Seventeen new cities and two new barangays were added in the Philippine Standard Geographic Code masterlist during the last quarter of 2009. In summary, the following are the changes in the PSGC masterlist for the 4th Quarter 2009:

I. Conversion of the Municipality of Dasmariñas in the Province of Cavite in Region IV-A (CALABARZON) into a Component City pursuant to Republic Act No. 9723 and which was ratified through a plebiscite conducted by the COMELEC on November 25, 2009.

II. On December 21, 2009, the Supreme Court, with a majority vote of 6 to 4, reversed and set aside its November 18, 2008 decision and declared as constitutional the cityhood laws converting the 16 municipalities to cities. This ruling was a reversal of the earlier decision of the Supreme Court that turned them back to municipalities under Entry of Judgment of General Record (G.R.) Nos. 176951 and 177499 which became final and executory on May 21, 2009 as stated in COMELEC Memorandum dated June 3, 2009. The 16 new cities are as follows:

Note: Change from municipality status into a city will not affect and will retain the present municipality code.

The exemption accorded the 16 municipalities is based on the fact that each had pending cityhood bills long before the enactment of RA 9009 that substantially distinguished them from other municipalities aiming for cityhood.  On top of this, each of the 16 municipalities also met the PhP 20 million income level exacted under the original provisions of Sec. 450 of the 1991 Local Government Code. (GR No. 176951).

III. Two newly-created barangays, Barangay Macalag (PSGC-153835010) and Barangay Tuntungan (PSGC- 153835011) shall be included in the Municipality of Datu Hoffer Ampatuan, in the province of Maguindanao pursuant to Muslim Mindanao Autonomy (MMA) Act No. 220 and which was ratified through a plebiscite conducted by the COMELEC on July 30, 2009.

The number of cities increased from 120 cities as of September 2009 to 137 cities as of December 2009 while the number of barangays increased from 42,021 in September 2009 to 42,023 in December 2009. Subsequently, the number of municipalities decreased during the period from 1,514 to 1,497. With these updates, the latest number of regions, provinces, cities, municipalities, and barangays as of December 31, 2009 are as follows:

LINA V. CASTRO
Officer in Charge
Office of the Secretary General

Contact Persons:

Ms. Severa B. de Costo / Mr. Fernando Gino B. Regalado
Tel:  (632) 890-3135 or (632) 897-1773
E-mail :    sb.decosto@nscb.gov.ph / fgb.regalado@nscb.gov.ph

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