San Jose del Monte (SJDM) will remain part of Bulacan province after most residents rejected the conversion of the component city into a highly urbanized city, according to the Commission on Election (Comelec).
The plebiscite to ratify Proclamation 1057 and declare SJDM as a highly urbanized city (HUC) was held last Monday, Oct. 30, coinciding with the barangay and Sanguniang Kabataan elections.
Based on Comelec’s certificate of canvass of votes sent to the media on Wednesday, Nov. 1, 820,385 of the 1,608,004 actual voters voted “NO” for the conversion of San Jose del Monte.
While only 620,707 residents voted “YES” or in favor of the ratification.
San Jose del Monte has a total of 2,092,248 registered voters.
Residents were asked of the question: "Pumapayag ka ba na ang lunngsod ng San Jose del Monte lalawigan ng Bulacan ay gawing isang 'highly-urbanized city' alinsunod sa Proclamation 1057 na naging ganap na batas noong ika-4 ng Setyembre?"
On December 4, 2020, former president Rodrigo Roa Duterte issued Proclamation 1057 directing the poll body to “conduct a plebiscite in the city proposed to be converted, where the qualified voters therein shall ratify the aforementioned declaration.”
The proclamation stated that the SJDM met the “minimum requirements prescribed” for a city to be classified as highly urbanized under Section 452 of Republic Act No. 7160 or the Local Government Code of 1991.