From Towns to Cities? Things to Consider before Casting Your Vote for the Conversion of Bacoor and Imus into Cities

Last April 10 and 11, Philippine President Benigno S. Aquino III signed into law Republic Act Nos. 10160 and 10161, which converted Bacoor and Imus towns, respectively, into cities.

To ratify their charters, they will conduct plebiscite votes from the residents on June 23 for Bacoor and June 30 for Imus. Majority of the residents must ratify the charter. Bacoor has a registered voting population of 256,000 while for Imus, it’s 151,720 for Imus.

Requirements to become a city	locally generated income of at least P100 million (based on constant prices in the year 2000) for the last two consecutive years, as certified by the Department of Finance (DoF)
	AND
	a population of 150,000 or more, as certified by the National Statistics Office (NSO)	OR	a contiguous territory of 100 sq. km, as certified by the Land Management Bureau, with contiguity not being a requisite for areas that are on two or more islands
	Congress is the lone legislative entity that can incorporate cities
	The last per-requisite for a municipality to become a city is a plebiscite vote from the residents where a majority must ratify the charter.

What people should keep in mind is that moving from City to Municipality is more than just a change of label. It also doesn't mean an automatic step-up from to a "cooler" status just because you now live in a city. There are important changes in the roles and function of the different branches of your local government that would affect the way you live.

Because I strongly believe in the importance of making informed decisions (and because I am a geek), the table below addresses some of the things the voters and residents of these two towns must consider before casting your votes:

Although there are other differences and changes that should  be considered, the above, I feel are some of the things people would look into the most because this is where they are directly concerned. Either from casting their votes, the laws and policies of their local governments, the taxes they pay and where those taxes should go.

Personally, even though these two towns have met the requirements specified by the law for conversion, I believe that Bacoor is more financially and politically stable to become a city than Imus. The problematic political dynamics in Imus (given the the repetitive questions in the authority of the local chief executives of late) signify its immaturity. This may make its conversion and the political structure that may arise from the its conversion more prone to abuse.

But I am just one vote and one mind hoping that others would consider what THEIR one vote would mean for them and the succeeding generations.