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Friday, March 29, 2024

‘Zambo Hermosa’ province proposed

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ZAMBOANGA CITY—The creation of a new Zamboanga Peninsula province in Region 9, carved out from 98 barangays of this highly urbanized city, has been proposed by a group of concerned non-government organization leaders and top officials of rural and suburban villages here.

NGO officer Rizaldy C. Montebon, a professor and former journalist, said the new province—to be known as Zamboanga Hermosa—will add to the region’s three existing provinces of Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga Sibugay and Zamboanga del Norte.

Montebon said due to its booming population—currently close to one million—and its huge 1,500-square kilometer land area, Zamboanga now needs more local executives by converting the seven progressive villages of Vitali, Sangali, Culianan, Landang Gua, Ayala, Talisayan and Labuan into separate municipalities to initially compose the new province.

He said Zamboanga will remain as a highly-urbanized city made up of the 26 urban and semi-urban barangays of Baliwasan, Sta. Barbara, Sta. Maria, San Jose, Boalan, Talon-Talon, Sta. Catalina, Mampang, San Ramon, San Roque, Baliwasan Grande, Putik, Divisoria, Arena Blanco, Mariki, Lustre, Lower Calarian, Taluksangay, Upper Calarian, Sinunuc, Recodo, Guiwan, Sta. Cruz, Suterville, Kasanyangan and Maasin.

Montebon claimed that with Zamboanga having nearly 100 barangays, its lone city executive—incumbent Mayor Maria Isabelle “Beng” Climaco-Salazar—“has been observed having difficulty in effectively and efficiently addressing rural governance.”

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This could be readily remedied by the birth of a new province, led by a governor and assisted by new town mayors “who could later pursue necessary local governance measures, especially maintenance of peace and order, the city’s major problem,” Montebon added.

He cited the conversion over four decades ago of Basilan City, then led by Mayor Leroy Brown, initially into a six-town province, which now boasts of two progressive cities, Isabela and Lamitan, and 13 fast-growing municipalities.

The creation of Zamboanga Hermosa, Montebon stressed, “would certainly hasten the socio-economic growth and development of the city’s neglected countryside, including its several island barangays, thus benefitting thousands of villagers who often seldom, if ever, receive basic social services from the city government.”

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