Senate approves Carmona cityhood bill

The Senate on Monday, January 30, 2023 approved on third and final reading the bill seeking to convert the municipality of Carmona into a component city of Cavite with 19 affirmative votes, zero abstention, and no objection.

Sen. Joseph Victor "JV" Ejercito believed that the municipality of Carmona is now qualified for conversion into a component city after complying with the two criteria set by the law under Republic Act No. 11683 -- its generated annual income and the number of its population.

House Bill No. 3968, taking into consideration Senate Bill No. 1355 under Committee Report No. 12 entitled An Act Converting the Municipality of Carmona in the Province of Cavite into a Component City to be known as the City of Carmona, was sponsored by Ejercito.

"It is an industrial community that hosts 12 industrial estates and four industrial compounds that house 329 manufacturing, garments, semiconductor, electronics, and steel fabrication industries," Ejercito said.

"Carmona is also a rising smart city. Its biggest ongoing development and investment is expected to further transform Carmona into one of the most modern and highly urbanized communities in the Philippines," he added.

Sen. Ramon Bong Revilla Jr., author of SBN 1355, said the proposed conversion will enhance Carmona's capability of enticing more investments in the locality, increase peace and development, and improve the efficiency to respond to its growing need for better services of its constituents.

"All the major indicators of the real and viable industrialization are present in Carmona, which includes leisure parks, hospitals, universities, subdivisions and real states, and the more than 450 industrial establishments, including the recent development of the 200-hectare Smart City of Carmona," he said.

Carmona is the Philippines' richest municipality in 2021 with P6.212 billion total assets based on the latest Annual Financial Report of the Commission on Audit (COA). However, Carmona will lose its distinction as the country's 2021 richest municipality once the conversion into a component city pushes through.