The Commission on Elections has approved Naga City’s request to hold the plebiscite on its conversion into a highly urbanized city alongside the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections on November 2.
Naga City Mayor Leni Robredo received the Comelec resolution approving the request during her visit to the poll body’s office in Manila on Friday, July 17.
“Iyong declaration po was May 26. Pero nag-request po kami na kung pwedeng hindi na magkaroon ng separate, isabay na lang sa barangay elections para hindi masyado magastos,” Robredo said.
“Kasi kung hindi po isasabay sa barangay elections, parang doble iyong magiging cost. Ngayon po, na-receive ko po dito iyong resolution na pumayag po iyong Comelec. Approved na po as of today (July 17, 2026),” she added.
The Comelec en banc approved the synchronization during its meeting on June 26, adopting a recommendation issued a day earlier by Deputy Executive Director for Operations Rafael Olaño.
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Robredo had written to Comelec Chairperson George Erwin Garcia on June 11 to formally request that the plebiscite be conducted simultaneously with the BSKE.
In its resolution, the Comelec approved Robredo’s request that the plebiscite for the ratification of Presidential Proclamation No. 1267 be synchronized with the November 2 elections.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. issued the proclamation declaring Naga City the country’s 34th highly urbanized city. The conversion, however, must still be ratified by the city’s residents through a plebiscite.
Under the usual timetable, the plebiscite should be conducted within 120 days of the May 26 declaration. Robredo said the November 2 schedule would fall slightly beyond the prescribed period, but Comelec granted the requested extension.
“Parang ang sense ko po, tuloy naman. Kasi siguro kasi kung hindi tuloy, baka hindi kami napayagan,” Robredo said when asked whether the approval indicated that the barangay and SK elections would push through.
“But the mere fact na pinayagan kami, kasi parang kaunti din lang naman iyong extension. Kasi iyong required po sa amin, 120 days. So a little outside of the 120-day period iyong Barangay and SK elections. So dahil pinayagan kami, I would presume na tuloy iyon sa November,” she added.
Robredo also said Comelec would provide a detailed breakdown of the expenses under the synchronized arrangement.
Although Comelec will shoulder the expenses for the barangay and SK elections, the synchronization is expected to result in additional costs.
“Basically kasi iyong barangay and SK elections, Comelec iyong gagastos. Iyong pagkaintindi ko po sa discussion ngayon, merong additional cost,” Robredo said.
“Kasi parang magpi-print ng separate na ballot para sa plebiscite. Tapos expected na dadagdag iyong city sa allowance for teachers. So ang request ko lang po na kung pwede mabigyan kami ng estimate breakdown ng gastos kasi ipapa-approve ko pa din yun sa Sangguniang Panlungsod namin,” she added.
The city government will seek the approval of the Sangguniang Panlungsod for its share of the expenses once Comelec releases the estimate.
Aside from lowering costs, Robredo said synchronizing the two electoral exercises could substantially improve participation in the plebiscite.
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“Dahil po sabay siya, tingin ko mas makakatulong sa plebiscite. Kasi parang historically, mga more than 30% lang 'pag plebiscite,” Robredo said.
“'Pag naka-stand alone siya, historically, mga more than 30% lang iyong bumuboto. Pero iyong barangay elections, 'pag tiningnan natin, historically, mga between 60 to 70%. So ang laking bagay na isasabay siya, mas marami magiging interesado to vote,” she added.
The mayor said the city government would launch an information campaign explaining the advantages of becoming a highly urbanized city before residents decide whether to ratify the conversion.
Robredo expressed confidence that the information campaign would be manageable because Naga has only 27 barangays and city officials regularly visit local communities even outside election periods.