MANILA, Philippines – The most populous barangay in the Philippines is one plebiscite away from being divided into six smaller villages.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed into law a measure splitting Barangay 176 in Caloocan – also known as Barangay Bagong Silang – into Barangay 176-A, Barangay 176-B, Barangay 176-C, Barangay 176-D, Barangay 176-E, and Barangay 176-F.

For Republic Act No. 11993 to be ratified, majority of participating registered voters from the mother barangay will have to vote in favor of the division through a plebiscite to be scheduled within 90 days from the effectivity of the law.

When big villages are divided into tinier ones, the usual reason is to improve the delivery of services to residents, since barangay officials will have smaller constituencies.

The law, released by Malacañang on Friday, April 5, says the new barangays shall each have a village chairperson, seven village councilors, one Sangguniang Kabataan chairperson, and seven SK members appointed by the mayor. They “shall serve until their successors have been duly elected and qualified.”

Barangay 176 has 261,729 residents, according to the 2020 Census of Population and Housing.

Since 2012, members of Caloocan’s Malapitan family who have served in Congress have repeatedly filed bills seeking to subdivide the said village. Caloocan’s mayor is Along Malapitan, son of Caloocan 1st District Representative Oscar Malapitan. – Rappler.com