The proposal of Mayor Leni Robredo for the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to hold the plebiscite on Naga City’s Highly Urbanized City (HUC) status simultaneously with the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections in November this year may gain favorable consideration from the poll body.
Robredo was recently requested to meet with Comelec national officials to discuss the proposal, a development seen by observers as a positive indication that the commission is open to studying the request.
As discussions on Naga’s HUC bid continue, political observers clarified that the city still cannot create a lone congressional district because it has yet to meet the required population threshold of 250,000. Naga currently has an estimated population of around 210,000, leaving a deficit of about 40,000 residents before it can qualify for a separate congressional district. Observers estimate that it could take at least 15 to 20 years for the city to reach the required population level.
Despite this limitation, political analyst Wiselher Mari M. Castañeda, a political science professor at Ateneo de Naga University, said Naga City’s conversion into an HUC could still bring significant opportunities and development gains.
Castañeda noted that Naga has consistently demonstrated a strong preference for leaders who uphold good governance, transparency, accountability, citizen participation, and effective public service.
For him, the success of an HUC does not solely depend on its legal classification but on the quality of leadership elected by its people.
“The political accountability of an HUC depends on the political will of the constituency and not on the HUC status itself,” Castañeda said. “What matters is how citizens vote and how informed and educated they are in choosing leaders who can genuinely improve the lives of the people.”
He also expressed confidence that Nagueños would actively participate in the forthcoming plebiscite, describing residents as progressive and development-oriented citizens who have historically supported initiatives promoting growth, innovation, and good governance.
Given this civic-minded culture, Castañeda believes Nagueños will recognize the long-term opportunities associated with HUC status and will play an active role in shaping the city’s future through the plebiscite. | via Jason B. Neola, head of the City Mayor’s Office-Public Information Division
