BULAKEÑOS thumbed down the conversion of San Jose del Monte (SJDM), Bulacan into a highly urbanized city.
The plebiscite to ratify the conversion of the City of San Jose del Monte, Bulacan into a highly urbanized city was conducted in synchrony with the October 30, 2023 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE).
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) said 820,385 voted against the conversion while 620,707 voted “yes.”
Of the total 2,092,248 registered voters in the province of Bulacan, 1,608,004 actually voted during the BSKE.
Comelec Chairman George Garcia said around 166,000 voters refused to vote for the plebiscite.
The conversion of SJDM, Bulacan to a highly urbanized city gained support from 23 Bulacan city and municipality mayors.
Under Section 452 of Republic Act 7160, or the Local Government Code of 1991, “cities with a minimum population of 200,000 inhabitants as certified by the Philippine Statistics Authority, and with the latest annual income of at least 50 million based on 1992 constant prices, as certified by the Treasurer, shall be classified as highly-urbanized cities.” (TPM/SunStar Philippines)