DILG ambivalent on 44 barrios With

less than required population count

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Dec 16 (ZNS) – The Department of Interior and Local government says nothing can be done about already established barangays that fail to meet the population requirement for such a political unit.

DILG provincial director Mohamad Taha Arakama said these barangays did not violate any law so these barangays can continue to exist as local government units regardless their population.

Arakama also said that these barangays should increase their population so the Internal Revenue Allocations or IRA can also be increased.

A total of 44 out of 98 city barangays in this city may have failed the population requirement to be such a political unit in Zamboanga according to provisions in the Local Government Code and the result of the May 1, 2010 population census released last week by the National Statistics Office or NSO.

The Local Government Code stipulates a certain population count for the creation of the country’s smallest political unit - the Barangay.

For an ordinary barangay the minimum population requirement is 2,000 residents but this requirement does not apply to barangays in cities like Zamboanga.

However, while there are populous barangays with as much as over 30,000 population, there are also barangays with less than a thousand population although these recognized political units operate complete with a set of barrio officials and are supposed to collect salaries from barangay funds.

Section 386 of the Local Government Code provides that the minimum population requirement for a barangay in a highly urbanized city, such as the City of Zamboanga, is 5,000 inhabitants staying in a contiguous territory as certified by the NSO.

Based on the official census results, 44 of the city's barangays do not comply with the 5,000 population requirement.

This implies that the city of Zamboanga has only 54 barangays with a population each of over 5,000.

In alphabetical order, here are the barangays with their respective population based on the May 1, 2010  population counts with less than the Local Government Code population requirement for  5,000 residents (for a barangay in a highly urbanized city:;

Baluno-2,315; Busay (Sacol Island)-2,931; Cacao -1,045; Calabasa-2,685; Dita-3,831; Dulian (Upper Bunguiao)-2,023; Dulian (Upper Pasonanca)- 1,363; Guisao-2,560; Lamisahan-2,995; Landang Gua-2.980; Landang Laum-4,803; Lanzones-2,743; Lapakan-1,529

Latuan (Curuan)-2,125; Limaong-3,445; Lubigan-1,149; Lumayang-1,377;  Lumbangan-3,308; Manalipa-1,922; Mangusu-4,776; Muti-3,123; Pamucutan-3,764; Pangapuyan-534;  Panubigan-982; Pasilmanta(Sacol Island)-1,480; Barangay Zone I (Poblacion)-3,405;

Barangay Zone II (Poblacion)-2,865; Barangay Zone III (Poblacion)-2,030; Barangay Zone IV (Poblacion)-3,046; Quiniput -2,647;

Salaan-3,310; Sibulao (Caruan)-2,748; Sinubung- 2,690;

Tagasilay-2,607; Taguiti-899; Talabaan-4,181; Tictapul-3,515;

Tigbalabag-1,491; Tolosa-3,157; Tumalutap-2,048; and  Tumitus-2,494.

Capisan just about 15 kilometes from city hall has a population of only 1,090 along with ; Pasobolong-3,257; Victoria-2,326;

Granting for the sake of argument that the city in not classified as a highly urbanized city, the population requirement of 2,000 residents per barangay will apply.

Still 12 barangays will  fail the requirement leaving the city with only 86 barangays and not the 98 that we have these days complete with their set of officials, barangays halls and other perks enjoyed by the highly populous barangays in town.

The city proper was recently divided into four zones, all later created as barangays. Yet the population of each of these barangays did not even reach the 4,000 mark.

City Vice Mayor Cesar Ituralde said that there is nothing that the government can do about these under populated barangays.

He said these barangays were created according to laws in their time and thus can continue to exist as such.(ZNS)