NATION
Naga City prepares for plebiscite for highly-urbanized status
NAGA CITY – The local government and police force of Naga City are preparing for a peaceful conduct of the plebiscite next month that will formalize its elevation into the 34th highly-urbanized city (HUC) in the country.
NAGA CITY – The local government and police force of Naga City are preparing for a peaceful conduct of the plebiscite next month that will formalize its elevation into the 34th highly-urbanized city (HUC) in the country.
Personnel from the Naga City police office will start manning its checkpoints at 12:01 a.m. on Monday, 19 October, to enforce the gun ban declared by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) over the city which will remain in effect until 28 November, which is the end of the plebiscite period, according to the poll body’s Resolution 11277.
The plebiscite itself is scheduled on 21 November while the campaign period will run from 19 October to 19 November. On 20 November, the eve of the plebiscite, campaigning will be prohibited and a liquor ban will take effect.
On Saturday, 17 October, the Naga City People’s Council gathered its member-organizations for a consultation and discussion at the Jesse M. Robredo (JMR) Museum Amphitheater on Naga City’s HUC status. At the gathering, the attendees were educated on what the change in status could mean for the city, its governance, and its people.
Investment opportunities
Last week, Robredo welcomed Philippine Economic Zone Authority officials and a group of investors ahead of the plebiscite period.
Robredo said PEZA will be establishing an office in Naga City, a decision likely prompted by the declaration of the city’s new status.
She said that the “city has been receiving a steady stream of visitors who are here to explore investment opportunities.”
“One of our visitors last week told us, there is a lot of excitement about Naga among the business and investment community,” Robredo said.
Back in 26 May 2026, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed the proclamation converting Naga from an independent component city to an HUC. It coincided with the 68th birth anniversary of former Naga City Mayor and Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo, departed husband of former Vice President and now Naga City Mayor Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo.
In January, the City Council said in a resolution that Naga City met the requirements set under Section 452 of Republic Act No. 7160 (Local Government Code of 1991) to request for the HUC status. The 2020 census conducted by the Philippine Statistics Authority revealed that Naga City has a total population of 209,170, exceeding the minimum population requirement of 200,000 for HUC classification. The city has also consistently exceeded the required income threshold, with its annual income surpassing P1 billion since 2016.
An HUC declaration is the highest classification status for local government units which grants it complete administrative and fiscal independence from the provincial government where it is geographically located. Registered voters in an HUC no longer vote for or get taxed or governed by provincial officials while the city receives its National Tax Allocation and funding shares directly from the national government. This means larger local budgets for public infrastructure, health, and social services. The city government of an HUC also holds total control over its local legislation, zoning, business regulations, and development master plans without provincial oversight.
The HUC status is also a positive signal to corporations, developers, and commercial hubs that the city possesses the economic scale and infrastructure to support large-scale investments.