapu-Lapu in line with Republic Act No. 1899 and related laws.

The Province of Mactan will comprise Lapu-Lapu city and the municipalities of Olango and Opon.

The clustered barangays Suba-basbas, Marigondon, Maribago, Bangkal, Pajac and Agus will fall under the Municipality of Opon.

Pact

The remaining clustered barangays of Pusok, Ibo, Buaya, Mactan, Punta Engano, Pajo, Poblacion, Looc, Gun-ob, Basak, Calawisan Canjulao and Babag will comprise Lapu-Lapu city.

The Municipality of Olango will made up of Olano island which has 11 barangays Talima, Sta.Rosa, San Vicente, Tungasan, Tingo, Caw-oy, Sabang, Baring, Pangan-an, Caubian and Caohagan.

In 2011, Olango barangay captains led by Caubian Barangay Captain Romeo Matbagon signed a pact to persuade Congressman Radaza to sponsor the creation of Olango town.

After studying it, Radaza said Olango qualified in terms of population, income and land area.

But no action was taken right away because he was looking into creating Mactan Province and the official 2010 national census was not yet released making it difficult to support the population figures in the study.

He said that Lapu-Lapu City alone even without the Municipality of Cordova could qualify to be a province.

Aileen, in her statement, said the creation of the Province of Mactan is designed to speed up growth of barangays especially the islands of Olango, Panagn-an, Caohagan and Caubian.

Hearing

The benefits of a province status are seen in a higher share in national taxes or the Internal Revenue Allotment, and better delivery of basic services since the seat of government , Lapu-Lapu city would be nearer to the clustered barangays, she said.

Reelected Cordova Mayor Adelino Sitoyof Cordova said he looks forward to  attend the public hearing of the bill. “Let’s see what benefits it can bring,” he said. Correspondent Norman V. Mendoza