Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
TWENTIETH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
House Bill No.  1980
Introduced by REPRESENTATIVE RICARDO S. CRUZ, JR. 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The bill is a re-filed version of House Bill No. 0351 substituted by House Bill No. 
4602 introduced by Former Representative Maria Laarni Cayetano during the 18th 
Congress. This was approved on the 23rd of September 2019 in the House. Soon after, it 
was transmitted and received by the Senate by September 24 of the same year. 
Republic Act No. 7160, otherwise known as “The Local Government Code of 1991," 
as amended, was enacted precisely to breathe life into the constitutional mandate of local 
autonomy by establishing a more responsive and accountable local government structure 
instituted through an efficient system of decentralization. Essentially, this system is 
geared towards empowering local government units to achieve their full development as 
self-reliant communities, making them more effective and meaningful partners in the 
attainment of the nation's goals.  
Being the basic political unit, the barangays serve as "the primary planning and 
implementing unit of government policies, plans, programs, projects and activities in the 
community, and as a forum wherein the collective views of the people may be expressed, 
crystallized and considered” (Section 384 of the Local Government Code). As such, it is 
the country's ultimate front-liner in the provision of a broad range of basic services to the 
community, as well as in the delivery to the citizenry of their first taste of the fruits of 
local public service.  
In this sense, the creation of barangays, upon proper compliance with the 
requirements set by the Constitution and the Local Government Code, thus only serves to 
bolster the capability of local governments to efficiently and effectively perform their 
respective 
functions, 
duties 
and responsibilities in the name of autonomy, 
decentralization and national growth and prosperity.  
Further, the policy of establishing, protecting and enhancing fiscal autonomy on all 
levels of local governance is integral to the proper exercise of local government functions. 
This policy refers not just to the power to allocate one's resources in accordance with 
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one's priorities but also the power to create one's own sources of revenue in addition to 
one's equitable share in the national taxes released by the central government.  
Section 6, Article X of the Constitution states: “Local government units shall have a 
just share, as determined by law, in the national taxes which shall be automatically 
released to them.” The Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) as incorporated in the general 
appropriations law enacted annually by the legislature is the “just share” contemplated 
by the constitutional mandate. Therefore, it is clearly an indispensable component in the 
grant of meaningful and true fiscal autonomy to local government units. Further, Sec. 25 
of RA 7160 bolsters the Constitutional grant of a just share of LGUs in the IRA.  
Thus, this bill seeks to invoke the 1987 Constitution and RA 7160 by allowing 
Barangay New Lower Bicutan to be entitled to a just share from the national taxes. 
Barangay New Lower Bicutan, located within the City of Taguig, Metro Manila, is one such 
barangay excluded from a share in the IRA. It has a land area of One Hundred Six 
Thousand One Hundred square meters (106,100 sq.m.), more or less, and a population of 
Forty One Thousand Seven Hundred and Eight (41,708). It is bounded on the North East 
by M.R.T. Avenue (formerly Pio Felipe Street); on the East and South East, by Laguna de 
Bay; on the South, by Teodoro Santos Street, Taguig Bethel Temple, Lots 350, 50 and 249 
PLS 272; and on the West and North West by Barrameda Street, Maguindanao Street, 
Alfredo Cruz Street, Transmission Line, and Barangay Signal Village Proclamation No. 
172 Psd-13-002057. Having thus complied with the requisites prescribed under Section 
386 of the Local Government Code and the plebiscite requirement contained in Section 
10, Article X of the Constitution, it was separated from the original Barangay Lower 
Bicutan and created as a separate barangay by the City Government of Taguig, acting 
through the Sangguniang Panlungsod, under City Ordinance No. 69-2008 approved on 
September 15, 2008. Its corporate existence began on October 25, 2010 when its first set 
of regular officials was elected, pursuant to Section 14 of the Local Government Code.  
In view of these considerations, and in the face of resonating and unified public 
clamor for a clear and immediate legislative remedy to the matter at hand, the immediate 
approval of this bill is highly and earnestly sought.  
 RICARDO S. CRUZ JR. 
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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
TWENTIETH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
House Bill No. 1980
Introduced by REPRESENTATIVE RICARDO S. CRUZ, JR. 
AN ACT  
CREATING A BARANGAY TO BE KNOWN AS BARANGAY 
NEW LOWER BICUTAN IN THE CITY OF TAGUIG, 
METROPOLITAN MANILA 
    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled: 
SEC. l. Creation of Barangay New Lower Bicutan. – New Lower Bicutan Proper in 
Barangay Lower Bicutan, City of Taguig, Metropolitan Manila is hereby separated from 
Barangay Lower Bicutan and constituted into a distinct and independent barangay to be 
known as Barangay New Lower Bicutan. 
SEC. 2. Territorial Boundaries. - The territorial boundaries of Barangay New Lower 
Bicutan are hereby described as follows: 
"Bounded on the Northeast'' by M.R.T. Avenue (formerly Pio Felipe Street); On the 
East and Southeast by Laguna de Bay; On the South by Teodoro Santos Street, Taguig 
Bethel Temple, Lots 350, 50 and 249 PLS 272; and Barangay Signal Village Proclamation 
No. 172 Psd-13-002057." 
SEC. 3. Conduct and Supervision of Plebiscite.   - The plebiscite conducted and 
supervised by the Commission on Elections ​ (COMELEC)  in  Barangay   Lower   Bicutan 
pursuant   to  City Ordinance No. 69, Series of 2008 of the Sangguniang Panlungsod of  the 
City of Taguig, which ratified the creation of Barangay New Lower Bicutan as proclaimed 
by the City Board of Canvassers on December 28, 2008, shall serve as substantial 
compliance with the plebiscite requirement  under Section 10 of Republic Act No. 7160, as 
amended, otherwise  known as  the  "Local Government  Code of 1991". 
SEC. 4.  Incumbent Barangay Officials.  -  The incumbent barangay officials of 
Barangay New Lower Bicutan, City of Taguig 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 
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existing therein at the time  of  the approval  of   this  Act   are   hereby   transferred   
without   cost   or compensation to and shall be administered by the new barangay.  
 
SEC. 6. Internal Revenue Allotment Shares. - Barangay New Lower Bicutan shall be 
entitled to the Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) shares pursuant to Section 285 of the 
Local Government Code of 1991, as amended. 
 
​
SEC. 7. Effectivity. -  This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in 
the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation. 
 
Approved, 
 
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