Valenzuela City gets 33rd barangay

From 32 to 33 barangays (villages).

The division of Barangay Canumay in Valenzuela City into two barangays was approved by the majority of residents in a plebiscite held on Saturday.

In an announcement e-mailed to the Inquirer Sunday, the city government said that 3,645 out of 6,543 residents voted in favor of the creation of Barangays Canumay East and Canumay West.

The results were attested to by election officer Patrick E. Enaje who served as the chair of the Canumay Plebiscite Board of Canvassers after the official tabulation of votes held at the session hall of the city council.

The creation of the new barangay was approved by 81 percent of the 38 clustered voting precincts.

With the division of Barangay Canumay, Valenzuela City now has a total of 33 barangays.

Ahna Mejia, public information chief of Valenzuela City, said that one of the reasons cited for the need to divide Barangay Canumay into two areas was the “huge physical gap” created by the North Luzon Expressway which runs through the barangay.

To deal with the situation, barangay officials built two barangay halls, two day care centers, two health centers and two public schools.

In addition, to avoid confusion, residents began referring to one area as Canumay East and the other as Canumay West.

“With the creation of Canumay West and Canumay East, it is expected that there will be swifter and more efficient delivery of public service and immediate and adequate attention [given] to the needs of the communities,” the city government said.

The two new barangays, being distinct and independent of each other, will have their own sources of income to be able to respond faster to emergency situations.

“Given that the population of the East and West was double the required population the Local Government Code is requiring in forming one barangay, we decided to divide the barangay,” Mejia said.

Ordinance No. 37, Series of 2011, was thus drafted, proposing the creation of a new barangay. It was approved by the city council on Nov. 21, 2011, which led to Saturday’s plebiscite.

After a series of consultations, Mayor Sherwin Gatchalian is expected to appoint a new set of leaders to the barangay posts.