By Dolly Yasa
BACOLOD CITY – Mayor Neil Lizares announced that Talisay City, Negros Occidental, has been elevated from a fourth-class to a third-class component city.
He made the announcement Friday night during the Lights On Ceremony at the city’s public plaza, a traditional event to usher in the holiday season.
Lizares said Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson personally informed him of the development.
The mayor, now serving his final term as the city’s chief executive, described the elevation as a significant achievement and a legacy of his administration.
The reclassification means a higher National Tax Allocation for the city government.
However, Lizares noted that it would also require slowing down on personnel hiring, even as salaries of department heads are set to increase.
He said that despite the elevation, the city government requested the Department of Budget and Management to keep its 2025 budget “status quo.”
The proposed 2025 budget for Talisay City stands at PHP 1.3 billion.
Lizares has endorsed his wife, Atty. Rowena “Weng” Lizares, president of the Angels’ Wings Foundation, as his successor in the 2025 mayoralty race.
He expressed confidence that his wife could sustain his style of governance, ensuring continued progress and development for the Talisaynons.
Under Lizares’ leadership, the city has received the Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG) award three times.
