MABALACAT, Pampanga— This town, founded in 1712 and once famous for retailing PX goods in Barangay Dau from the nearby former Clark US Air Force Base, is almost sure to become Pampanga’s third city.
First district Rep. Carmelo Lazatin said yesterday his House Bill 2509 has passed third reading and was already transmitted to the Senate where it is also expected to pass smooth sailing.
The bill is titled “An Act Converting the Municipality of Mabalacat in the Province of Pampanga into a Component City to be known as Mabalacat City.”
Even the League of Cities of the Philippines (LCP) which has a pending petition before the Supreme Court against the declaration of 16 towns as cities, expressed support for the cityhood of this town.
Mabalacat would become Pampanga’s third city, after Angeles and the capital San Fernando. Only Angeles, however, is a chartered city entitled to its own representation in the Lower House; it is politically independent from the provincial government, so its residents do not vote for provincial officials.
LCP president City of San Fernando Mayor Oscar Rodriguez said that unlike the controversial ‘16 towns, Mabalacat possessed all the requirements for a city under the law.
The Local Government Code, as amended by Republic Act 9009 that took effect on June 30, 2007, provides certain requirements for cityhood, namely, having locally generated average annual income of P100 million for the last two consecutive years and contiguous territory of at least 100 square kilometers or a population of not less than 150,000 inhabitants.
Latest statistics showed Mabalacat with a population of over 200,000 and income of over P200 million in the past several years. The town also covers an area of 165.8 square kilometers.
Lazatin said he expected this town to be formally declared Mabalacat City this year.
The cityhood bid has been pushed since 10 years ago by this town’s Mayor Marino Morales who said that as a city, his town would be entitled to bigger share from the Internal Revenue Allotments (IRA) which can be used to further boost the local economy through the promotion of more livelihood projects and improvement of infrastructure.
The LCP’s motion for reconsideration against the cityhood of 16 towns has remained pending before the High Court. After a series of verdicts critics described as flip-flopping, the Supreme Court, in 7-6 votes with two abstentions, reaffirmed last April its Feb. 15 resolution upholding the constitutionality of the cityhood laws of the 16 municipalities.
The tribunal initially said their cityhood was unconstitutional in a decision promulgated on Aug. 24, 2010. But on Dec. 21, 2010, the Court reversed itself, then changed its mind again on Feb. 15, 2011.
Under question in the pending case before the High Court are the cityhood of Baybay in Leyte, Bogo in Cebu, Catbalogan in Samar, Tandag in Surigao del Sur, Lamitan in Basilan, Borongan in Samar, Tayabas in Quezon, Tabuk in Kalinga, Bayugan in Agusan del Sur, Batac in Ilocos Norte, Mati in Davao Oriental, Guihulngan in Negros Oriental, Cabadbaran in Agusan del Norte, El Salvador in Misamis Oriental, Carcar in Cebu, and Naga in Cebu.
