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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
House Bill No. _________ 
Introduced by Representative Richard I. Gomez 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The implementation of good governance is often more difficult than policy creation. This 
is even more pronounced in cases involving a trailblazing process; something that has never been 
done in the country before. Because there has been no precedent, what is usually an uphill climb 
is made even more daunting. Such is the case for the barangay mergers of the City of Ormoc. 
On October 8, 2022, the LGU of Ormoc held a plebiscite, conducted by the COMELEC, 
for the residents of 28 barangays to vote for or against the mergers of said barangays into three 
(3) super barangays, namely Barangays West, East and South. The plebiscite results
demonstrated overwhelming support for the mergers, with 90% of votes cast in favor of the
merger.
Although the statistics present a scenario of swift, unencumbered success, the reality was 
far from an easy win. The road leading to the country’s very first successful plebiscite favoring 
the merger of barangays was long, winding and rocky, to say the least. However, what made the 
process lengthy and elaborate also proved to be the key to the program’s overall success. The 
LGU attributed its triumph to its efforts in diligently gaining genuine buy in from the barangay 
residents themselves.  
A third-party survey conducted asked barangay residents what their “ideal barangay” 
would look like in five years. The response largely centered on a barangay that is fully equipped 
with basic facilities such as a permanent barangay hall, health center, reading and learning 
center, daycare center and evacuation center. They further indicated the desire for other social 
activity facilities, such as, a playground, basketball court and barangay plaza. Other key facilities 
pointed out included materials recovery, street lighting and CCTV security.  
December 15, 2022
10:17 am
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One of the reasons why the barangays targeted for the merger program fall short of the 
said facilities is that most have very low populations ranging from 14 to 1,763 per 2020 
population census. This means that all of the 28 barangays fell short of the minimum population 
required (2,000 residents) to form a barangay, according to Section 386, of the Local 
Government Code.  
 
 
With the clear mandate from the barangay residents, as demonstrated in the plebiscite 
results, the next steps are for the merged barangays: (a) to commence their corporate existence 
and (b) to be entitled to a consolidated national tax allotment (NTA). Since Section 14 of the 
Local Government Code mandates the election and qualification of newly elected barangay 
officials as requirement for the merged barangays’ corporate existence, the merged barangays 
will have to wait until the next barangay elections, which has been postponed to the last Monday 
of October 2023.  
 
 
This house bill addresses the other vital step for the merged barangays to be able to fulfill 
the desires of its residents, which is their entitlement to the consolidated NTA. By establishing 
the merged barangays through a Republic Act, the merged barangays would be fully compliant 
with the requirements of RA 7160, for barangays to be automatically be granted its fair share of 
the NTA. 
 
 
In view of the foregoing, I pray that this bill—creating Barangay West in the City of 
Ormoc, be approved and ratified at the soonest time possible.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
RICHARD I. GOMEZ, DPA 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
House Bill No. _________ 
Introduced by Representative Richard I. Gomez 
AN ACT CREATING A BARANGAY TO BE KNOWN AS BARANGAY WEST IN THE 
CITY OF ORMOC, PROVINCE OF LEYTE 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled: 
SECTION 1. Creation of Barangay West. - There is hereby created a barangay to be known 
as Barangay West in the City of Ormoc, Province of Leyte, resulting from the merger of the 
following existing contiguous barangays: 
a) Barangay District 14, with a 2020 population of 53 and land area of 3.557 hectares
(HAs);
b) Barangay District 19,with a 2020 population of 228 and land area of 2.299 HAs;
c) Barangay District 20, with a 2020 population of 146 and land area of 1.648 HAs;
d) Barangay District 21, with a 2020 population of 224 and land area of 2.193 HAs;
e) Barangay District 22, with a 2020 population of 318 and land area of 1.738 HAs;
f)
Barangay District 24, with a 2020 population of 131 and land area of 1.512 HAs;
and
g) Barangay District 26, with a 2020 population of 1,763 and land area of 10.207 HAs;
pursuant to Sections 7, 8, 9, 10, 14 and 386 of Republic Act No. 7160, as amended otherwise 
known as the "Local Government Code of 1991.” 
SEC. 2. Territorial Boundaries. -The territorial boundaries of Barangay West shall be 
identified as follows: 
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Boundaries: 
 
