City Council slams cityhood of capital towns
The Sangguniang Panlungsod of Iloilo on Wednesday adapted the resolution approved by the Sangguniang Panlungsod of Sipalay, Negros Occidental strongly opposing the conversion of 32 capital towns into cities since it would reduce the Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) of the existing cities in the country.
The Sipalay resolution is a resolution interposing strong objection to the consolidated House Bills 668 and 1770 which calls "to exempt from income requirement the capital towns of provinces for conversion to cityhood status subject to certain conditions."
Under the Local Government Code, a town should have a standard P100 million annual income, must have an area of 10,000 hectares of land and 150,000 population before it could be considered a city.
Seeing a need to support such resolution and add to the list of existing cities in the country that strongly objects the cityhood of capital towns, the city council also adapted such resolution. It was Majority Floor Leader Eduardo Peñaredondo who presented the resolution.
Peñaredondo said they want the 26 congressmen in the country to hear their sentiments over the impending approval of the 32 towns' cityhood. He said it will greatly affect the IRA share of the city, cutting it down by P32 million.
The impending approval of the 32 towns into cities threatened two major projects in the city. The construction of the proposed new Iloilo City Hall Building and the ambitious sanitary landfill for the city to replace its Calajunan dump site.
The League of Cities of the Philippines (LCP) chaired by Mayor Jerry Treñas also opposes the cityhood plan. The chief executive is still in Manila working for considerations as they sought audience with Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Rolando Andaya.