CITY OF SAN JOSE DEL MONTE—Bulacan’s biggest barangay (village) is now divided into four.
Yes votes to divide Barangay Muzon, into Muzon Proper, Muzon East, Muzon West and Muzon South being the biggest barangay in this city and in the whole of the province of Bulacan with around 100,000 population won on Saturday, March 25 plebiscite.
One of the component cities in Bulacan, Lone District of City of San Jose del Monte out of 24 towns and cities in Bulacan with more than 800,000 residents and 59 villages has the largest population and with the biggest number of barangays in the province.
Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman George Erwin Garcia told NEWS CORE on Monday that yes garnered 12,324 votes while no votes had 969. Out of 43,771 registered voters in Barangay Muzon, 13,456 voted or had a 30.74% turn in.
There were 78 clustered precincts with 4 voting centers–San Jose del Monte Heights with 2,378 yes votes or 53%; Benito Nieto elementary school with 2,721 votes or 33%; Muzon High School with 3,242 yes votes or 24.50% and Pabahay 2000 with 5,115 votes or 32.49%.
Mayor Arthur Robes and wife, City of San Jose del Monte Lone District Rep. Florida Robes, proponent of Republic Act 11896, “An Act Dividing Barangay Muzon in City of San Jose del Monte, Bulacan Into Four Separate and Independent Barangays to be named as Muzon Proper, Muzon East, Muzon West and Muzon South” expressed gratitude to the people of Muzon and the whole of the city for deciding wiser and better for their future.
Robes told NEWS CORE on Friday that the city spends P12-Million for the plebiscite to divide Muzon to provide the necessary amount of delivered basic services.
“The smaller the scope with 4 barangay captains and 28 councilmen, the faster and the bigger share in the delivery of basic services,” he said.
The Comelec conducted the plebiscite after Republic Act 11896, “An Act Dividing Barangay Muzon in City of San Jose del Monte, Bulacan Into Four Separate and Independent Barangays to be named as Muzon Proper, Muzon East, Muzon West and Muzon South” lapsed into law on July 1, 2022.
The law which was filed in congress by Rep. Robes was approved in congress on June 3, 2020 and was amended and approved by the senate on Jan. 17, 2022.
The mayor said Muzon with its more than 100,000 population and is the largest village in the 59 villages in the city is being deprived of the due basic services because of the limited for one village budget and income but which can be allotted and given three or four times more to suffice the needs of the whole number of inhabitants.
“The law will improve the delivery of basic services and effectively manage resources for the general welfare of the whole constituency of the city,” Robes said.
San Jose del Monte is considered as the relocation capital of the country where national housing projects for Metro Manila informal settlers were started to be built in Barangay Sapang Palay in 1961.
It is now known as one of the “fastest rising” city in the country.
Barangay Muzon hosts numerous national government relocation sites and housing projects for residents in Metro Manila living in danger zones and disaster prone areas.
Following the success of the plebiscite, Bulacan’s 569 villages are now 572.
