The upgrading of certain local government units (LGUs) in Negros Occidental will take effect in January 2025.
Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson expressed that the upgrades reflect the commitment of the chief executives of the respective localities. “We should take notice of the upgrades, although not all are 1st class, as some LGUs have gone one grade higher,” Lacson stated.
According to the new classification by the Department of Finance, which complies with Republic Act No. 11964, or the Automatic Income Classification of Local Government Units Act, three cities and five municipalities in Negros Occidental have now been classified as 1st class. The cities of Bago, Cadiz, and San Carlos are now classified as 1st class cities. The newly upgraded 1st class municipalities include E.B. Magalona, Isabela, Manapla, Pontevedra, and Ilog.
Meanwhile, the cities of Himamaylan and Sagay are now 2nd class cities, while Escalante, Sipalay, and Talisay have been reclassified as 3rd class cities.
Among the municipalities, Moises Padilla, Toboso, and Valladolid are now classified as 2nd class, while Candoni and Don Salvador Benedicto are 3rd class municipalities.
Under RA 11964, municipalities are classified into five categories based on their income levels, determined by the average annual regular income for the three fiscal years preceding a general income reclassification. The classifications are as follows: first class municipalities are those with an annual average income of P200,000,000 or more, second class municipalities earn between P160,000,000 and P199,999,999 annually, third class municipalities earn between P130,000,000 and P159,999,999 annually, fourth class municipalities earn between P90,000,000 and P129,999,999 annually, and fifth class municipalities have an annual income of less than P90,000,000.
The new classifications will take effect in January 2025. (TDE)