Davao City Councilor J. Melchor Quitain Jr. on Tuesday made public his proposal to rename the barangays in the Población District to align with the naming system of other districts and to avoid confusion among Dabawenyos regarding their locations.
“Sa Poblacion lang kasi ang 1-40, all the rest of the barangays in the second and third districts may pangalan naman. Sa akin, mas maayo nga naa sila’y pangalan kay unusual ra kaayo kung numero lang, ug usahay kung numero makalibog (It is only in Poblacion that the barangays are numbered, 1–40. All the other barangays in the second and third districts already have names. For me, it’s better if they are given names because numbers alone are unusual, and sometimes, numbers can be confusing),” Quitain explained in a media interview.
He admitted that this would not be easy but said it should be pursued though.
He noted that after two committee hearings with the Davao City Legal Office, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), and the Barangay Cultural Communities Division of the City Mayor’s Office, they found out that the renaming process is both costly and tedious. It requires a plebiscite, and all proposed names must first be reviewed and approved by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP).
Quitain admitted that, given current budget constraints, the matter is not yet a priority. However, he said they may begin advancing the agenda in coordination with the affected barangays.
He added that he will meet with the 40 barangay captains during the September 15 committee hearing to instruct them to start considering possible names so these may eventually be submitted to the NHCP.
“Dili mani madayon sa karon kay very difficult ang requirements from your end [the barangays]. You may already think of suggested names, then pwede nato i-submit sa National Historical Commission, at least makita nato unsa ilang reply. Hangtod diha lang sa ta (This cannot push through for now because the requirements are very difficult for the barangays. You may already think of suggested names, then we can submit them to the NHCP to see what their response will be. We can stop there for the meantime),” Quitain said. CIO
