By Estanislao Albano, Jr.
Note: This account of how Tabuk was converted into a city is the initial output of the research on the subject undertaken by a team composed of Sanggunian Secretary Reynaldo Delgado, City Planning and Development Officer Maricel Kiley and City Information Officer Estanislao Albano, Jr. (now retired). We publish it here in conjunction with the fourthteenth foundation day of the city on June 23.
Strangely, the successful push for the cityhood of Tabuk was the outcome of the clamor of some barangay councils in the mid-90s to divide the municipality into two or even three separate and distinct municipalities. Through Resolution No. 32, series of 1995, dated July 3, 1995, the LGU which was then headed by Mayor Rommel Diasen and Vice Mayor Marquez Sal-ao took cognizance of the aspiration. The resolution stated that the vast territory of the municipality affected efficient and effective governance and that “division would redound to speedier delivery of services and more efficient and effective governance thereby hastening the development of the area.” The resolution was addressed to Congress through then Congressman Elias Bulut. Nothing happened to the plan, however.
The plan was broached again during the first months of the administration of Mayor Basilio Wandag in 1998. Through Sangguniang Bayan Resolution No. 160, series of 1998 dated July 21, 1998, the municipal leadership acted by calling on the barangay councils “to hold free, open, informed and credible consultations with their respective barangay assemblies” to find out the true will of the people on the proposal to divide the municipality. The resolution urged the barangay councils to document the consultations through resolutions which will then be submitted to the Sangguniang Bayan for action.
There are no available records as to the output of these barangay consultations but on August 19, 1999, the Association of Barangay Councils (ABC) met to discuss the feasibility of cityhood the result of which they passed Resolution No. 3, series of 1999, requesting then Congressman Lawrence Wacnang to file a bill converting the municipality into a component city. The resolution which was signed by ABC President Ernesto Baac, Jr., Secretary Reamcy Mar Adong and the other members of the ABC alleged among others that the cityhood of Tabuk was envisioned by leaders of the old Mt. Province; that the town passes the land and income requirements for cityhood; and that the bigger financial support from the national government if it becomes a city will redound to better infrastructure support and social services for the locality.
The Sangguniang Bayan indorsed ABC Resolution No. 3, series of 1999, to Congressman Wacnang via the Sangguniang Panlalawigan through Resolution No. 224, series of 1999, adopted on August 31, 1999. The resolution expressed full agreement with the public opinion that cityhood would spur the development of the locality. The resolution was transmitted by Vice Mayor Camilo Lammawin, Jr. to the Chairman of the Committee on Local Governments of Congress on December 9, 1999.
On October 4, 1999, the League of Municipalities of the Philippines-Kalinga Chapter with Tanudan Mayor Rhustom Dagadag as president and Mayor Wandag as secretary passed Resolution No. 99-011 expressing full support for the filing of a bill.
On October 8, 1999, Congressman Wacnang filed House Bill No. 8668 seeking the conversion of Tabuk into a component city. Back home, practically, the entire officialdom of the province rallied behind the bill and the move for cityhood.
On November 16, 1999, then Governor Dominador Belac issued Memorandum Order No. 99-126 asking the Sangguniang Panlalawigan and the other Sanggunian Bayans of the province to pass resolutions supporting the bill.
In a letter dated January 7, 2000, Congressman Wacnang informed Mayor Wandag that House Bill 8668 was indorsed by the House Committee on Local Government in principle but that his office needs assistance for the facilitation of the documentary requirements. In response, Mayor Wandag issued Executive Order No. 2000-02 on January 10, 2000 creating the Secretariat for Tabuk Cityhood Movement with the following as members: Municipal Local Government Operations Officer Julio Barcellano as chairman; Patricia Abibico; Venus Lammawin, Carmelita Ayang-ang and Lady Alejandrino all of the Kalinga-Apayao State College; Municipal Assessor Jimmy Paclay; Municipal Planning and Development Coordinator Maricel Daluping; Dr. Clifford Gacuya; Sangguniang Secretary Arturo Rivera; and Engr. Jeffrey Uyam. The EO also stated that Vice Mayor Lammawin had accepted to be the Liaison Officer between the LGU and Congress and the administration of the Kalinga-Apayao State College had agreed to be a partner in the endeavour.
The issuance also organized a Support Staff as follows: Municipal Engineer Ferdinand Tubban; Municipal Budget Officer Godofredo Esperacion; Municipal Accountant Constante Doctor; Municipal Assessor Jimmy Paclay; Jinalyn Damasco for NGO; Cornelio Ewok of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources; OIC-Municipal Administrator Marjorie Yebra; and Assistant Municipal Treasurer Carina Wansi.
The movement scored an initial victory when the cityhood idea caught fire in the Kalinga-Apayao State College and become the subject of a wider public discussion.
Apart from complying with the myriad documentary requirements, as part of the groundwork for cityhood, the Wandag administration attended to the establishment of a waterworks system. The waterworks was completed during the administration of Mayor Lammawin who took over the reins of the city on June 30, 2001.
Right from the start, the move of Tabuk and the other applicant towns for cityhood run into obstacles some of which looked immovable. While they were pending during the last months of the 11th Congress, Senate Bill No. 2157 authored by Senator Aquilino Pimentel became Republic Act No. 9009 raising the financial requirement for towns applying for cityhood to P100M exclusive of the IRA. That has put conversion to a city beyond the reach of Tabuk because its local revenues was only in the vicinity of P10M. The 11th Congress adjourned without any action on the 24 cityhood bills. **(To be continued)
