Isulan seeking cityhood status

TACURONG CITY – The municipality of Isulan, the capital and seat of government of Sultan Kudarat province, may soon be a city.

File photo

Sultan Kudarat First District Rep. Ruth Mangudadatu-Sakaluran has filed House Bill 389 seeking the cityhood of Isulan, citing the first-class municipality’s steady development as a major center of trade, commerce, education and governance in the province.

With Isulan’s sustained economic growth, rising population, and continued infrastructure expansion, Sakaluran said the town already meets the requirements for cityhood under Republic Act (RA) 9009, which amended a provision of RA 7160 or the Local Government Code of 1991 on the requirement for the conversion of a municipality into a component city.

“The proposed conversion of Isulan into a component city aims to provide its local government with greater autonomy and enhanced fiscal capacity. This will enable more efficient delivery of public services, improved infrastructure development, attract investment and broader economic opportunities for its constituents,” Sakaluran said.

In pushing for the cityhood status of the town, she noted that the town also “plays a vital role in provincial and regional development and public administration.”

Isulan comprises 17 barangays with a population of 116,945 based on the 2024 census. It has a land area of 545.87 square kilometers.

Based on the Cities and Municipalities Competitiveness Index by the Department of Trade and Industry, the municipality earned revenues worth P582 million in 2024.

According to RA 9009, a town can be converted into a component city if it generates a local annual income of at least P100 million in the last two years and if it has either a contiguous territory of at least 100 square kilometers or a population of not less than 150,000.

Isulan satisfies the income and area requirements of RA 9009.

Sakaluran’s proposal is pending before the Committee on Local Government of the House of Representatives.

The move to convert Isulan town into a city gained the support of the Regional Development Council-12 (RDC-12), the highest socioeconomic planning and policy-making body in the region.

The RDC issued the endorsement during the council’s 90th Regular and Reorganizational Meeting held last August 20 at the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev) office here.

DEPDev, which was formerly known as the National Economic and Development Authority, serves as RDC-12 secretariat.

In 2019 and 2024, the RDC-12 also passed a resolution endorsing the conversion of Isulan into a city.

So far, only Isulan and Alabel in Sarangani province remain the capitals in Region 12 still classified as a town.

South Cotabato’s capital is Koronadal City while North Cotabato is Kidapawan City. Both are component cities.

General Santos City is a chartered city in South Cotabato. (Bong S. Sarmiento)