MANILA, Philippines – Registered voters of Barangay Muzon in San Jose del Monte, Bulacan – the city’s most populous village – decided on Saturday, March 25, to divide their village into four.

The plebiscite was held to ratify Republic Act No. 11896, which called for the village to be split into Barangay Muzon Proper, Barangay Muzon East, Barangay Muzon West, and Barangay Muzon South.

FINAL: San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan has new barangays after a plebiscite results in a four-way split of its largest village, Barangay Muzon.

Canvassed results show 12,324 people voted yes to the split, 969 voted against.

📸 Comelec pic.twitter.com/3efjsHpR3i

— Dwight De Leon (@newsdwight) March 25, 2023

Based on the Commission on Elections’ final and official count, with a voter turnout of 13,322 (30.44% of 43,771), 12,324 voters backed the division of their village, while 969 voters opposed the move.

Barangay Muzon, before its division, had 43,771 registered voters.

Voting for the fully manual plebiscite was held from 7 am to 3 pm on Saturday.

The author of the bill, Florida Robes, said in 2020 that the split would “improve the delivery of basic social services and effectively manage available resources for the general welfare of the whole constituency of the city.” – with reports from Dwight de Leon/Rappler.com