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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
TWENTIETH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session  
House Bill No. 2199 
Introduced by Representative Richard I. Gomez, DPA 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
This house bill mirrors the third reading substitute bill of the same bill filed in the 19th 
Congress. 
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.  
July 23, 2025
8:00 am


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One of the reasons why the barangays targeted for the merger program fell 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
a 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 automatically be granted its fair share of the NTA. 
In view of the foregoing, I pray that this bill – creating Barangay East 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 
TWENTIETH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session  
House Bill No. 2199 
Introduced by Representative Richard I. Gomez, DPA 
AN ACT  
MERGING BARANGAYS 9, 10, 11, 16, 18, 25, AND 28 IN THE CITY OF ORMOC, 
PROVINCE OF LEYTE, AND CONSTITUTING THEM INTO A DISTINCT AND 
INDEPENDENT BARANGAY TO BE KNOWN AS BARANGAY EAST 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled: 
SECTION 1. Creation of Barangay East. – Barangays 9, 10, 11, 16, 18, 25, and 28 in the 
City of Ormoc, Province of Leyte, are hereby merged and constituted into a distinct and 
independent barangay to be known as Barangay East. 
SEC. 2. Territorial Boundaries. - The territorial boundaries of Barangay East are hereby 
described as follows: 
Boundaries: 
Line 
Direction 
Adjoining Lots/Features 
1 - 6 
E 
Barangay Alta Vista, Ormoc City 
6 - 10 
E 
Barangay Can-adieng, Ormoc City 
10 - 24 
SW 
District South, Ormoc City 
24 - 1 
NW 
District West, Ormoc City 
Tie Point: 
Corner “1” is B.B.M. No. 12, Cad-256 Ormoc Cadastre. 
     Lot Description: 


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       LINE  
 
BEARING  
 
DISTANCE 
       1 – 2  
 
S 02° - 23' E   
478.66 M. 
       2 – 3  
 
S 03° - 46' E   
50.07 M. 
       3 – 4  
 
S 09° - 20' E   
58.62 M. 
       4 – 5  
 
S 11° - 45' E   
32.43 M. 
       5 – 6  
 
S 00° - 34' E   
43.47 M. 
       6 – 7  
 
S 00° - 34' E   
18.01 M. 
       7 – 8  
 
S 06° - 30' E   
61.74 M. 
       8 – 9  
 
S 19° - 43' E   
61.08 M. 
       9 – 10  
 
S 33° - 09' E   
40.56 M. 
       10 – 11   
S 56° - 51' W   
25.77 M. 
       11 – 12   
S 86° - 19' W   
54.77 M. 
       12 – 13   
N 00° - 26' W   
27.49 M. 
       13 – 14   
N 05° - 45' W   
17.19 M. 
       14 – 15   
N 07° - 57' W   
43.37 M. 
       15 – 16   
N 28° - 53'W   
40.96 M. 
       16 – 17   
N 67° - 49' W   
3.30 M. 
       17 – 18   
N 69° - 53' W   
111.81 M. 
       18 – 19   
S 22° - 57' W   
102.42 M. 
       19 – 20   
N 68° - 37' W   
144.68 M. 
       20 – 21   
N 68° - 55' W   
58.77 M. 
       21 – 22   
N 67° - 56' W   
82.28 M. 
       22 – 23   
N 22° - 43' E   
103.42 M. 
       23 – 24   
N 22° - 17' E   
71.73 M. 
       24 – 25   
N 22° - 07' E   
255.28 M. 
       25 – 26   
N 21° - 41' E   
101.08 M. 
       26 – 27   
N 68° - 45' E   
102.57 M. 
       27 – 28   
N 11° - 36' W   
117.73 M. 
       28 – 1  
 
N 78° - 35' E   
158.60 M. 
 
containing an area of TWO HUNDRED TWENTY-SEVEN THOUSAND FOURTEEN 
(227,014) 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, Series of 
2021 of the Sangguniang Panlungsod of the City of Ormoc, which ratified the creation of 
Barangay East as proclaimed by the Plebiscite Board of Canvassers on October 8, 2022 shall 
serve as substantial compliance with the plebiscite requirement under Section 10 of the Local 
Government Code of 1991, as amended. 


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SEC. 4. Incumbent Barangay Officials. – The incumbent elected barangay officials of 
Barangays 9, 10, 11, 16, 18, 25, and 28 in the City of Ormoc, Province of Leyte shall continue to 
hold office until such time that their successors have been duly elected and qualified. 
 
SEC. 5. Public Infrastructure and Facilities. – All public infrastructure and facilities 
existing therein at the time of the approval of this Act are hereby transferred without cost or 
compensation to and shall be administered by Barangay East. 
 
SEC. 6. National Tax Allotment Shares. – Barangay East shall be entitled to National Tax 
Allotment (NTA) shares pursuant to Section 285 of the Local Government Code of 1991, as 
amended. 
 
SEC. 7. Effectivity Clause. – This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its complete 
publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
 
Approved,