MANILA – The City of Naga in Camarines Sur has been officially declared a highly urbanized city (HUC), making it the 34th city in the country to receive the classification.

In a report, it said that according to the Naga City government’s official website, the declaration followed a proclamation signed by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Wednesday.

The city government said the new status places Naga among the country’s highly urbanized cities, which are granted greater administrative independence and expanded governance powers.

Prior to the declaration, the city government had formally sought national recognition as an HUC through a resolution filed earlier this year.

The resolution stated that the classification would allow Naga to achieve “greater administrative autonomy, improved access to national resources, and enhanced capacity for urban governance and development.”

Under the Local Government Code, cities may be classified as highly urbanized if they meet specific population and income requirements set by law.