Seat of Rizal provincial govt to be relocated from Pasig to Antipolo City

MANILA, Philippines - Rizal Governor Casimiro “Jun" Ynares III announced Friday the transfer of the seat of the Rizal provincial government from Pasig to Antipolo City in March. The people of Rizal have complained that the capitol is inappropriately located outside the territorial jurisdiction of the province. But Ynares said that the transfer of the provincial operations, which is scheduled on March 4, would erase the stigma dating back in 1975. This was also the year when Metro Manila, which is composed of 12 revenue generating towns, was officially formed. “The half-a-century old Provincial Capitol has been located outside the province’s jurisdiction since 1975 when Metro Manila was formally constituted. Rizal province now consists of a cluster of eastern towns separate and distinct from Metro Manila by virtue of Republic Act 7829," Ynares explained. Ynares said the new three-story capitol building, which is located on a three-hectare site beside the Ynares Center Complex in Antipolo City, is his response to growing clamors among his constituents to locate the center of the provincial government within the province’s territorial jurisdiction. “Now the center of the province’s power is much nearer to its people," Ynares said. “The new 8,200-square meter capitol building marks the end to decades of question as to why the seat of the Rizal provincial government continued to be in Pasig City which has long been outside the province’s territory," he added. The National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) had also earlier called the attention of the Rizal provincial government regarding the provision of the Local Government Code, which mandates that the seat of government must be within the province’s capital town or city. In line with this, Ynares advised the public to watch out for the official opening of the new capitol so that parties with transaction with the provincial government could avoid the unnecessary inconveniences. “Right now, the operations at the present capitol site is on winding down mode," he said. - GMANews.TV