CITYHOOD OF MAASIN

CITYHOOD OF MAASIN

The cityhood of Maasin was first proposed by Congressman Roger “Oging” Mercado when
 he filed House Bill No. 10001 at the House of Representatives in 1997.  I was a Councilor at that time and we gathered the resolutions of all 70 barangays supporting the cityhood move.  Our own Sangguniang Bayan also passed our resolution of support to the said bill in Congress. 

Other requirements were satisfied.  A land area of not less than 100 sq. km. was fulfilled since the actual area of Maasin is 211.70 sq. km. as certified by the Land Management Bureau.  It also passed the requirements for government center site, market site, plaza, school site and cemetery site which shall not be less than 10,000 square meters or one hectare each.  There was enough potable water supply as certified by the Maasin Water District.  Sewerage, garbage and waste disposal sites were also available.  There were several business and commercial establishments as certified by the National Statistics Office.    

But the problem was the income of the municipality.  The present income exceeded the required P 20 million per annum.  But if it were based on 1991 price index, the income of Maasin would be short by more than one million pesos. Thus the passage of the cityhood bill was put to a standstill until the adjournment of the 10th Congress.  It was put to archive in June 1998. 

Then Congressman Aniceto Saludo became the Representative of the Lone District of Southern Leyte.  Then Mayor Damian Mercado approached Cong. Saludo to refile the said cityhood bill in Congress.  At first Mayor Mercado was reluctant to approach the new Congressman because he was the political opponent of his brother Oging.  But when they talked about the cityhood and its advantages to Maasin, the new congressman readily agreed to the sponsorship of the cityhood bill.

Cong. Saludo filed HB 7201 in the House of Representatives in the 11th Congress.  The same documents that were used during the time of Cong. Mercado were once again submitted to the House Committee on Local Governments under Congressman Romeo Candazo.  This time, the Bureau of Local Government Finance certified that Maasin had satisfied the P 20 million income requirements based on 1991 index prices.  Maasin was ready to undergo a series of congressional committee hearings.

The first committee hearing was done at the Sulu Hotel in Quezon City where all municipal officials attended the said inquiry.  We were heard together with the cityhood of Ligao, Albay which was already for the second reading and the cityhood of Sorsogon, Sorsogon which was also intended for the first reading like Maasin.

The bill passed the approval of the committee and passed the approval of the plenary on the first reading.  A public hearing was set on October 1, 1999 at the Maasin Gymnasium.  It was attended by about 10,000 Maasinhons from all walks of life. There were government employees, teachers, students, businessmen, socio-civic club members, religious organization members, and the general public.  

The hearing started with a diana early morning to announce to the people that there was such a big event in Maasin.  Then there was a motorcade around the poblacion where the guests were greeted by flag-waving residents.  

Senator Serge Osmeña III and 24 congressmen graced the occasion.  Sen. Osmeña filed a similar bill in the Senate.  Among the members of the House of Representatives who attended was Deputy Speaker Eduardo Gullas of Cebu, who traced his roots from Barangay Laboon, who was the co-author of the bill.  The other co-authors who were also present were Cong. Alex Bascug of Agusan del Sur, also a Maasinhon from Barangay San Jose and Cong. Catalina Loreto-Go of Leyte who was married to a Maasinhon.  

The hearing was presided by Cong. Candazo with Cong. Saludo the principal author.  Gov. Rosette Lerias was present together with Mayor Mercado on stage.  She was a critic of the cityhood
 but did not speak of her objection during the said hearing with thousands of people in attendance.  

Speakers from all sectors presented their stand on the cityhood.  The Southern Leyte Chamber of Commerce showed up and expressed their support on condition that taxes would not rise abruptly. There was a provision that a moratorium of five years was imposed so that taxes would not increase during that period.

The religious sector is also afraid of rising criminality and increasing prostitution if Maasin would become a city.  But they did not express their fears during the public hearing.  The Provincial Government had qualms of decreased income because real property taxes, franchise taxes and other taxes would now be collected by the city which were paid to the province before cityhood. 

