A bill converting the municipality of Bataraza into a city has been refiled by 1-Pacman Party List Rep. Michael Romero in the House of Representatives.
House Bill 334, or the Act Converting the Municipality of Bataraza in the Province of Palawan into a Component City to be known as the City of Bataraza, was filed by Romero during the opening of the 19th Congress last June 30 and was calendared for the first reading last July 27. It was referred to the Committee on Local Government, where it is now pending.
In his explanatory note, Romero said the bill has been “endorsed by the majority of the residents of its 22 barangays, government officials and employees, barangay officials, multi-sectoral groups, and civic groups.”
Palawan 2nd District Board Member Al Nashier Ibba who hails from the town thanked Romero for sponsoring the bill.
“Si Cong. Romero, bagama’t hindi siya taga-Palawan ay siya ang nanguna sa panukala. Noong nakaraang election ay nakapasyal din siya sa bayan ng Bataraza at nakita niya yung potential na pwede maging component city at handa na ang bayan. Itong panukalang ito ay hindi na bago dahil noong 18th Congress ay nauna itong naipanukala,” Ibba said.
On December 2, 2020, Palawan’s three representatives – Franz “Chickoy” Alvarez (1st District), Cyrille Abueg-Zaldivar (2nd District), and Gil P. Acosta, Jr. (3rd District) – filed House Bill 6278 for the same purpose.
Bataraza is a first-class municipality south of Palawan which was created by virtue of Republic Act No. 3425 in the year 1961.
It has a land area of 726.20 square kilometers and a population of 85,439 based on the 2020 census.
