Question & AnswerQ&A (PROCLAMATION NO. 124)
A city must have a minimum population of Two Hundred Thousand (200,000) inhabitants as certified by the National Statistics Office and an annual income of at least Fifty Million Pesos (P50,000,000) based on 1991 constant prices, certified by the City Treasurer's Office.
The President of the Philippines has the duty to declare a city as highly-urbanized within thirty (30) days after the city has met the minimum requirements prescribed in Section 452 upon proper application.
The procedure includes: (a) submission of a resolution by the Sangguniang Panlungsod with certifications of income and population, (b) declaration of conversion by the President within thirty (30) days after verification, and (c) conduct of a plebiscite within 120 days from the President's declaration by the COMELEC.
Certification as to the city's income and population must accompany the resolution.
The proclamation takes effect only upon ratification in a plebiscite by the qualified voters of the city.
The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) conducts the plebiscite.
The plebiscite must be conducted within one hundred twenty (120) days from the declaration of the President or as specified in the declaration.
The campaign aims to inform the public about the conversion and is conducted by the COMELEC with assistance from national and local government officials, media, NGOs, and other interested parties.
The City's population was certified at 633,971 inhabitants as per the 2007 Census, and the latest annual income was Php1,238,131,681.42 inclusive of Internal Revenue Allotment for the year 2010.
It is a declared policy to support local government units' initiatives to attain their fullest development as self-reliant communities and to make them more effective partners in attaining national goals.