By Jojo Lamaria
LA TRINIDAD, Benguet, June 19 (PNA) -– La Trinidad Mayor Edna Tabanda will support the call for cityhood and even rally for support from adjacent municipalities.
In an interview today, June 19, Tabanda said the proposal for cityhood is a welcome move and will be backed by the municipal officials. She also said there is no harm in trying to apply for cityhood.
Tabanda added that a coalition may be forged with capital towns to help lobby for the conversion.
Dialogues with the municipalities of Tublay, Sablan and Itogon may once again be called to settle boundary disputes with La Trinidad and possibly add to the needed land area as required for cityhood.
Tabanda expressed her support after Benguet Representative Ronald Cosalan bared plans to achieve cityhood of this capital town last Monday during the opening ceremony of the 64th La Trinidad Foundation Day.
Cosalan said plans are being drawn for La Trinidad to be established as a full pledged city in the province with only one more requirement to complete – the provision on land area.
He enumerated the requirements of Congress that a municipality must generate an annual income of Php100 million in the last two consecutive years, with a certification from the Department of Finance (DoF).
A municipality also must have total population of at least 150,000 as certified by the National Statistics Office (NSO); and land area of at least 100 square kilometers as certified by the Land Management Bureau (LMB).
Cosalan said two of the requirements have been met and that they hope to get an exemption for the third requirement.
He said the Lower House may consider the fact that La Trinidad serves as a capital town of the province.
Records will prove that La Trinidad has a 5.5 percent growth rate and will hit the 150,000 population mark in no time, he said.
Other requirements for a cityhood status include a municipal resolution requesting for the conversion.
Cosalan is anticipating opposition to the plan because the Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) will decrease as soon as the municipality is converted into a city. (PNA)