By JOANNA AGLIBOT | July 31, 2026

IBA, Zambales — The municipal council of this capital town is pushing for the conversion of Iba into an independent component city and is asking Congress to waive the income requirement that has long prevented this initiative.

The municipal council announced the cityhood resolution on July 30, nine days after it was adopted during its July 21 regular session.

It endorsed the filing of an omnibus bill that would convert provincial capital municipalities in provinces without component cities into independent component cities.

Iba, the capital of Zambales, said it already performs many of the functions expected of a city as the seat of the provincial government, hosting key government offices and providing services not only to its residents but also to people from across the province.

The council said the current income requirement for cityhood is outdated because it is still based on year-2000 constant prices, making it difficult for municipalities like Iba to qualify despite economic growth.

The resolution, introduced by Councilor Edison E. Martinez and co-sponsored by Sangguniang Kabataan Federation President Carlos Miguel R. Villamin, seeks an express waiver of the income requirement through an omnibus law in Congress.

If approved, the proposal would cover all provincial capital municipalities whose provinces do not yet have component cities.

The resolution also authorizes Mayor Irenea Maniquiz-Biñan to take the necessary steps to fulfill the cityhood plan.

Among Biñan’s tasks is submitting the resolution to Congress and concerned government agencies, creating a technical working group to draft a transition plan, signing an agreement with the provincial government to ensure provincial offices continue operating in Iba, and conducting public consultations and information campaigns before any plebiscite.

Copies of the resolution will be sent to the Office of the Governor of Zambales, the Office of the Second District representative, the Department of the Interior and Local Government, the Bureau of Local Government Finance, the Commission on Elections, and the Philippine Statistics Authority. ▲