Noli to Pursue New Province Bid for Partido

Cong. Arnulfo “Noli” Fuentebella of the 4th District of Camarines Sur will submit the bill seeking the creation of Partido Area as a distinct province when congress resumes regular sessions in May.

According to the influential solon, the 4th District that include 10 municipalities now meets the requirements for creating a separate province --- area, population and  100M income for the past two consecutive years.

In its present composition, the 4th legislative district of Camarines Sur includes the towns of Caramoan , Garchitorena , Goa , Lagonoy , Presentacion , Sagñay , San Jose , Siruma , Tigaon  and Tinambac. The proposed new province shall be named Camarines Oriental.

Fuentebella's move is the first serious effort towards what many thought was a long-shot proposition and it is likely to run into controversies and stiff oppositions.  In an initial indication of what the campaign may be going into, Camarines Sur Governor L-Ray  Villafuerte sounded off his resistance to the creation of a province within the province, arguing primarily that Camarines Sur is in the development process. “It should not be halted by this political caprice,” he said.

Early last month, Buhi mayor Rey Lacoste, president of the 35-member League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP) Cam. Sur chapter, called the creation of a new province in Camarines Sur "unpopular" and "detrimental."