CARMONA, Cavite – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is holding a plebiscite to ratify the conversion of Carmona into a component city on Saturday, July 8. Comelec Chairman George Erwin M. Garcia personally inspected polling precincts at Carmona National High School and Carmona Elementary School. Comelec Chairman George Erwin M. Garcia inspects polling precincts during Carmona cityhood plebiscite (Carla Bauto Deña/MANILA BULLETIN)
Garcia said they do not want to predict the percentage of voter turnout for the plebiscite as many factors could affect it. However, Comelec is hoping that residents would make their vote count, especially since Carmona’s bid for cityhood has been 12 years in the making. “Ang expectation natin, sana hindi ‘yung nakatatanda lang. Sana sa mga ganitong klaseng plebisito, lalupa’t ang tinatanong ay kung gusto mong maging siyudad ang bayan, sana lalo na ‘yung mga kabataan ang magpakita nang gilas sa araw na ito sapagkat para sa kanila naman, kinabukasan nila (We expect that the voters will not only be the older ones. In plebiscites like this, especially since it is about whether you want to convert a municipality into a city, we hope that the younger voters would be active because it is for their future),” Garcia said told the media. Some senior citizens were just as eager to cast their votes. Aurea Gomez Pombo, 73, went to her polling station in a wheelchair to participate in the plebiscite. Aurea Gomez Pombo, 73 years old, participates in Carmona cityhood plebiscite (Carla Bauto Deña/MANILA BULLETIN)
“Willing siyang maging city talaga ang Carmona, ‘yun din kasing benefits para sa mga senior, kagaya po niya na may sakit po siya (She is willling for Carmona to be a city because of the benefits for senior citizens, especially for people like her who have ailments),” Pombo’s daughter, Evelyn Columnas, told the Manila Bulletin. “Tsaka para rin sa mga anak namin, sa susunod na henerasyon (It is also for our children, for the next generation),” she added. Cavite 5th District Rep. Roy M. Loyola has high hopes that many residents share the same point of view. Cavite 5th District Rep. Roy M. Loyola participates in Carmona cityhood plebiscite (Carla Bauto Deña/MANILA BULLETIN) “Ako’y naniniwala na ang sambayanang taga-Carmona ay pabor na pabor sa pagiging lungsod ng aming bayan dahil ito’y magdudulot nang mas matayog na kaunlaran, at mas malawak na serbisyo at programa (I believe that Carmona residents are very much in favor of cityhood because it will bring forth higher development and more extensive services and programs),” Cavite 5th District Rep. Roy M. Loyola said. Over the past month, the local government unit (LGU) of Carmona has implemented an information campaign to educate voters about the plebiscite. Mayor Dahlia A. Loyola participates in Carmona cityhood plebiscite (Carla Bauto Deña/MANILA BULLETIN)
“Sa pag-ikot namin nang one month, nakita namin kung paano ito tinanggap ng taong bayan, sapagkat sa pagiging siyudad, ang panalo dito, ang mamayan (When we went around over the past month, we saw that it was well-received by the residents, becoming a city is a win for them),” Mayor Dahlia A. Loyola told the media.