SEVEN to nine Cebuano legislators signed a bill creating the Mega Cebu Development Authority (MCDA).
Rep. Raul del Mar of Cebu City’s north district said the proposed legislation will be known as House Bill 6627 or the MCDA Act of 2015.
“We got the draft last Oct. 9, the last day of session, discussed it and went over it quickly,” he said during the Mega Cebu convergence of leaders at the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc.-Eduardo Aboitiz Development Studies Center (RAFI-EADSC) yesterday.
Del Mar said the bill was filed on the same day that they received a copy from the Mega Cebu Development and Coordinating Board (MCDCB).
The signatories were representatives Rodrigo Abellanosa of Cebu City’s south district, Gerald Anthony Gullas (1st district), Wilfredo Caminero (2nd district), Gwendolyn Garcia (3rd district),
Benhur Salimbangon (4th district), Luigi Quisumbing (6th district), and del Mar.
Committee level
Reps. Ace Durano of Cebu’s 5th district and Aileen Radaza of the lone district of Lapu-Lapu were not present during the last day and, thus, were unable to sign the proposed bill.
Del Mar said the two have signified their intention to support and sign the proposed bill.
He said Congress will be on break until Nov. 3, but he hopes the bill can be referred to the appropriate committee after first reading once session resumes.
“If all congressmen will support this, we can get this approved right away with just a month at the committee level,” he said.
Congress will once again adjourn on Dec. 19 and resume on Jan. 19 next year.
The proposed bill was drafted by the MCDCB, chaired by Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III.
The proposal will task the development authority to render services that have metropolitan-wide impact and transcend local political boundaries.
These include, but are not limited to, integrated development planning, transport and traffic management, solid waste disposal and management system, water supply, sewerage and storm water management, and disaster risk reduction and management.
In 2001, Rep. del Mar in the House and Sen. Serge Osmeña in the Senate first proposed the creation of the agency.
In yesterday’s meeting, del Mar said he wanted all Cebuano legislators to sign the bill.
The board decided to call the agency Mega Cebu Development Authority (MCDA), in line with the Mega Cebu initiative.
Mega Cebu is a consortium of private sector and government stakeholders that envisions sustained urban growth in Metro Cebu up to 2050.