The Enlisted Men's Barrio commonly known as EMBO refers to the collective term for ten barangays in Taguig, Philippines.[3][4][5] It is made up of barangays Cembo, Comembo, East Rembo, Pembo, Pitogo, Rizal, South Cembo and West Rembo, as well as the two Inner Fort barangays: Post Proper Northside and Post Proper Southside. The barangays were originally established to house military personnel of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
Enlisted Men's Barrio | |
|---|---|
| City Government Of Taguig De jure | |
 Embo and Bonifacio Global City | |
| Etymology: Enlisted Men's Barrio | |
 Map showing the Embo area. Faded portions of the Post Proper barangays overlap the territory already controlled by barangays Fort Bonifacio, Pinagsama, Ususan, and Western Bicutan. | |
| Country | Philippines |
| Region | National Capital Region |
| City | Taguig |
| First military settlement (Cembo) | 1949 |
| Transfer of control to Makati (de facto) | January 7, 1986 |
| Transfer of control to Taguig (de jure) | April 3, 2023 |
| Area | |
| • Total | 8.838 km2 (3.412 sq mi) |
| Population (2020)[1] | |
| • Total | 375,016 |
| Divisions | |
| • Barangays | 10
|
| Time zone | UTC+8 (PST) |
| ZIP code | |
| Area code | 2 |
The area was formerly disputed between the cities of Makati and Taguig,[6] as well as the municipality of Pateros.[7] Proclamation No. 2475 issued by President Ferdinand Marcos transferred the jurisdiction of Fort Bonifacio and the Embo barangays to Makati, which was contested by Taguig because it altered Taguig's boundaries without the required plebiscite, which was unconstitutional. From 1986 to 2023, the barangays were under the jurisdiction of Makati. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of Taguig and as of April 2023, territorial jurisdiction of the barangays were transferred from Makati to Taguig.[8][9]
Etymology
The collective for the Embo barangays were derived from enlisted men's barrios (EMBOs), as the area is originally a settlement for enlisted men serving in the Armed Forces of the Philippines.[10][11][12]
History
Early history
Part of the Embo area was formerly known as Mamancat, Masilang, San Nicolas,[13] and Malapadnabato,[14] respectively, all originally part of Pateros.[15] Mamancat was known as a trading hub alongside its more developed neighbor, Aguho (now Barangay Agujo, Pateros) during the Spanish colonial era.[16] San Nicolas, which comprises the present-day western portion of West Rembo, is the location of the Ermita de San Nicolas de Tolentino that was established in 1686 and is believed to be first settled by Chinese traders.[17] Malapadnabato used to be linked to Pasig via an old bridge,[18] while Masilang comprises the present-day South Cembo.[15] The two areas were later placed under the jurisdiction of San Pedro Macati (modern-day Makati).[19]
Establishment of EMBO settlements
At the end of the Philippine–American War, the United States colonial administration established the Fort William McKinley at the center of present-day Metro Manila. During World War II, the military reservation would be used as the headquarters of the United States Army Forces in the Far East (USAFFE) until the Imperial Japanese military took over it. After the conclusion of the war, the Philippines would be granted full independence by the United States in 1946 but retained control over its military bases.[11]
Fort McKinley would only be turned over to the Philippine government in 1949. The reservation was renamed as Fort Bonifacio and the government made plans to create settlements for military personnel within the vicinity of the installation.[11]
Cembo would be the first settlements among the EMBO barangays to be established, when the first batch of enlisted servicemen from the Infantry Group, Philippine Ground Force from Floridablanca, Pampanga arriving in 1949 to settle in the area.[20] In 1954, East Rembo was established as settlements for Fort Bonifacio-based enlisted men serving in the armed forces upon the authorization of the Armed Forces of the Philippines through the office of General Alfonso Arellano, the Commanding General of Fort Bonifacio.[21]
In 1956, two more settlements would be authorized:[11] West Rembo and Pitogo.[17][22] In 1957, Comembo, in the site formerly known as Mamancat, would be settled by personnel from the Combat Engineering Group of the Philippine Army.[16] In the same year, the area was reserved for military use.[23]
