President Rodrigo Roa Duterte has signed a new law creating a barangay in the municipality of Natonin, Mountain Province.
President Duterte signed last January 3, 2018 Republic Act 10967 or an Act Creating a Barangay to be known as Barangay Pudo in the Municipality of Natonin, Mountain Province.
It can be recalled that the republic act originated from the House of Representatives which was then filed by the late Congressman Maximo B. Dalog. It was passed by the House of Representatives on March 13, 2017, amended by the Senate on August 14, 2017, andconcurred to by the lower house on October 9, 2017.
Barangay Pudo was already an existing barangay in Mountain Province, located in the municipality of Natonin and is currently inhabited mainly by indigenous peoples particularly the Balangao Tribe. It was first created by virtue of Provincial Ordinance No. 1, Series of 1991. Since its creation, the barangay had been operating through the meager financial aid from the provincial and municipal governments.
The filing of the bill was finally realized on November 27, 2014 after the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Mountain Province passed a resolution introduced by then District 1 Board Member Florence N. Taguiba requesting the late congressman to file the appropriate measure for the creation/re-creation of Barangay Pudo in accordance with the provisions of R.A. 7160 or the Local Government Code of 1991.
Taguiba said that after due and careful evaluation, the Sanguniang Panlalawigan at that time saw the significance of creating Barangay Pudo as a regular barangay thereby separating it from its mother Barangay of Alunogan, Natonin.
In an interview with Atty. Cyphrine Maxcel Y. Dalog, Chief of Staff, Office of the Congressman, lone district, Mountain Province, expressed the gratefulness of the office especially to the people of Pudo for their cooperation and the collective efforts of the local government unit of Natonin, the previous Sangguniang Panlalawigan and Legislative Caretaker Representative Allen Jesse C. Mangaoang, who contributed to the speedy passage of the bill into law.
“We also thank everyone concerned who were incessant in their support that finally, this is now approved into law. We hope and pray that all house measures of similar significance will likewise see their passage into law for the benefit of the people of Mountain Province,” she added.
The new law will now entitle Barangay Pudo to an annual Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) pursuant to the Local Government Code of 1991. In relation to the conduct and supervision of a plebiscite, section 3 of the republic act provides that the plebiscite which was already conducted and supervised by the Commission on Elections on December 2, 1994 pursuant to Provincial Ordinance No. 1, series of 1991 which ratified the creation of Barangay Pudo, shall serve as substantial compliance with the plebiscite requirement. This will mean that a plebiscite will no longer take place.
Meanwhile, the incumbent barangay officials shall continue to hold office until such time that their successors have been duly elected in the comiing barangay election.
On infrastructure and facilities, the law further provides that all public and infrastructure and facilities for public use existing in the barangay at the time of the approval of the Act are hereby transferred without cost or compensation and shall be administered by the new barangay.
The territorial boundaries of Barangay Pudo include Barangay Alunogan on the northeast and southeast, Barangay Tonglayan on the southwest and the Tanudan River on the northeast.** Erlindo Agwilang, Jr.
