New village named after governor’s grandparents created in South Cotabato

The new village, Juan-Loreto Tamayo, named after the grandparents of South Cotabato Governor Reynaldo Tamayo Jr., is carved from three existing barangays in Tupi where the governor was once mayor

SOUTH COTABATO, Philippines – A new village has been created at the foot of Mount Matutum in Tupi town, South Cotabato, after residents ratified its creation in a low-turnout referendum on Saturday, July 13.

With the new village, Tupi town, classified as a first-class municipality, now has 16 barangays.

The new village, Juan-Loreto Tamayo, named after the grandparents of South Cotabato Governor Reynaldo Tamayo Jr., was carved from three existing barangays in the town where the governor once served as mayor.

Tamayo, known to be a close ally of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., is the president of the administration Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP), a position being contested by some of its members.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) said on Sunday, July 14, that of the 2,485 voters who cast their votes, 2,393 or 96% voted yes, while only 89 objected to it.

Elections Chairman George Erwin Garcia, who was present during the referendum, said, “The voting went smoothly and peacefully,” attributing it to the presence of police and military personnel.

Only about 25.45% of the 9,765 registered voters in the communities covered by the plebiscite cast their ballots. Tupi town has 50,007 registered voters, said election officer Sharon Alim-Hamid.

Of those who cast their votes, at least 1,294 voters came from Barangay Cebuano, 569 from Linan, and 622 from Miasong, she said.

The South Cotabato provincial board earlier passed Resolution No. 158-2023, seeking the creation of Barangay Juan-Loreto Tamayo, prompting Comelec to promulgate Resolution No. 10993 on May 3, and schedule the July 13 plebiscite.

The new village sits on 2,300 hectares that used to be part of Cebuano, Linan, and Miasong, and which lies along the Mount Matutum Protected Landscape (MMPL).

As a protected area, MMPL falls within the coverage of the Enhanced Integrated Protected Area System Act (E-NIPAS), designed to enhance biological diversity and protect against human exploitation.

With the creation of the new village, populated mostly by the indigenous people Blaan, environmentalists and the group Save Mount Matutum Protected Landscape (SMMPL)  expressed apprehension that the new village could draw more businesses and people, potentially affecting the ecology and biodiversity of the area.

And the group Save Mount Matutum Protected Landscape (SMMPL) fear a possible deterioration of the protected area once investors and traders develop the place for their businesses.

They said illegal constructions of buildings and houses have been going on almost unabated, despite the notice of violations and stoppage orders issued by the Mount Matutum Protected Area Management Board. – Rappler.com