Naga became a city on July 15, 2007, by virtue of Republic Act No.

9491, which wa s ratified in a plebiscite on September 02, 2007.[4] Lamp posts located at the streets of the city In November 2008, Naga lost its cityhood, along with 15 other cities, after the Supreme Court of the Philippines granted a petition filed by the League of Citie s of the Philippines, and declared the cityhood law (RA 9491) which allowed the town to acquire its city status, unconstitutional. The said cities, the court ru led, did not meet the requirements for cityhood.[5] On December 10, 2008, Naga and the other 15 cities affected filed a motion for r econsideration with the Supreme Court. More than a year later, on December 22, 2 009, acting on said appeal, the Court reversed its earlier ruling as it ruled th at "at the end of the day, the passage of the amendatory law (regarding the crit eria for cityhood as set by Congress) is no different from the enactment of a la w, i.e., the cityhood laws specifically exempting a particular political subdivi sion from the criteria earlier mentioned. Congress, in enacting the exempting la w/s, effectively decreased the already codified indicators."[6] As such, the cit yhood status of Naga was effectively restored. On August 27, 2010, Naga City reverted to a municipality again. It shared its fa te with 15 other cities, after the Supreme Court reinstated a 2008 decision decl aring as unconstitutional" the cityhood laws converting 16 municipalities into ci ties.[7] A previous law required towns aspiring to become cities to earn at leas t P100 million annually, which none of the 16 did. Voting 7-6, with two justices not taking part, the SC reinstated its Nov. 18, 2008, decision declaring as unc onstitutional the Republic Acts (RAs) converting 16 municipalities into cities. On September 5, 2010, despite of the demotion, the city still celebrated its 3rd Charter day. On February 15, 2011, the supreme court upheld for the 3rd time the cityhood of Naga and 15 other towns in the Philippines.[8]