MANDAUE City Mayor Jonas Cortes sees opportunities in the idea of creating Mactan province.
Cortes said that if Mactan island will be carved out from Cebu province, it will open opportunities to Mandaue City becoming a lone congressional district instead of being lumped with Cordova town in Mactan island and Consolacion town in the north in the currest 6th district.
In fact, he said, Consolacion will also be given a chance to also grow on its own with Liloan town..
Newly elected Lapu-Lapu City Rep. Aileen Radaza had earlier said that the first legislative measure she will file when the 16th Congress convenes on June 30 will be the bill creating the Province of Mactan.
Cordova Mayor Adelino Sitoy also welcomed this proposal.
Cortes said that since 1992, Mandaue City has already qualified to have its own congressional district but nobody pursued it in congress.
He is now enjoining reelected 6th district Rep. Luis Gabriel Quisumbing to pursue this move in the 16th Congress.
If Mandaue will have its own representative in congress, it will have additional funds for project through the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF). Cebu province as a whole will also benefit, he added, as there will be additional representatives from the province in Congress.
“The more representation the better. I think our congressmen here in Cebu province should also consider this. I have nothing against the proposal to create the province of Lapu-Lapu or Mactan province,” Cortes said.
Should this happen, he is suggesting the reconstitution of the 6th district composed of Consolacion and Liloan towns. Liloan currently is part of the 5th district.
The fifth district is composed of Danao City, the towns of Liloan, Borbon, Carmen, Catmon, Compostela Borbon, Sogod, and Camotes Island towns of Pilar, Poro, San Francisco and Tudela.