San Jose del Monte’s Bid for Autonomy Rejected by Bulacan Residents
Bulacan residents have rejected the move for San Jose del Monte City to gain autonomy from the provincial administration.
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) disclosed a certificate of canvass on Wednesday, November 1, revealing that 820,385 individuals voted against the transition of San Jose del Monte to a highly urbanized city (HUC).
This number surpassed the 620,707 who were in favor.
The Monday, October 30 plebiscite aimed to approve Proclamation No. 1057, an initiative from the Duterte administration to elevate San Jose del Monte from a component city to an HUC.
This marks the first time in two years that a ratification attempt has been defeated in a plebiscite.
Last year, a Comelec-conducted plebiscite proposed splitting Palawan into three distinct provinces. However, the majority voted against it.
Despite weeks of campaigning by the San Jose del Monte city administration to both its residents and those in neighboring Bulacan areas, the push to achieve HUC status was unsuccessful, facing strong opposition.
Critics believed that the city’s transition would result in increased taxes, subsequently raising the cost of living. Concerns also arose about the potential loss of scholarship grants offered by the provincial government to the city’s students if autonomy was granted.
San Jose del Monte fulfills the criteria for HUC designation. It boasts a population exceeding 600,000, three times the minimum 200,000 set by the Local Government Code of 1991.
Additionally, its 2022 net income of P141 million surpassed the required P50-million benchmark.