Duke Frasco files first bill in Congress

LILOAN, Cebu—Cebu Fifth District Representative Vincent Franco “Duke” Frasco filed his first bill in Congress with a focus on education, which he described as a “top priority” in his legislative agenda.

Cebu Fifth District Representative Vincent Franco “Duke” Frasco files his first bill in Congress on July 29, 2019. PHOTO FROM Duke Frasco Liloan Facebook Account

Frasco, former mayor of Liloan town and former commissioner of the Cebu Port Authority, filed House Bill No. 3011 on July 29, 2019 which seeks to formally separate the Liloan National High School-Poblacion Annex in Barangay Poblacion from the Arcelo Memorial National High School in Barangay San Vicente.

Currently, Arcelo Memorial National High School is the mother school of Liloan National High School-Poblaction Annex.

HB 3011 is pushing for Liloan National High School-Poblaction Annex to become an independent national high school that will be known as Liloan National High School.

In his Facebook account, Duke Frasco Liloan, the congressman explained that the bill will enable the administration of Liloan National High School to gain fiscal autonomy so that it will be more “favorable to the needs of its local students.”

“This delineation will allow the independent school access to a regular source of funds, for the purpose of enhancing the delivery of basic education, and improving the quality of education it offers,” Frasco said. 

In the Facebook post, Frasco is described as a staunch advocate of education, who has “consistently supported various initiatives to benefit students of the Fifth District of Cebu by providing them access to college education through his scholarship programs.”

It also reported that during his nine-year term as mayor of Liloan town, Frasco started a scholarship program that raised P400,000 a year and benefited 48 students.

According to the post, “the amount of scholarship grants increased to over Php20,000,000.00 a year with approximately 3,500 beneficiary scholars overall throughout his term.” 

Frasco served as Liloan town mayor from 2007 to 2016.

His wife, Cristina Garcia-Frasco, succeeded him as mayor of the town in 2016.

She won her second term in the May 13, 2019 elections, while Frasco made history by defeating Ramon “Red” Durano by a margin of around 36,000 votes.

His win signifies the first time that the fifth district towns’ representative in Congress does not come from the notable clan of the Duranos of Danao City.

READ: Frasco breaks 70-year-reign of Duranos in fifth district

The fifth district is composed of the city of Danao and towns of Borbon, Carmen, Catmon, Compostela, Liloan, Pilar, Poro, San Francisco, Sogod and Tudela.