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ALAMINOS CITY – Mayor Alipio Fernandez, Jr. of
Dagupan City must have foreseen the true destiny of Alaminos
in 1994 when he first convinced then mayor Leon Rivera, Jr
to follow the footsteps of his city and become the next growth
center in Northern Luzon.
Seven years later, the remarkable vision is now a complete
reality and the province's fourth city starting to reap the
gains after those years of struggle to achieve said elusive
dream of every Alaminian.
A month before the much awaited first charter anniversary
celebration here coinciding with the traditional patronal
fiesta, the city people try to look back on the years that
was. The road towards the people's quest for ultimate dream
for development and progress.
In 1996, the two chief executives met again to seal the deal.
With Rivera to agreeably consider Femandez' friendly advise
and the latter to extend his all-out support to the former's
plan in transforming the locality into a next component city.
So, in July of 1997, upon the steady prodding of his colleague
in the Pangasinan Mayor's League, Rivera convened the Municipal
Council led by then Vice Mayor now the city's first Chief
Executive, Mayor Eduardo F. Fontelera and discussed the possibility
of realizing the Cityhood dream, this early.
Gaining an overwhelming support from the Legislative Branch,
through a resolution authored by Councilor Orlando R. Go,
converting the town into a on-independent component city,
the long journey has just begun.
But like any worthy initiative, it faces an insurmountable
obstacle, challenges and circumstances.
All the needed preparations and requirements were done like
a public hearing, documentations and even got the nod of the
Provincial Board to pursue said noble goal. Yet, due to time
constraints, after submitting the documented intent of the
Local Government to the 10th Congress in Nov. 1997,
the town's bid suffered its first setback.
DAR Sec. Hernani A. Braganza, who was then the, 1st
District Representative, filed House Bill No.10275, that
unfortunately wasn't calendared for reading in January 1998,
when it was almost election period.
Thus, the officialdom now led by Mayor Eduardo F Fontelera
together with Cong. Braganza had to wait for the 11th
Congress for another year of lobbying with the Congressmen
and Senators.
At the 11th Congress, Rep. Romeo DC. Candazo was
at helm on the town's city bid, being the new Chairman on
Local Government Committee.
The town officials and Cityhood proponents wasted no time
to secure and update all the documents anew and accomplish
all the requirements upon the creation of working committee
And again earning the full backing of the Sangguniang PanIaIawigan.
Braganza, then on his second term, immediately filed House
Bill No 4898 on Oct 21 1998. Few months later, the technical
working group of Rep Candazo set, what have been perceived
as the last public hearing for the town's city dream, on Oct.
21, 2001 at Don Leopoldo Sison Auditorium.
On the said pre-judgment day, the public hearing, Rep. Candazo
with Cong. Braganza and their colleagues in the Lower House
were welcomed by a huge crowd both from the anti- and pro-
advocates of Alaminos Cityhood.
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The public hearing achieved a resounding success. There was
a showcase of a very lively democracy, where everyone was
heard to the utmost. Though quite divided in principles and
beliefs, both parties ended up on a common point that they
are all behind the move to take a bold step towards ultimate
development and progress of the town.
On Dec. 1999 finally, it passed the Lower House after the
third and final reading of the said bill. Elevating the bid
to the Senate for another round of scrutiny and meticulous
study before it will be approved for enactment into law by
the President.
While the proponents were hoping for an early victory there
came a bigger battle at the Senate, Sen. Aquilino Pimentel,
father of the Local Government Code (RA 7160) was about to
set a stiffer law on Cityhood wannabes limiting the number
of cities in a certain province and increasing the required
IRA share of the town to a whopping P100 M.
Luckily, it was intended for the future batch of applicants.
The local officialdom breathed a sigh of relief after learning
that their hopes were still alive. More so when some administration
Senators expressed their desire to support the realization
of the Cityhood dream, when they graced the town fiesta here
on March 18, 2000.
The succeeding months were remarkably good for the city bid,
with constant lobbying with the law makers paving the way
to a better Cityhood chance, despite the nearing senatorial
and local elections.
Then came an economic and political crisis hitting the country
in the last quarter of 2000, when the city bid of at least
20 municipalities, particularly Alaminos was almost forgotten
during Estrada's impeachment trial in the Senate.
But luck was on the side of the Cityhood advocates. The fall
of the two-year Estrada regime and the ascension of Gloria
M. Arroyo to the highest post in the land, turnedout to be
blessing in disguise because the charter was signed into law
by the newly installed lady chief executive after a critical
transition of power in Malacanang and after the Senate gave
the nod to each town applicant.
And on March 5, 2002 at Kalayaan Hall, the Local Government
Officials led by Mayor Eduardo F. Fontelera and Vice Mayor
Rivera, witnessed the historic ceremonial signing of RA 9025,
the. charter converting Alaminos into a component city, by
no less than Her Excellency President Gloria M. Arroyo.
Finally, the moment of truth, March 28, 2001, marked in the
history book of Alaminos, the center of "Golden West”
became the fourth city in the province, via an overwhelming
vote of affirmation in the satisfaction of said charter in
a publicite held in the 39 Barangays of the city.
Alaminos, now a new city, product of hardwork, patience and
collective and noble vision of brilliant minds in the city,
stands to gain some P130 M to P150'M internal revenue allotment
(IRA) share from the league of cities of the Philippine's
hefty budget. This July, said slice of cake, will soon be
used in the infrastructure agricultural initiatives, basic
services, social barangay and youth development programs,
environmental protection, tourism promotions on sustaining
the economic take off in the city and in achieving the ultimate
goal of raising the standard of living and uplifting the general
welfare of the Alaminians.
Source: Fiesta Souvenir Program
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