MANILA, Philippines – Polls opened on Saturday morning, July 8, in the Philippines’ richest municipality, as registered voters of Carmona, Cavite, weigh in on its proposed conversion into a city.

Over 58,000 residents are eligible to cast their plebiscite ballots across 10 voting centers in the town, namely:

• Carmona National High School
• Carmona Elementary School
• Bancal Elementary School
• Cabilang Baybay Elementary School
• Lantic Elementary School
• Paligawan Matanda Elementary School
• Mabuhay Elementary School
• Maduya Elementary School
• Milagrosa Elementary School
• Milagrosa West Elementary School

Voting – which will be manual – is from 7 am to 3 pm, followed by the canvassing of results.

An announcement on whether Carmona will finally be a component city is expected within the day.

Why is there a plebiscite?

A vote is taking place because this is the final step towards the cityhood of Cavite.

In February, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed a measure that converts the town into a city, but that law needs to be ratified through a plebiscite.

Cavite 5th District Representative Roy Loyola, the author of the bill in the House of Representatives, said the proposal would further attract business opportunities in the locality and boost its pace of development.

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

If Republic Act No. 11938 is ratified, Carmona will become the eighth city in Cavite after Cavite City, Trece Martires, Tagaytay, Dasmariñas, Bacoor, Imus, and General Trias. – Rappler.com