Agusan del Sur’s city, 13 towns now classified as first class
SAN FRANCISCO, AGUSAN DEL SUR—All the 13 towns and the capital city of Bayawan in Agusan del Sur are now classified as first-class local government units (LGUs), having surpassed the annual income threshold set by the Department of Finance (DOF) to qualify for such classification.
The province’s 13 towns have surpassed the P200-million annual income threshold for first class towns while Bayugan City exceeded the P1.3-billion yearly income to qualify for the DOF’s income reclassification for LGUs in the entire country, according to the DOF’s Department Order No. 074 issued in December last year, a copy of which was made available to reporters here last week.
Leveled up
Provincial treasurer Alvin Elorde said Agusan del Sur had long been classified as a first class province, posting a P3.36-billion income last year, which more than doubled the P1.5-billion threshold for a province to be classified as such.
However, in 2023, four LGUs in the province failed to make it to the top classification. The towns of Rosario, Talacogon and Veruela were still classified as second class municipalities; and Sta. Josefa was categorized as a third class town.
Last year, these four towns each posted income exceeding P200 million, making Agusan del Sur the only province in the Caraga region whose towns and cities have all leveled up to first class status.
The region is composed of the provinces of Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Dinagat Islands, Surigao del Norte and Surigao del Sur.
Historic feat
While the towns and city of Agusan del Sur sourced their annual income from revenues coming from fees and receipts and other local sources and from the National Tax Allotment (NTA) and other shares in the national wealth, Elorde said Agusan del Sur’s feat this year also benefited largely from the NTA ruling increasing the shares from the national coffers based on the total land area of the province.
Agusan del Sur, the fourth largest province in the country in terms of land area, only has 13 towns and a city while the neighboring provinces like Surigao del Sur has less area but has 17 towns and two cities.
Team Eddiebong, a political group led by Rep. Adolph Edward “Eddiebong” Plaza described the reclassification of all its LGUs as a historic feat for the province.
