By Joey A. Gabieta
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 23:25:00 04/30/2008
TACLOBAN CITY, Philippines -- The National Statistics Office in Eastern Visayas backed Tacloban City’s move for reclassification into a highly urbanized city on the strength of its population and income.
NSO Leyte director Wilma Perante said the results of the August 2007 population census showed that Tacloban City has 217,199 inhabitants, more than the 200,000 minimum required by law for classification as a highly urbanized city.
The Local Government Code of 1991 also requires that a city should have an income of P50 million before it could be classified as highly urbanized. Tacloban City has an income of more than P300 million on top of its P200 million internal revenue allotment (IRA).
At present, the country has 32 highly urbanized cities.
Once declared as a highly urbanized city, Tacloban would have its own congressional district, aside from receiving a higher IRA.
The Tacloban city council has approved a resolution seeking the city's reclassification, which would be submitted to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
Meanwhile, Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez said residents could expect better delivery of basic services as well as more programs and projects if it becomes a highly urbanized city.
Romualdez also gave an assurance that the city's reclassification into a highly urbanized city would not mean increased taxes.
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