         Line 
 
     Direction  
     Adjoining Lots/Features 
 
         2 - 3 - 4  
     W  
 
     Barangay Don Felipe Larrazabal, Ormoc 
City 
         4 - 5 
 
     NW 
 
     Barangay Cogon Combado, Ormoc City 
         5 - 6 - 7  
     N  
 
     District North, Ormoc City 
         7 - 12 
 
     SE  
 
     District East, Ormoc City 
         12 - 2 
 
     S 
 
 
     District South, Ormoc City 
 
 
Tie Point: 
Corner “1” is B.B.M. No. 93, Cad-256 Ormoc Cadastre. 
 
 
Lot Description:  
 
     LINE 
 
 
   BEARING  
DISTANCE 
 
      1 – 2 
 
 
N 62° - 49‘ W  
     34.95 M. 
      2 – 3 
 
 
N 26° - 37’ E  
   168.98 M. 
      3 – 4 
 
 
N 24° - 21‘ E  
   253.76 M. 
      4 – 5 
 
 
N 17° - 51‘ E  
   262.97 M. 
      5 – 6 
 
 
S 77° - 58‘ E  
   145.23 M. 
      6 – 7 
 
 
S 51° - 17‘ E  
   335.01 M. 
      7 – 8 
 
 
S 78° - 35‘ W  
   158.60 M. 
      8 – 9 
 
 
S 11° - 36‘ E  
   117.73 M. 
     9 – 10 
 
 
S 68° - 45‘ W  
   102.58 M. 
    10 – 11 
 
 
S 21° - 41‘ W  
   101.08 M. 
    11 – 12 
 
 
S 22° - 07‘ W  
   255.28 M. 
    12 – 13 
 
 
N 68° - 03‘ W  
     81.75 M. 
    13 – 14 
 
 
N 67° - 48‘ W  
     84.90 M. 
    14 – 15 
 
 
N 69° - 59‘ W  
     53.72 M. 
    15 – 1 
 
 
N 70° - 18‘ W  
     71.85 M. 
 
      AREA: TWO HUNDRED THIRTY-ONE THOUSAND NINE HUNDRED SIXTY 
(231,960) square meters, more or less. 
 
SEC. 3. Conduct and Supervision of Plebiscite. - The plebiscite conducted and supervised 
by the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) pursuant to City Ordinance No. 052, s. of 2021, of 
the Sangguniang Panlungsod of the City of Ormoc, which ratified the creation of Barangay West 


 
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as proclaimed by the Plebiscite Board of Canvassers on October 8, 2022, shall serve as substantial 
compliance to the plebiscite requirement under Section 10 of Republic Act No. 7160, as amended 
otherwise known as the "Local Government Code of 1991". 
 
SEC. 4. Barangay Officials and Commencement of Barangay Corporate Existence. - The 
incumbent elected barangay officials of the seven (7) barangays merged in Section 1 of this Act, 
shall continue to hold office until the next barangay elections and the subsequent assumption 
offices of newly elected barangay officials. The newly merged barangay shall commence its 
corporate existence thereafter. 
 
SEC. 5. Public Infrastructure and Facilities. - All public infrastructure and facilities for 
public use existing within the seven (7) barangays merged in Section 1, at the time of the approval 
of this Act, are hereby transferred without cost or compensation to the new barangay and shall be 
administered by the same. 
 
SEC. 6. National Tax Allotment. - Barangay West shall be entitled to National Tax 
Allotment (NTA) shares pursuant to Section 285 of Republic Act No. 7160, as amended, otherwise 
known as the "Local Government Code of 1991,” beginning fiscal year 2024. 
 
SEC. 7. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in any 
newspaper of general circulation. 
 
 
 
Approved,