Press Release
February 2, 2012

BACOOR, IMUS: A STEP CLOSER TO CITYHOOD

After years of waiting, the municipalities of Bacoor and Imus in Cavite Province are only a step away into its cityhood after the Bicameral Conference Committee approved the legislative proposals for its conversion into a component city.

During its meeting held last Wednesday (February 1) at the Hotel Sofitel Philippine Plaza, the Bicameral Conference Committee on the cityhood of Bacoor and Imus, jointly chaired by Senator Ferdinand "Bong Bong" Marcos, Jr. and Negros Oriental 2nd District Rep. George Arnaiz, passed the related bills filed in the Senate and House of Representatives with the adoption of all proposed amendments. Among the amendments accepted by the committee for the cityhood of Bacoor is the deletion of assistant positions to the Officials of the City such as assistant city treasurer, assistant city assessor and assistant city health officer.

Senator Ramon Bong Revilla, Jr. expressed elation to the smooth approval of the cityhood of Bacoor and Imus in the Bicameral Conference Committee. "Ang ganap na maipasa ang panukala na maging lungsod ang Bacoor ay isang karangalan para sa akin, hindi lang bilang Senador, kundi bilang isang mamamayan. Ganoon din sa pagiging lungsod ng Imus, dahil ako ay tubong-Imus, at lumaki naman sa Bacoor," author of Senate version of the bill aimed to convert Bacoor into a component city to be known as City of Bacoor .

The Bicameral Conference Committee will set the presentation of the consolidated cityhood bills to the Plenary. As soon as it becomes a law, a plebiscite will be conducted in Bacoor and Imus upon the ratification of its creation into component cities by a majority of the votes casts by the qualified voters.

Bong Revilla stressed that both municipalities deserve conversion into a component city because it had met the necessary requirements under the Local Government Code, particularly income wise. "In 1997 and 2000, Bacoor registered the highest average family income in the entire Cavite Province . Bilang first class municipality, ang kinikita ng Bacoor ay katumbas na ng kinikita ng ilang lungsod sa Metro Manila . Ang Imus naman, first class municipality na rin ito mula pa noong 1986, at lagpas na rin sa P100 million ang kinikita nito na isa sa mga kuwalipikasyon para maging component city."

Under Republic Act 9009, the law that amended Republic Act 7160 or the Local Government Code of 1991, 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 (DOF), of at least One hundred million pesos (P100,000,000.00) for the last two (2) consecutive years based on 2000 constant prices, and any of the two requisites: a) Contiguous territory of at least one hundred (100) square kilometers, as certified by the Land Management Bureau (LMB). b) Population of not less than one hundred fifty thousand (150,000) inhabitants, as certified by the National Statistics Office (NSO).

"In the 2007 Census of Population, Bacoor already registered a population of 441,197, making it the most populous municipality in the country; more than enough to meet the population requirement set by our law. Imus also has a NSO- certified population of not less than one hundred fifty thousand . So, I do not see any hindrance for its cityhood," Bong Revilla added.

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