Naga City has taken a major step toward becoming a highly urbanized city after President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. issued a proclamation recognizing that the Camarines Sur city has met the legal requirements for the new status.
Under Proclamation No. 1267, Naga qualified as a highly urbanized city based on its population and income, two key benchmarks under the Local Government Code of 1991.
The Philippine Statistics Authority certified that Naga City has a population of 210,545, while the Department of Finance, through the Bureau of Local Government Finance, certified that the city posted an income of P298.53 million based on 1991 constant prices.
With the proclamation, Naga City is poised to become the country’s 34th highly urbanized city, marking a significant milestone for one of Bicol’s major economic, educational, religious, and governance centers.
The move stemmed from the request of the Sangguniang Panlungsod of Naga City through Resolution No. 2026-078.
However, the proclamation will take effect only if ratified by qualified voters in a plebiscite, as required under Section 453 of Republic Act No. 7160.
Highly urbanized city status gives a local government greater administrative and fiscal autonomy, subject to the approval of its residents.
Naga has long been recognized as a key urban hub in the Bicol Region and is known for its participatory governance model, public service programs, and role as a center of commerce, education, and civic life in Camarines Sur.
By authority of the President, Acting Executive Secretary Ralph G. Recto signed Proclamation No. 1267 on May 26, 2026.