The idea of a divided Cebu can be traced to 1967, when a proposal to split the island's lone congressional district into a new province failed. Gubernatorial candidates in
that year's general election who supported the partition were defeated due to strong opposition from the Cebu electorate. The actual
Sugbuak began in February 2005, when Representatives Yapha, Asas-Martínez, and Kintanar filed three bills proposing that the fourth, second and third
legislative districts of Cebu (which they held, respectively) be converted into three new provinces named Cebu del Norte, Cebu del Sur and Cebu Occidental. The remaining three districts of Cebu, in addition to the two legislative districts of Cebu City, would constitute a fourth province. The three provinces, according to their respective bills, would have their capitals in
Bogo,
Argao and
Toledo. According to the congressmen, the motive for the
Sugbuak is to bring the government "closer to the people" and to allow the new provinces to get an increased share in the
Internal Revenue Allotment, as well as to hasten the development of the districts, which were said to have been "neglected" by the provincial government.
Opposition The filing of the bills triggered a massive campaign to keep Cebu united. The campaign led by Governor García claimed that the motive for the
Sugbuak was more political than economic. An article published by
The Manila Times claimed that the provinces would have become the "virtual
fiefdoms" of Asas-Martínez, Kintanar and Yapha after the partition, ==See also==