PASAY CITY – In a significant move towards local governance, the City Local Government of Tabuk, through City Information Officer Aurora D. Amilig representing City Mayor Darwin C. Estrañero, expressed its support for the division of Barangay Nambaran into two independent barangays during a public hearing on August 12, 2024, at the Senate of the Philippines in Pasay City. This development aligns with the provisions of Senate Bill No. 1413, authored by Senator Imee Marcos, and House Bill No. 4842, authored by Kalinga Representative Allen Jesse Mangaoang.Originally, the bills proposed the creation of a new barangay, Nambaran East, from the separation of Sitios Ileb, New Colayo Village, Kinama, and Nambaran Daya from Barangay Nambaran. However, during the Senate hearing, Congressman Mangaoang announced a shift in the proposed division, which now seeks to establish two distinct barangays named Barangay Nambaran del Sur and Barangay Nambaran del Norte. This adjustment, reflecting the consensus of the local residents, was supported by the City Government.
Mayor Estrañero, through Amilig, conveyed that the division would empower the two new barangays to pursue their own socio-economic growth. The proposed changes to the bill will amend Section 1, replacing the earlier plan for Barangay Nambaran East with the new division. The territorial boundaries, originally surveyed by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources–Land Management Bureau (DENR-LMB CAR), will be revised, and new technical descriptions will be provided.
Furthermore, Congressman Mangaoang requested an exemption from the population requirements typically required for the creation of new barangays, citing that the area is predominantly inhabited by indigenous peoples. This request is supported by Republic Act No. 7160, Section 387, which allows for such exemptions when the barangay is primarily composed of National Cultural Communities/Indigenous Cultural Communities (NCCs/ICCs).
The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), represented by Raul Ludovice, initially approved the population exemption for the originally proposed Barangay Nambaran East, noting its population of 994 and the remaining 3,260 residents in the mother barangay. However, Ludovice stated that the PSA has yet to review the newly composed proposal due to the speed of its submission. Nonetheless, he confirmed that the area’s significant indigenous population could indeed qualify it for the exemption.
Barangay Nambaran, one of Tabuk City’s largest barangays, is home to various tribes, including the Sumadel, Butbut, Bangad, and Tulgao of the Tinglayan-Kalinga, as well as natives from the Pasil Kalinga tribe. The proposed division is seen as a step towards better governance and tailored development for the indigenous communities in the area. By Jesse Maguiya
