Conversion of Cabanatuan to Highly-Urbanized City

Section 452 of the Local Government Code (LGC) of 1991 provides the minimum population and income thresholds for classification as a highly-urbanized city.
Section 453 of the LGC of 1991 directs that it shall be the duly of the President to declare a city highly-urbanized within thirty (30) days after the city meets the requirements in Section 452.
The procedure for conversion follows the Rules and Regulations Implementing the LGC of 1991, including resolution submission, presidential verification, and a plebiscite by COMELEC.
The proclamation is anchored on a government policy to support local initiatives toward fuller development as self-reliant communities and effective partners in attaining national goals.

The government policy is to support local governments’ initiatives to attain their fullest development as self-reliant communities.
The government policy is to enable local governments to become effective partners in attaining national goals.

Section 452 of the LGC of 1991 requires a city to have a minimum population of two hundred thousand (200,000) inhabitants, as certified by the National Statistics Office.
Section 452 also requires a latest income of at least Fifty Million Pesos (P 50,000,000.00) based on 1991 constant prices, as certified by the City Treasurer.
The proclamation states that the City of Cabanatuan has met the minimum requirements under Section 452.

The President declares a city as highly-urbanized after verifying that the income and population requirements have been met.
The President must act within thirty (30) days from receipt of the required resolution, consistent with Section 453 of the LGC of 1991.
The proclamation declares the City of Cabanatuan as a highly-urbanized city, subject to plebiscite ratification.

The conversion process begins when the interested city submits a resolution adopted by its Sanggunian by a majority of all its members in a duly called meeting and approved and endorsed by the city mayor.
The resolution must be submitted to the Office of the President of the Philippines and must be accompanied by a certification as to income and population.
After receipt, the President verifies the city’s compliance with the income and population requirements.
The President then issues the declaration of conversion within thirty (30) days from receipt of the resolution.

A plebiscite must be held within one hundred twenty (120) days from the President’s declaration, or within a different period as specified in the declaration.
COMELEC conducts the plebiscite in the city proposed to be converted.
The plebiscite must be preceded by a comprehensive information campaign conducted by COMELEC.
The information campaign must be conducted with the assistance of national and local government officials, media, NGOs and other interested parties.
The proclamation’s conversion takes effect only upon ratification in the plebiscite by the qualified voters therein.

The proclamation proclaims the City of Cabanatuan as a highly-urbanized city, but the legal effect is expressly conditioned on plebiscite ratification.
The proclamation is signed by the President and countersigned by the Executive Secretary, PAQUITO N. OCHOA, JR..
The proclamation is issued under the seal and authority of the Republic of the Philippines, with execution dated July 04, 2012 in Manila.