Cutting corners

Published by the Visayan Daily Star Publications, Inc.

NINFA R. LEONARDIA Editor-in-Chief & President

CARLA P. GOMEZ Editor GUILLERMO TEJIDA III Desk Editor NANETTE L. GUADALQUIVER Busines Editor CEDELF P. TUPAS Sports Editor (On Leave) RENE GENOVE Bureau Chief, Dumaguete MAJA P. DELY Advertising Coordinator

CARLOS ANTONIO L. LEONARDIA Administrative Officer

Philippine cities are protesting the creation of 16 new cities by Congress because of the resulting cuts in this year's Internal Revenue Allotments, which is the share of provinces, cities, municipalities, and barangays from national tax collections. In Negros Occidental alone, which has 13 cities who made it to cityhood the old fashioned way, which, by law, meant being able to generate an annual income of P100 million, a population of 150,000, and having 100 square kilometers of land area; the haphazard addition of new cities will mean close to P500 million in IRA cuts.

While it may be well meaning, House Bill 24, which seeks to amend Republic Act No. 9009, or the Local Government Code, by exempting capital towns from the income requirement for city hood as well as lowering the annual income requirement of P100 million; taking the easy route of converting towns into cities with the flick of a magic wand, ostensibly to spur development and progress in those areas, does not speak well of the thought process involved in the creation of this controversial law.

Aside from negatively affecting the ability of existing (and deserving) cities of their financial capacity to undertake projects and deliver essential services, HB24 cheapens the status of cityhood by doing away with the requirements for such. Why do lawmakers have to resort to lowering the standards for becoming a city when they can craft laws that can actually help the towns without granting them something that they do not yet deserve? They can increase the IRA for towns, or give them access to special funds or projects, help those towns to become bonafide cities according to the demands of the law instead of helping them cut corners by changing the law.

When we see our Representatives in Congress take the lead in bending the law to make things easier for those who are simply not qualified instead of providing them with the right tools to become eligible, it is no wonder so many Filipinos are still fond of cutting corners, cutting the line, or finding a padrino, a fixer, or someone on the inside to help make things easier for them when they apply for licenses, permits, jobs, or even cityhood.*