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Exempting from population and land area requirements for cityhood: Sen. Francis “Tol” Tolentino, chairman of the Committee on Local Government, sponsors the committee report on Senate Bill No. 255 or the act exempting from the population and land area requirements the conversion of a municipality into a component city if it has a locally generated average annual income of at least P250 million. During the hybrid plenary session Monday, September 13, 2021, Tolentino said once passed, this measure will allow highly capable and performing municipalities and their constituents to benefit from cityhood and the impending implementation of the Mandanas ruling in 2022. “To mitigate the impact on the just share of the current cities in the national wealth, the measure likewise provides for a safeguard through a portability clause, which will allow newly converted cities to bring the respective shares as municipalities, to the allotment of cities,” Tolentino said. (Voltaire F. Domingo/Senate PRIB)