Malay, a first-class municipality in Aklan province and home to the world-famous Boracay Island, is vying for a cityhood status.
A bill that seeks to convert Malay into a component city hurdled the committee level in the House of Representatives.
House Bill 4415, or the Cityhood Bill, was filed by Aklan Second District Rep.Florencio “Joeben” Miraflores.
According to Miraflores, Malay has met all conditions specified in Republic Act (RA) 11683, a law that provides the requirements for the conversion of a municipality into a component city.
The conversion, he said, “is not only consistent with statutory requisites but also necessary to strengthen governance in a municipality of national and global significance.”
Once the bill becomes a law, the converted town will be officially called the “City of Malay Boracay.”
“Cityhood for Malay will enhance its fiscal autonomy by having city-level access to expanded National Tax Allotments (NTAs), as well as improving governance capacity by equipping Malay with stronger and modern political structure to handle the challenges of rapid urbanization, mass tourism, and environmental protection,” said Miraflores.
“Cityhood will also contribute to Malay’s push for sustainability by ensuring Boracay and adjacent ecosystems are managed through well-funded programs, balancing tourism and ecological preservation,” he further said.
The lawmaker also expects the conversion to “promote equitable growth by extending the benefits of tourism-led prosperity to its component barangays, fostering inclusive development across Malay.”
The bill will forwarded to the House plenary for sponsorship, debate and amendment.IMT
