SPLIT. Vice Governor Edgar Denosta presides over a session of the Antique Provincial Board during their regular session on Thursday (Sept. 22, 2022). Denosta said on Friday (Sept. 23) he is optimistic about the division of Antique into two legislative districts. (PNA photo by Annabel Consuelo J. Petinglay)
SAN JOSE DE BUENAVISTA, Antique – Vice Governor Edgar Denosta has expressed optimism that the division of Antique into two legislative districts will hasten the development of the province.
In an interview Friday, Denosta, author of two previous resolutions and currently one of the members of the provincial board en banc pushing for the division of the province, said he is confident their proposal could finally be realized.
“I was the author of the first resolution for the division of Antique in 2016 and then I again passed another resolution with the same tenor in 2019,” he said.
He added that the first resolution approved by the provincial board was submitted to the Office of then Antique Representative Paolo Everardo Javier while the second resolution was submitted to former Antique congresswoman and now Senate President Pro-Tempore Loren Legarda.
The two resolutions, however, were eclipsed by more pressing concerns and the onset of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).
“On this third resolution, I have high hopes because we have sought the help of Senator Legarda, incumbent Congressman Antonio Agapito “AA” Legarda, Coop-NATCCO Partylist Representative Felimon Espares, who is also from Antique, to help us in this move,” he said.
He said Espares has agreed to help in the drafting of the bill.
Meanwhile, Liga ng mga Barangay president Pamela Socorro Azucena said they have an ongoing signature campaign requesting the help of Rep. Legarda.
“We started the signature campaign last August,” she said, adding they would know the number of barangay chairpersons who have signed in their next Liga meeting, the first week of October.
The province of Antique has 590 barangays.
“I am fully supportive of the division of Antique into two districts considering that our province will have two congressmen, one for the southern part and the other for the north,” she said.
Azucena added that both solons should work hard to bring in more projects for the province. (PNA)
