The town of Calaca, Batangas is now a city after residents voted in favor of a conversion law, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said on Sunday, paving the way for a bigger share in national taxes.
In a statement, Comelec said 29,424 of 33,205 voters agreed with Calaca’s cityhood, a 56.39% voter turnout for the plebiscite held on Sept. 3.
Calaca, about 100 kilometers south of Manila, the capital used to be a first-class municipality with a population of 87,361 as of 2020. It is home to the economic zone Phoenix Petroterminals and Industrial Park.
Calaca is the fifth city in Batangas province after Lipa, Tanauan, Santo Tomas and Batangas City.
Cities in the Philippines get a bigger share in internal revenue allotment and are generally more autonomous than municipalities. — John Victor D. Ordoñez