League of Cities head backs Nueva Ecija town's cityhood

BALER, Aurora ,Philippines  – The head of the League of Cities of the Philippines (LCP) has expressed support for the cityhood of the municipality of Pantabangan in Nueva Ecija.

“As long as they meet the requirements, there is no problem with us,” LCP president and San Fernando City, Pampanga Mayor Oscar Rodriguez said.

However, he said that while he favors the conversion into a city of Pantabangan, the LCP is not endorsing the move.

Under the Local Government Code, a town may be converted into a component city if it meets at least two of the three requirements – average annual income of P100 million in the last two consecutive years, population of 150,000 and contiguous territory of at least 100 square kilometers.

Pantabangan Mayor Romeo Borja Sr. and second district Rep. Joseph Gilbert Violago have both expressed their support for the conversion, saying it would bring further development to the municipality.