Colonial Era Naga was previously named by the first settlers as
Narra due to the abundance of
narra trees. The name eventually became
Naga. Naga became a municipality on June 12, 1829. It was partitioned from San Nicolas, now part of Cebu City. The original barrios are Inayagan, Tinaan, Langtad, Pandan, Cantag-an, Lutac, Uling, and Alpaco. Soon after, Spanish authorities discovered coal in the upland barangays of Uling and Lutac. However, mines were developed intermittently. In 1901, during American occupation, the Uling-Lutac coal and rail concession (also known as the Macleod concession) was identified as one of the three coal mines in Cebu that the government wanted to develop further. In 1921, the Philippine government established the first cement plant in the country in Tinaan, Naga. It was called Cebu Portland Cement Company (CEPOC). Today, the plant still exists and able to produce 3.8 million metric tons (MMT) of cement per year. It is now known as the APO Cement Plant. During World War II, around three-quarters of the town was destroyed.
Post-war Era The manufacturing and industrial sector continued to grow in Naga. The Naga Coal Plant was established in 1981. It was the first grid-connected coal plant in the country and was built for the
National Power Corporation. It had a capacity of 105 MW up to its retirement in 2015.
Cityhood Cityhood was ratified in a plebiscite on September 2, 2007. The
Supreme Court declared the cityhood law of Naga and 15 other cities unconstitutional after a petition filed by the
League of Cities of the Philippines in its ruling on November 18, 2008. On December 22, 2009, the cityhood law of Naga and 15 other municipalities regain its status as cities again after the court reversed its ruling November 18, 2008 ruling. On August 23, 2010, the court reinstated its ruling on November 18, 2008, making Naga and 15 other cities regular municipalities. Finally, on February 15, 2011, Naga and the other 15 municipalities declared that the conversion to cityhood met all legal requirements. In 2013, after six years of legal battle, in its board resolution the
League of Cities of the Philippines acknowledged and recognized the cityhood of Naga and 15 other cities on July 19, 2013. ==Geography==