Marcos declares Naga as highly urbanized city

ALBAY, Philippines – Naga City Mayor Leni Robredo announced on Wednesday, May 27, that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. had declared Naga a highly urbanized city (HUC).

“Sa aldaw kan kamundagan ni Jesse, naka-resibe kita nin marhay na bareta hali sa Malacañang na pinirmahan na ni PBBM si proclamation na an Naga sarong highly urbanized city na…. Mabalos na maray sa gabos na nagtarabang para makamtan ta ang status na ini,” Robredo said in her post.

(On Jesse’s birthday, we received good news from Malacañang that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has signed the proclamation declaring Naga as a highly urbanized city…. Thank you very much to everyone who helped us achieve this status.)

The proclamation comes after the Naga City Council passed Resolution No. 2026-078 last January 27, requesting the Office of the President to declare Naga City an HUC. Naga is the 34th city in the Philippines to be recognized with an HUC status, signaling its sustained economic growth and institutional development.

An HUC status is the highest city classification in the Philippines, requiring a minimum annual income of P50 million and a population of at least 200,000. Naga is the first city in the Bicol region to achieve HUC status.

Naga’s HUC status will also grant the city complete independence from the provincial government of Camarines Sur, allowing it to receive its tax allotment directly from the national government. Under the Local Government Code of 1991, Naga will be administratively severed from the province, and its residents will no longer vote for provincial candidates during elections.

Section 452 of the Local Government Code states: “Qualified voters of highly urbanized cities shall remain excluded from voting for elective provincial officials. Unless otherwise provided in the Constitution or this Code, qualified voters of independent component cities shall be governed by their respective charters, as amended, on the participation of voters in provincial elections.”

Following the presidential proclamation, the Commission on Elections is mandated to issue a resolution to conduct a plebiscite, allowing residents to decide on the city’s new status.

Under Article X, Section 10 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution and Section 453 of the Local Government Code of 1991, “no local government unit can be created, divided, merged, abolished, or have its boundary substantially altered without being ratified by a majority of votes cast in a plebiscite.”

Honoring Jesse

During the ceremony, Naga City Vice Mayor Gabriel Bordado Jr. honored the legacy of participatory and good governance left by Jesse Robredo, who served as Naga’s mayor for six terms for over 19 years. Jesse was later appointed secretary of the Department of the Interior and Local Government during the Aquino administration, a post he held until his tragic death in a plane crash off Masbate on August 18, 2012.

“Alagad ang ginibo ni Mayor Jesse Robredo tano dae ta siya malingawan, tano dapat pirmi ta siya marumduman…. Siya po an naglaog kan City of Naga sa mapa kan mga tultol na gobyerno bako lamang po digdi oh sa Pilipinas kundi sa buong Asya,” Bordado said.

(But as for what Mayor Jesse Robredo did, why can’t we forget him, why must we always remember him…. He was the one who put the City of Naga on the map of good governance, not just here in the Philippines, but in the whole of Asia.)

Leni expressed her deep gratitude to everyone who continues to honor her late husband, even 14 years after his passing. (READ: Leni Robredo remembers: The day Jesse died)

“Kami po na bilog na pamilya pirmi po kami nagpapasalamat na dawa sa halawig na panahon, 14 years this year, pirmi man guiraray nakakguirumdom an kadaklan bako lang during his birthday pati during his death anniversary. Sa kasibutan kan satuyang buhay, dakulang bagaya para samuya kan mga aki, kan mga tugang ni Jes, na pwera samuya, pinapamati man guiraray kan gabos ang saindang pagpadangat  kay Jes,” Leni said in her speech. 

(Our entire family is always deeply grateful that even after a long time — 14 years this year — so many people still remember him, not only on his birthday but also on his death anniversary. In the midst of our busy lives, it means so much to me, our children, and Jesse’s siblings that everyone continues to make us feel their love for him.)

She shared that remembering her husband’s lessons serves as her compass when navigating difficult situations and making tough decisions for the welfare of the people.

“Si mga leksyon na naadalan ko ki Jes, mati ko man po ito puon kan mag congressman ako hanggang kan nag vice president ako, pero pirmi ko naguguiromduman su mga pigsabi niya sakuya ngunyan na mayor na ako…. Su mga naguguirumduman ko na tgtataram niya dati iyo man an naggigiya sa mga desisyon ko,” Leni added.

(I have felt the impact of the lessons I learned from Jesse from the time I became a congresswoman until I was vice president, but I find myself constantly remembering his advice now that I am a mayor…. The things I remember him saying in the past are the exact things guiding my decisions today.) – Rappler.com