On October 27, 1965, the area was declared "open to disposition under certain provisions" through Proclamation No. 481, which was issued by President Diosdado Macapagal.[24] Pembo would be established to for personnel of the First Ranger Regiment, who were also known as the Panthers.[25] In 1966, Cembo Annex was separated from Cembo proper and was renamed South Cembo.[26]
On December 11, 1972, two barangays inside the Fort Bonifacio military reservation were established, namely: Post Proper Northside and Post Proper Southside.[27][28]
Transfer to Makati
On January 7, 1986, President Ferdinand Marcos issued Proclamation No. 2475, which transferred control of the Fort Bonifacio area to the municipal government of Makati and reserved the area for military personnel and their dependents.[29] In 1990, President Corazon Aquino issued Proclamation No. 518 to award land titles in the EMBO area to bona fide occupants.[12][30]
In February 1996, a new barangay named Rizal was created from Pembo through Makati City Ordinance No. 96-010. It was later ratified through a plebiscite held on June 29, 1996. Prior to the creation of Rizal, Pembo was larger than the municipality of Pateros, with a land area of 123 hectares (300 acres) and a population of 65,000 in 1995.[25][31]
The Fort Bonifacio area and the Embo barangays would be subject of a territorial dispute between the city governments of Taguig and Makati. Taguig filed the case in 1993. In 2022, the Supreme Court of the Philippines ruled that Makati should stop exercising jurisdiction over the Embo barangays although the Makati city government has maintained that will continue to do so until it exhausts all legal remedies and Taguig secures a writ of execution from the Supreme Court.[10]
Transfer to Taguig
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In April 2023, the Supreme Court of the Philippines has junked the motion for reconsideration that was filed by the City Government of Makati to override the court's earlier decision, siding with Taguig. The Taguig city government has released a statement "welcoming the new Taguigeños", referring to the residents of the affected Embo barangays, and that they would start working on the transition and handover of the Embo barangays.[8] On the dispositive portion of the Supreme Court of the Philippines ruling on December 1, 2021, it reinstated the Writ of Preliminary Injunction dated August 2, 1994 issued by the RTC of Pasig, explicitly referring to Parcels 3 and 4, Psu-2031, comprising Fort Bonifacio, be made permanent insofar as it enjoined the Municipality, now City of Makati, from exercising jurisdiction over, making improvements on, or otherwise treating as part of its territory, Parcels 3 and 4, Psu-2031, comprising Fort Bonifacio.[18] However, the Court did not rule on the ownership of the facilities, including schools and health centers, that were built with Makati funds. The property had been awarded to Makati by the national government through Proclamation No. 1916, which was signed on October 14, 2009.[32] However, subsequent Proclamations after 1994 that granted properties, land and other benefits to Makati in the area could be assailed or invalidated for the same faulty assumption as the 1986 Marcos proclamation.
If Makati insists on ownership and continues to deprive the Embo citizens of public facilities, they can be considered as builders in bad faith, and Taguig, as rightful owner of the land, is entitled to remedies to rectify this. If the lands are titled to Makati, they are subject to the property, tax, business, and zoning laws of Taguig. If untitled, Makati is basically squatting on Taguig lands. The transfer of registry records will be the solution to this conundrum.
Similar to the 1989 and 2001 Camarines Norte v Quezon (Sta. Elena, Cam. Norte vs Calauag, Quezon) territorial dispute Supreme Court cases, in which the ruling was in favor of Santa Elena, Camarines Norte was able to gain most of the government properties in the disputed barangays like barangay halls, schools, covered courts without the need for the writ of execution (which is similar to Taguig's stance).[33]
On November 8, 2023, the Department of the Interior and Local Government released a memo dated October 26, 2023 transferring the control of the Embo barangays to Taguig.[34]
Barangays
The Embo barangays are constituted as barangays of Taguig.[11][35] These barangays were formerly part of Makati's 2nd congressional district.[36] The two Inner Fort barangays, namely Post Proper Northside and Post Proper Southside, as well as Pitogo and Rizal (formerly part of Pembo) are also grouped with other barangays with "Embo" in its name.
