Narra town to be city in three years, says outgoing mayor

Outgoing Narra Mayor Lucy Demaala shared in a press conference last June 6 that the provincial governor is passionate about transforming the town into a city in the next three years.

“Based on sa naging usapan namin ni Governor, very very passionate si Governor na ang Narra, this year, I say, three years from now, hindi lang kami ang magiging kapitolyo ng southern palawan, but sabi ni Governor, ‘I want narra to be a city’,” Demaala said.

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She further explained there are only three criteria for a town to become a city: population, land area and annual income, which, to her, will not be hard to attain.

In terms of land area Narra has 83,229.83 hectares with a total population of 81,179 inhabitants and P61 million Local Annual Income.

“Hindi naman po mahirap abutin ito dahil yung aming local income ay umaabot na kami sa P61 million so we’re just short [by] 39… so there is the no reason why na hindi magiging city ang bayan ng Narra,” she said.

“Being a city, tatlo lang ang criteria, population, land area, and the local income. Either of dalawa, population medyo di pa namin kaya kelangan pa magparami pa kami nang magparami, pero yung income pwede na naming abutin yung land area ay napakalaki naman talaga no 83000 hectares na ikukumpara natin sa ibang mga cities sa luzon talagang maooverwhelm ka sa laki ng ating land area,” she added.

According to Republic Act No. 7160, a municipality or a cluster of barangays may be converted into a component city if it has an average annual income, as certified by the Department of Finance, of at least Twenty million pesos (P20,000,000.00) for the last two (2) consecutive years based on 1991 constant prices, and if it has either of the following requisites:

1. contiguous territory of at least one hundred (100) square kilometers, as certified by the Lands Management Bureau; or,

2. a population of not less than one hundred fifty thousand (150,000) inhabitants, as certified by the National Statistics Office: Provided, That, the creation thereof shall not reduce the land area, population, and income of the original unit or units at the time of said creation to less than the minimum requirements prescribed herein.

Demaala also has hopes for the new administration that this will not be set aside especially the revenue of the town.

“Hopefully naman po with the advent of the new administration ay hindi ito magiging it will not be on the sideline kasi talagang kelangan nating ipatupad ang mga batas lalung-lalo na sa revenue and the market na naglalayon na mapalakas pa at mapalaki ang income ng Munisipyo ng Narra,” she said.