by Miriam G. Desacada
Tacloban City-Representative Richard “Goma” Gomez (4th district, Leyte) earlier this month filed House Bill 11077 creating the province of Western Leyte, which will be culled from the existing Leyte province.
The proposed Western Leyte province shall consist of cities and towns situated on the western part of Leyte Island, or of those which residents are Cebuano-speaking, distinct from those on the eastern side who are generally Waray-speaking locals.
Western Leyte, with the seat of provincial government to be in Ormoc City, shall comprise Baybay City, and the towns of Leyte, Calubian, San Isidro, Tabango, Villaba, Albuera, Isabel, Kananga, Matag-ob, Merida, Palompon, Bato, Hilongos, Hindang, Inopacan, and Matalom.
Basically, these LGUs belongs to the 3rd and 4th districts, and part of 5th district of Leyte, totaling nearly 3,000 square kilometers in area, and a population of close to a million.
The Waray-speaking LGUs to be retained for Leyte are Tacloban City, and the towns of the 1st and 2nd districts, and part of 5th district (Alangalang, Babatngon, Palo, San Miguel, Santa Fe, Tanauan, Tolosa; Barugo, Burauen, Capoocan, Carigara, Dagami, Dulag, Jaro, Julita, La Paz, MacArthur, Mayorga, Pastrana, Tabontabon, Tunga, Abuyog, Mahaplag, and Javier).
The Gomez bill also cited that, aside from cultural and linguistic distinction, the eastern and western parts of Leyte are divided by geologic structure of mountains, known as the Leyte Central Highland Range with Mount Alto between Ormoc and Jaro, and the densely forested Mt. Pangasugan between Baybay and the eastern coastal towns.
Despite the road spanning across the mountain, these geologic divides had posed challenges for the western populace of easy access to public, health, social, and economic services, the concerned agencies of which are concentrated much at Tacloban City in the eastern side.
Other considerations cited by the Gomez proposal are 1) logistical challenges in managing provincial natural resources; 2) fiscal limitations in establishing service agencies to reach both the east and west sides of Leyte; and 3) cities and towns in west of Leyte are at the edge of economic growth but will require institutional, fiscal, structural, and government reforms to do so.
Gomez stated in his bill: The creation of Western Leyte province is expected to further boost the socio-economic growth of the western side of Leyte, as well as strengthen the governance for all aspects of local government.
The Gomez bill has yet to be tackled in the committee level, and there is no other details about its course yet, to date, but the reelectionist congressman of Leyte’s 4th district (western part of Leyte) declared that he is seeking for the passage of this bill. —-Miriam G. Desacada