| Official Seal | Barangay | Makati numbering | Etymology | Population (2020) | Area (km2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cembo | Barangay 25 | Central Enlisted Men's Barrio | 25,049 | 0.22 | |
| South Cembo | Barangay 24 | 14,978 | 0.20 | ||
 | Comembo | Barangay 28 | Combat Enlisted Men's Barrio | 15,805 | 0.27 |
| East Rembo | Barangay 27 | Riverside Enlisted Men’s Barrio | 26,450 | 0.44 | |
| West Rembo | Barangay 26 | 29,649 | 0.55 | ||
| Pembo | Barangay 29 | Panthers Enlisted Men's Barrio | 44,506 | 0.64 | |
 | Pitogo | Barangay 23 | From pitogo, a local term for a palm plant[37] | 14,654 | 0.14 |
 | Post Proper Northside | Barangay 30 | 57,940 | 2.376 | |
 | Post Proper Southside | Barangay 31 | 63,308 | 3.412 | |
 | Rizal | Barangay 33[38] | Named after José Rizal | 44,536 | 0.59 |
| Total population and area | 336,875 | 8.838 | |||
Education
There are 14 public elementary and secondary schools in Embo under the supervision of the Schools Division Office of Taguig City and Pateros (SDO-TAPAT) since January 1, 2024.[39] These schools were formerly under the Schools Division Office of Makati, and were transferred to the jurisdiction of SDO-TAPAT following the resolution of the Makati–Taguig territorial dispute, which was ruled with finality in 2023 that declared that the Fort Bonifacio area, including the Embo barangays, are part of Taguig.
Formerly, West Rembo was designated by the local government of Makati as the city's Center of Education and Cultural Affairs. It is the site of Makati's public university, University of Makati. While Cembo was the site of the Makati Science High School.[17]
The 14 public elementary and secondary schools are:
- Benigno “Ninoy” S. Aquino High School (Comembo)
- Cembo Elementary School (Cembo)
- Comembo Elementary School (Comembo)
- East Rembo Elementary School (East Rembo)
- Fort Bonifacio Elementary School (West Rembo)
- Fort Bonifacio High School (West Rembo)
- Makati Science High School (Cembo)
- Pembo Elementary School (Pembo)
- Pitogo Elementary School (Pitogo)
- Pitogo High School (Pitogo)
- Rizal Elementary School (Rizal)
- South Cembo Elementary School (South Cembo)
- Tibagan High School (East Rembo)
- West Rembo Elementary School (West Rembo)
Most of Post Proper Northside and Post Proper Southside overlap territories controlled by barangays Fort Bonifacio and Pinagsama, which are home to educational institutions. Fort Bonifacio is home to private institutions, including international schools and the satellite campuses of De La Salle University and University of the Philippines, in Bonifacio Global City, while Pinagsama is home to Enderun Colleges and MINT College in McKinley Hill and Palar Integrated School, a public school already under the jurisdiction of Taguig.
Religion
The predominantly Roman Catholic population in the Embo barangays, particularly the areas previously controlled by Makati, is served by five parishes under the Archdiocese of Manila.[40][41] Conversely, the areas already under the control of Taguig, even before the transfer of Post Proper Northside and Post Proper Southside to the city, including the Bonifacio Global City and parts of the Bonifacio Capital District, fall under the Diocese of Pasig.[42]
The Mater Dolorosa Parish of the Amigonian Fathers and Brothers in East Rembo was established on September 8, 1987 through a decree by Manila Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin. It originally covered the barangays of Cembo, West Rembo, East Rembo, Comembo, and Pembo. Cembo would later be transferred to the Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish.[43] The Saint John of the Cross Parish would be established for Pembo on August 9, 1991.[44] On June 18, 1992, the Santa Teresita would be established in West Rembo. In 1998, a standalone parish for Comembo was proposed and was realized within the span of two years.[43] The Military Ordinariate of the Philippines also has jurisdiction over the Philippine Army headquarters once claimed by Post Proper Southside and formerly the St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Bonifacio Global City, which is previously a military reservation.[42]
The Pembo locale of Iglesia ni Cristo is located at Barangay Rizal. The headquarters of Victory, an Evangelical Christian church, is located in Bonifacio Global City, Fort Bonifacio, particularly in the area overlapping the Post Proper Northside. Churches of Baptists and Members Church of God International are also found in the Embo barangays.
References
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