CITY OF SAN JOSE DEL MONTE — Residents of Muzon, the largest barangay not just in this city but the whole Bulacan province, will hold a plebiscite today to decide if it will be split into four separate and independent villages.
In an interview on Friday, Mayor Arthur Robes said the Commission on Elections would conduct the plebiscite to divide Barangay Muzon, which has a population of 100,000.
“The smaller the scope of a village, the faster and the bigger its share will be when it comes to the delivery of basic services,” he said.
Robes said that if the majority of the 43,771 registered voters of the village would decide in favor of the split of Muzon, the new villages would be named Muzon Proper, Muzon East, Muzon West and Muzon South.
Dividing Muzon was based on Republic Act No. 11896, which lapsed into law on July 1, 2022.
It was filed in the House of Representatives by the mayor’s wife, San Jose del Monte lone district Rep. Florida Robes, which was approved by the lower chamber on June 3, 2020, and amended and approved by the Senate on Jan. 17, 2022.
The mayor said the city government allocated P12 million for the plebiscite.
Police Col. Relly Arnedo, Bulacan police director, said support troops from various police units were deployed to secure the polling precincts during the plebiscite.
If approved by the residents, the four new barangays would turn the city’s current number of barangays from 59 to 63.