Garcia’s bill to split 2nd district of Cebu advances

THE bill proposing to divide Cebu’s 2nd district into two will be approved before the year ends, Rep. Pablo Garcia said yesterday.

Garcia, who represents the 2nd district, said House Bill 3865 was approved in the Lower House with the House committee on local government set to submit its report to the Senate.

The bill filed in 2008 seeks to divide the province’s largest congressional district, which consists of 15 towns. If approved, the towns of Argao, Dalaguete, Alcoy, Boljoon, Oslob, Santander and Samboan will remain in the 2nd  district.

The towns of Ginatilan, Malabuyoc, Alegria, Badian, Moalboal, Alcantara, Ronda and Dumanjug will be delegated to the 7th district.

Each district is entitled to about  P70 million in pork barrel funds under the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) of each congressman.

Garcia said it was “unfair” to have  the  PDAF spent for projects in a very large district while other congressmen have districts with fewer localities.

The P70 million is divided into “hard” projects or infrastructure worth P40 million while P30 million can be identified for “soft” projects like  social services.

Cebu’s 2nd district in the southern part of the province occupies almost one-third of the island’s total land area and has 284 barangays, the longest coastline and longest span of national roads.

The bill was filed following a deadlock among Cebu lawmakers on how to rearrange the province’s districts. Correspondent Carmel Loise Matus