Polomolok in South Cotabato to seek cityhood

GENERAL SANTOS CITY (PNA) – The municipal government of Polomolok in South Cotabato has created a technical working group (TWG) that will spearhead initiatives in line with its proposed conversion into a city.

Polomolok Mayor Honey Lumayag-Matti said Friday the move will coordinate and fast track efforts of the municipality to become the province’s second component city.

She said the TWG, which was created under Executive Order No. 2, will specifically lead studies and the gathering of necessary documents to support their cityhood bid.

It was also tasked to keep track of developments on House Bill (HB) 1218 or the proposed “Act converting the municipality of Polomolok in the Province of South Cotabato into a component city to be known as the City of Polomolok.”

HB 1218, which was authored by South Cotabato 1st District Rep. Pedro Acharon Jr., was filed on July 5, 2016 and was referred by the House committee on rules on August 1 to the committee on local government.

The House local government committee is chaired by Acharon.

Matti noted that the municipality has long been qualified to become city based on the amended provisions of Section 450 of Republic Act 7160 or the Local Government Code of 1991.

It provided that a “municipality or a cluster of barangays may be converted into a component city if it has a locally generated average annual income, as certified by the Department of Finance, of at least 1100 million for the last two consecutive years based on 2000 constant prices.”

The mayor said that Polomolok, which is classified as a first class municipality, has surpassed these requirements as it generated a total income of 1327.1 million in 2014 and 1368.8 million in 2015.

She said the town is consistently among the top performers in terms of revenue generation in the province and in Region 12.

In 2016, she said Polomolok ranked ninth overall in the entire country in the competitiveness survey for municipalities based on economic dynamism, government efficiency and infrastructures indicators.

The town hosts the pineapple plantations and canning plant of fruit giant Dole Philippines, Inc. as well as several other industries and major agribusiness ventures.

Based on the 2015 census, Polomolok’s population already reached 152,589, surpassing the 150,000 requirement. (PNA)