DepEd: Taguig in charge of 14 ‘Embo’ schools

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Education (DepEd) announced on Monday that the 14 public schools in the 10 “Embo” areas caught in the territorial dispute between the cities of Taguig and Makati were now under the jurisdiction of the Schools Division of Taguig City and Pateros.

DepEd spokesperson Michael Poa confirmed that the affected schools had undergone an “orderly transition,” with the Schools Division of Taguig City and Pateros taking over their management and operations from the Schools Division Office-Makati City.

The 14 schools are the Makati Science High School, Fort Bonifacio High School, Benigno “Ninoy” S. Aquino High School, Tibagan High School, Pitogo High School, Comembo Elementary School, Rizal Elementary School, Pembo Elementary School, Fort Bonifacio Elementary School, Pitogo Elementary School, Cembo Elementary School, East Rembo Elementary School, West Rembo Elementary School and South Cembo Elementary School.

They are all located within the Embo or enlisted men’s barrios area, which the Supreme Court ruled in 2021 to be under the jurisdiction of Taguig City.

MOA signed

The DepEd also said that a memorandum of agreement was signed by Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte, Taguig City Mayor Lani Cayetano and Makati City Mayor Abby Binay on the full transition of the schools’ operations from Makati to Taguig.

Taguig’s takeover of the schools’ operations took effect on Jan. 1, according to the DepEd, which did not say when the MOA was signed.

“While there are still specific issues and appeals that shall be left to the final determination of the proper authorities, the transition has been finally concluded through the collective resolve of the parties in ensuring the unhampered delivery of basic education services,” it added in a statement.

In a message to the Inquirer, Poa said the agreement that paved the way for the transition was in line with the high tribunal’s decision on the territorial dispute between the two cities.

Before the transition took effect, Duterte issued an order in August last year that allowed her to assume authority over the affected schools. This was to ease rising tension after the Makati City government accused Taguig of trying to take over the 14 public schools without a writ of execution or legal order.

The Taguig City government, on the other hand, cited an order issued by the DepEd National Capital Region office, which placed the affected schools under the supervision of the Schools Division of Taguig-Pateros.