Pacquiao, DILG, LMP bats for new Sarangani town

A harder ‘push’ toward Malandag town's creation - From left, Mayor Reynaldo F. Constantino of Malungon, LMP chapter president and Glan town Mayor Victor James Yap and Rep. Manny Pacquiao's chief of staff Brend Evangelio converse about the latest development on the proposed creation of Brgy. Malandag as new municipality of Sarangani, following a recently held League of the Municipal Mayors in the Philippines (Sarangani Chapter) monthly gathering held in New La Union, Maitum town. The league of mayors also passed a resolution that humbly requests the honorable Sarangani Rep. Pacquiao to resolutely push in Congress, the above stated undertaking. (Isagani Palma/ Mio-MALUNGON).

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Pacquiao, DILG, LMP bats for new Sarangani town
by ISAGANI P. PALMA

GENERAL SANTOS CITY – Sarangani lone district Rep. Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao is now exerting more efforts and funding for the passage of a propose bill in Congress that will validate the separation of Brgy. Malandag from its mother Municipality of Malungon in Sarangani Province.

Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) provincial director Flor Limpin, in a recently held meeting at the congressman’s mansion here, said Pacquiao designated a task group to tuck within a very limited phase, all of required documents he (Pacquiao) needs to fast track the propose house bill in Congress in the soonest possible time.

He said included in the indoor conference that was organized through the active support of Malungon town Vice Mayor Erwin Asgapo, is likewise the formation of a separate working group that will assist the Congressman in working out for the bill, which is now under thorough evaluation by the House of the Representatives’ search and review division.

Asgapo has been working hard with the group with a say-so from Pacquiao, and direct guidance from Malungon town Mayor Reynaldo F. Constantino.

The Local Government of Malungon has initiated the creation of Brgy. Malandag into a municipality since 1995. This was first brought up during the time of the late former Vice Governor Felipe Constantino, who firstly appropriated the much needed funding for the creation of the municipality. This includes the budgetary needs for the conduct of a plebiscite.

It can be recalled that such proposition was first enacted by former Congressman Erwin L. Chiongbian until it reached the Senate Committee on Local Governance which was then under the chairmanship of the late Senator Robert Barbers, but it has remained stagnant as to this day despite of the fact that a Senate Committee hearing has been already made and have resulted positively – “in favor of its creation.”

In a brief statement, Asgapo who was seemed to be wary of being misquoted said “I just did what my mayor and the honorable congressman wanted me to do so. Nothing more - nothing less.” However he revealed that one among the priority programs of the locally tasked group is to settle the conflicted boundary lines that lay between Brgy. Malandag and the neighboring city of General Santos.

“Actually if in case of a referendum, the Congressman has even assured us a P3 million-worth budget for a plebiscite,” Asgapo added.

In June this year, the League of Mayors in the Philippines (Sarangani Chapter) also unanimously approved resolution no. 2A74, requesting for Rep. Pacquiao to fast track the creation of a new Malandag town to supplement the other seven (7) comprising municipalities of the Sarangans namely: Glan, Malapatan, Alabel, Malungon, Maasim, Kiamba and Maitum.

Mayors said the resolution that urge Pacquiao to facilitate and expedite the creation of the 11 barangays of Malungon, Sarangani Province into a Municipality of Malandag, has been emphasized in accordance with the policy of the state that a local government unit could be created, provided either by law enacted by Congress in the case of province, city, municipality, or any other political subdivision, or by ordinance passed by the Sangguniang Panlalalwigan or Sangguniang Panglungsod concerned in the case of the barangay located within its territorial jurisdiction, subject to such limitation as requirements prescribed by law.

LMP believes that the creation of the 11 barangays of Malungon Sarangani Province namely: Malandag, Datal Tampal, Altae, Alkikan, Kibala, Malabod, Blaan, Datal Batong, Datal Bila, Consolation and Nagpan into a municipality to be known as the Municipality of Malandag ,will enhance the prompt delivery of basic services to the public which is the primordial consideration of the state.

This includes the verifiable indicators of viability and projected capacity of the abovementioned barangays to provide services such as income, population and land area for its conversion into a municipality has been already fully satisfied with.

During the August-held LMP meeting in Maitum, Pacquiao’s chief of staff Brend Evangelio has likewise assured both LMP chapter president Victor James Yap and Constantino that all of needed papers and documents are now ‘intact’ for the said undertaking in Congress. (MALUNGON INFORMATION OFFICE).