All the members of the committee were overwhelmed by the magnificent show of support by Maasinhons during the hearing that they offered themselves to become co-authors of the bill.  It was the first time in the history of the Committee on Local Government that all members became co-authors of the cityhood bill.  Thus, the Committee Chairman Cong. Candazo banged the gavel for approval of the cityhood of Maasin.  Thunderous applause was heard all over the Gymnasium.  At last the second most critical phase of the cityhood process was over.    

Then the officials went back to Congress in Manila for the formal approval on the committee level.  The Maasinhons sa Metro Manila was with us during the hearing to show their support.  We already displayed the streamer “YES TO THE CITYHOOD OF MAASIN” in preparation for the plebiscite.  Finally the cityhood bill was approved in the plenary in the third and final reading.

Over at the Senate, another committee hearing was scheduled, this time at the Senate Committee on Local Government chaired by Senator Aquilino Pimentel, Jr.  It was my first experience of speaking before a senate hearing testifying the importance of cityhood for Maasin to progress.  It was then approved at the committee level.  Then it was later passed at the Senate plenary for third and final reading.

Mayor Mercado had it signed by Senate President Franklin Drilon as soon as possible.  We had to catch up its approval and ratification in time for the Maasin fiesta.  It was our target to make Maasin a full pledge city before August 15, 2000.  

Then League of Municipalities President Jinggoy Estrada, Mayor of San Juan, hand carried the bill to his father President Joseph Estrada who signed it into a law on July 11, 2000.  It became Republic Act No. 8796, the conversion of the Municipality of Maasin into a component city of the Province of Southern Leyte.                      

It was the fastest passage of a cityhood bill in the history of Congress.  In just less than a year when it was filed, its approval was signed by the President. The plebiscite was then scheduled by the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) on August 10, 2000, just five days before fiesta.

We campaigned painstakingly in all 70 barangays of Maasin, explaining to the people the importance of cityhood.  At that time issues on rising taxes and increasing criminalities were hurled by those who were against it.  Most of these people who were vocal opposition to the cityhood measure belong to the Lerias-Yñiguez camp. 

Since the first time the cityhood bill was filed in Congress, we made a media blitz on radio, newspaper and television.  Our Wednesdays, Maasin Cable TV program Aksyon Solusyon Inisyatibo focused on the advantages of Maasin becoming a city.  The day before the plebiscite, we had a motorcade joined by majority of the motorcabs, some private vehicles and our government vehicles.

We had a meting de avance at the Gym with Congressman Constantino Jaraula of Cagayan de Oro City as guest.  He explained the impact of cityhood citing the progress of CDO City.  Gov. Lerias attended the program showing her support to the cityhood movement.  Though late, we welcomed her support.    

The fiesta activities were stopped for two days, on the 9th and on the 10th to give way for the plebiscite.  All expenses were shouldered by the municipal government.  Polling precincts opened at 7:00 A.M. and closed at 3:00 P.M.    

One ballot box from of one of the precincts of Barangay Asuncion arrived very late in the evening and it caused the delay in the counting of the official tally.  The poll chairman was said to be viewing the popular television soap opera that time Rosalinda bringing home the ballot box before delivering it to the municipal hall.

The official results were tallied and the Yes votes were 19,273 for an overwhelming 92 % approval, while only 1,422 voted No for about 8 % disapproval.  The total number of votes cast was 68% of the total 33,467 voters of Maasin.

Provincial COMELEC supervisor Pastor Mendoza, chairman of the board of canvassers, formally announced the results and officially proclaimed the cityhood of Maasin at 11:25 P.M. before huge crowd at the front of the city hall.  Cheers erupted simultaneously with the fireworks display signalling that finally Maasin is now a city!

Maasin became the First City of the Philippines in the New Millennium.  Eleven municipalities later followed Maasin in the conversion to cities in 2000. They were San Jose del Monte (Bulacan), Balanga (Bataan), Munoz (Nueva Ecija), Masbate (Masbate), Sorsogon (Sorsogon), Talisay (Cebu), Bayawan (Negros Oriental), Digos (Davao del Sur), Koronadal (South Cotabato), Tacurong (Sultan Kudarat) and Bislig (Surigao del Sur).