Caloocan City to Hold Plebiscite for Division of Philippines’ Largest Barangay

CALOOCAN CITY — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has announced plans to conduct a plebiscite on August 31, 2024, to decide on the proposed division of Barangay Bagong Silang, the most populous barangay in the Philippines. This plebiscite aims to ratify Republic Act 11993, which proposes splitting Barangay 176 into six smaller units.

According to Philippines News Agency, which was made public on Monday, the plebiscite will establish Barangays 176-A, 176-B, 176-C, 176-D, 176-E, and 176-F. The voting process, set to take place from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the designated day, will be followed by vote counting beginning at 3 p.m. and canvassing at 6 p.m. The resolution also outlines a plebiscite period from August 1 to September 7, during which strict regulations will be enforced, including bans on carrying firearms, transferring civil service employees, and other actions that could influence the plebiscite’s outcome.

The Information and Campaign Period, running from August 1 to 29, will also see strict enforcement of regulations against the removal or tampering with lawful plebiscite propaganda, the use of armored transportation, fundraising activities, and practices like vote-buying and vote-selling. Additional prohibitions are in place for the eve of the plebiscite, including campaigning and the sale of intoxicating liquor.

This legislative decision comes as Barangay 176, with a population of 261,729 as of 2020, faces challenges related to its size and manageability. The proposed division aims to enhance local governance and public service delivery by creating more manageable administrative units.