WHEREAS, Section 452 of the Local Government Code (LGC) of 1991 provides that cities with a minimum population of two hundred thousand (200,000) inhabitants as certified by the National Statistics Office and with the latest income of at least Fifty Million Pesos (P50,000,000.00) based on 1991 constant prices, as certified by the City Treasurer, shall be classified as highly-urbanized cities.

WHEREAS, Section 453 of the LGC of 1991 also provides that it shall be the duty of the President of the Philippines to declare a city as highly-urbanized within thirty (30) days after it shall have met the minimum requirements prescribed in Section 452 of the same Code, upon proper application therefore;

WHEREAS, under the Rules and Regulations Implementing the Local Government Code of 1991, the procedure for converting a city into a highly-urbanized city is as follows:

1. Resolution - The interested city shall submit to the Office of the President of the Philippines a resolution of its Sanggunian adopted by a majority of all its members in a meeting duly called for the purpose, and approved and endorsed by the city mayor. Said resolution shall be accompanied by a certification as to income and population.
   
   
2. Declaration of Conversion - Within thirty (30) days from receipt of such resolution, the President of the Philippines shall, after verifying that the income and population requirements have been met, declare the city as highly-urbanized.
   
   
3. Plebiscite - Within one hundred twenty (120) days from the declaration of the President of the Philippines or as specified in the declaration, the COMELEC shall conduct a plebiscite in the city proposed to be converted. Such plebiscite shall be preceded by a comprehensive information campaign to be conducted by the COMELEC with the assistance of national and local government officials, media, NGOs and other interested parties.
   

WHEREAS, the Sangguniang Panlungsod of the City of Tacloban in Resolution No. 2008-10-408 dated June 6, 2008, requests the President of the Philippines to declare the City of Tacloban as a highly-urbanized city;

WHEREAS, the City of Tacloban has met the minimum requirements prescribed under Section 452 of the LGC of 1991 for a city to be classified as highly-urbanized;

WHEREAS, it is a declared policy of the government to support local governments' initiative to attain their fullest development as self-reliant communities and make them more effective partners in the attainment of national goals.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO, President of the Republic of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by law, do hereby proclaim the City of Tacloban as a highly-urbanized city, provided, however, that this proclamation shall take effect only upon ratification in a plebiscite by the qualified voters therein, as provided for in Section 453 of the Local Government Code of 1991.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the Republic of the Philippines to be affixed.

Done in the City of Manila, this 4th day of October, in the year of Our Lord, Two Thousand and Eight.


By the President:

(Sgd.) EDUARDO R. ERMITA
Executive Secretary