CARMONA, Cavite–The town of Carmona in this province is now a city after more than 30,000 of its people voted “yes” for its city hood compared to over 1,000 who voted no in a plebiscite last Saturday, July 8, 2023.

According to the results released around 9:30 p.m. Saturday, Board of Canvassers chair Atty. Mico Morales-Castro said 30,363 residents voted “yes” to ratify the municipality’s conversion into a city.

On the contrary, 1,016 “no” votes were tallied. Voters’ turnout was around 53%.

President Ferdinand Bongbong Marcos approved Republic Act No. 11938, making Carmona a component city in Cavite in February 2023.

Calabarzon Police Chief Brig. Gen. Carlito Gaces reported no untoward incidents or crimes during the plebiscite.

Police Colonel Christopher Olazo, Cavite provincial police chief, said around 250 police officers were deployed in the area to keep the plebiscite in order.

A mini-concert was held at a covered park in front of the municipal hall after Mayor Dahlia Loyola and Cong. Roy Loyola presented the certificate of canvassers before the people inside the venue.

Mayor Loyola cried as she thanked those who voted yes to the city hood bid.

The mayor also said that the conversion into a city of Carmona would raise their internal revenue allotment.

“We long aspired for this because a component city has fiscal autonomy. You don’t have to remit your share of real property tax to the province. Many municipalities aspire to become cities,” she added.

Representative Roy Loyola, the proponent of the bill in the House of Representatives said, said it took 12 years before Carmona finally became a full-fledged city.

He believes the city hood would further attract more business opportunities in the locality and boost its pace of development tagged as Smart City.

Carmona has total assets of P6.2 billion as of 2021, the highest among all Philippine towns.

It is now the eighth city in Cavite after Cavite City, Trece Martires, Tagaytay, Dasmariñas, Bacoor, Imus and General Trias.