Former Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III on Friday, February 21, took credit for converting four Negros Occidental local government units into cities, saying the move boosted their internal revenue allotments (IRA) and improved services in health and education.
Speaking at the Alyansa sa Bagong Pilipinas campaign rally in Victorias City, Sotto said he authored the cityhood measures for Talisay, Kabankalan, Sagay, and Victorias.
He said the city conversions gave local governments more funding and enabled them to expand social services.
He also highlighted his legislative accomplishments, saying he created the calamity fund, family courts, Bayanihan 1 and 2, and the Mental Health Law.
Despite these, he clarified, “Hindi ako naniningil, nagpapaalala lang.”
Sotto urged the coalition’s complete slate to launch more initiatives, particularly to support farmers and fisherfolk.
He proposed that the government buy 50% of farmers’ produce at fair market prices to sustain agriculture and stabilize rural economies.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. endorses the coalition, despite long-standing issues that his family and allies nearly crippled the sugar industry in the 1980s, triggering famine and widespread job losses in Negros.*
Reymund Titong is a Filipino journalist steadily building his voice in the field of news reporting, driven by a commitment to tell meaningful and relevant stories.
He serves as a correspondent for Rappler, maintains a personal blog on Medium, and is the communications officer of Hope Builders Organization Negros Island.