TACLOBAN CITY — Over a decade now since it was declared a highly-urbanized city (HUC), Tacloban City remains without its own congressional district and the newly-reelected mayor thinks it is about time that it should have a congressional representative.
Mayor Alfred Romualdez said that as an HUC, Tacloban City should already be a lone congressional district and be a part of Leyte’s first congressional district.
“We are the only HUC in the entire Philippines that has no separate congressional district,” he said. “We ceased to become part of Leyte province since we become an HUC. That is what is stipulated in the Local Government Code.”
Tacloban was proclaimed a highly-urbanized city by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on 4 October 2008 and ratified by the people on 18 December 2008.
Romualdez said once Tacloban City becomes a lone district, it will have its own congressional allocation and a separate district office of the Department of Public Works and Highways.
Tacloban City is presently part of Leyte’s first congressional district, together with the towns of Tolosa, Tanauan, Palo, Santa Fe, Alangalang, San Miguel and Babatngon with Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez as its congressman.
Mayor Romualdez said he already discussed this with his cousin Speaker Romualdez since this has to pass the congress for the enactment of a law.
Romualdez said that present Tacloban City has to contend for its share of the budget for the first district along with seven other municipalities.
He said being independent will speed up the development of the city, as what was promised when the city was about to become an HUC.
He added that aside from being independent from Leyte province, Tacloban City has its own constituency. “Ang hinahanap sa Tacloban ay trabaho, sa probinsya ang hinahanap nila ay livelihood,” he said.
Romualdez added that population-wise, Tacloban is bigger than the 70,000 of San Juan City which is a lone district. Tacloban City has a population of 251,881 based on the 2020 Census.
Mayor Romualdez was reelected for this third and last term by an overwhelming in the 12 May election against a relatively unknown candidate.