Sun.Star: Naga is Cebu's 9th city

CEBU CITY -- At least 13,823 voters agreed Sunday on their town’s conversion to Naga City, in a plebiscite that drew only about one-third of all registered voters. The Commission on Elections (Comelec) proclaimed the new city at 8:40 p.m. at the main entrance of the old town hall. “Naganhons are not only proud to make Naga a city, we are also one in pushing for the vision that I unveiled last year, a vision that we have begun to carry out," said Naga Mayor Valdemar Chiong. “It all starts with realizing Naga’s dream of becoming a sustainable modern city." Naga is the third addition to Cebu’s list of cities this year, following Bogo and Carcar. Including the highly urbanized cities of Cebu and Lapu-Lapu, the island now has a total of nine cities. Not everyone wanted the change. The Neighborhood Association of Poblacion, Naga, Cebu Inc. (Napnaci) distributed campaign flyers that listed 10 problems they expect if the town’s change of status pushes through. These are: rising unemployment; starvation and malnutrition; environmental degradation; lack of cleanliness and sanitation; air pollution; insufficient supply of potable water; lack of protection of the consuming public; an uncontrollable price increase of basic commodities; graft and corruption; and rising drug-related crimes. “Who are going to benefit from the city status? Would it redound to the masses?" The Napnaci flyers, though, were unsigned. By day’s end, only 789 voted “no" or less than six percent of the plebiscite’s turnout. Of the 44,643 registered voters, only 14,633 showed up, or about 33 percent. Naga officials have chosen Sept. 5 as their Charter Day. It also happens to be Mayor Chiong’s birthday. Chiong has downplayed a lawyer’s comments that the Naga Municipal Government has not studied urban planning in preparing for its change of status. He said the plan forms part of his Vision And Leadership (VAL) 2020, a plan that lists 15 targets in areas such as infrastructure, tourism and education. His priorities include a P40-million mall-type public market, the City of Naga Community College, a new public cemetery and the construction of a port at the town’s reclaimed land. Chiong and Rep. Eduardo R. Gullas (Cebu, 1st district) have offered financial aid to barangays that muster a high number of “yes" votes. Once the conversion is approved, Chiong assured all the barangays will get P200,000 to P400,000 worth of project assistance every year. Captains of Naga’s 28 barangays campaigned hard for the ratification of Republic Act 9491, the Charter of the City of Naga. Except for minor hitches, the plebiscite proceeded smoothly. Gullas and the local leaders were confident of surpassing the voters’ turnout during the neighboring Carcar City’s plebiscite. The turnout in Carcar, which became a city last July, was 29 percent or 13,483 voters. Barely three hours after voting started, about 30 percent of the voters in the Tinaan Elementary School had shown up. Tinaan, where the Cemex cement plant is located, is one of Naga’s vote-rich barangays, with 3,000 registered voters. Perhaps out of excitement, about 20 voters who signed up during the Comelec’s continuing registration last July also showed up to cast their votes. They had to be turned away, as the 4,000 new registrants of Naga were not yet included in the plebiscite. While most of the poll precincts in Naga’s public schools reported no snags, some minor complaints were noted in Barangays Tuyan and Inayagan. Estelita Doble, a resident of Sitio Tabtoy, Tuyan, sought the Comelec’s help as she could not find her name in the classroom where she voted during the May 14 polls. Doble also forgot her precinct number. The 55-year-old housewife said she was voting “yes" because the town’s change of status would improve their livelihood. Like Doble, 71-year-old Welina Andajao also could not locate her name in the precinct were she was assigned. “That’s one less `yes’ if I don’t get to vote," she said. Sun.Star Cebu learned that some of the classrooms used as poll precincts in the May 14 elections were no longer the same. - Sun.Star