By MARK FRANCISCO
RESIDENTS of 16 gated communities in the southern uptown part of Cagayan de Oro City encompassing four existing barangays are lobbying for the creation of a new separate barangay.
The 16 subdivisions whose residents have banded together are Vista Verde Village, Golden Glow Village, Golden Glow Village North 1, Golden Glow Village North 2, Xavier Heights, Xavier Estates, Morning Mist Village, San Agustin Valley, Forest View Homes, The Courtyards, West Woods, Bellevue Homes, CDO PhilamLife, Camella Homes, Hillsborough Pointe and Pueblo Golf Estates.
Together, they have organized a group called the Federation of Uptown Villages Homeowners Associations to form a barangay that they decided to name as barangay Masterson. Masterson Avenue is the main tributary from the entrances of these subdivisions. They encompass the existing barangays of Balulang, Canitoan, Carmen and Lumbia.
With the current population of these subdivisions already totaling 30,000 inhabitants, Federation of Uptown Villages Homeowners Associations president Angel Lim Jr. said they are now qualified under law to apply as its own new barangay.
Lim is referring to Republic Act 9904, otherwise known as An Act Providing for a Magna Carta for Homeowners and Homeowners’ Associations, which states that a locality needs to have 5,000 inhabitants to qualify as a new barangay.
Lim said government services are not always trickled down at the subdivision level since barangays focus their governance more to those living outside gated villages.
“Pero ang wala na-point out sa mga kapitan is dili tanan nagpuyo sa subdivision mga affluent. Naay uban nga posible sapian sa primero apan nahapay ang negosyo. Aha man nila ipaeskwela ila mga anak nga wala may public high school diri sa amo?” Lim asked.
The area surrounding Masterson Avenue is abounded by private schools but there is no public high school in the locality. There is only one public elementary school there with a population of around 2,500 students as per 2020 records.
Lim added that they have no grievances against the barangay councils of Balulang, Canitoan, Carmen and Lumbia. But he said creating a new barangay would be advantageous for their residents so government services can be focused there.
He said that as of the moment, the federation is still lobbying among local government officials regarding their cause. “We are willing to talk to Mayor Klarex (Uy), to Congressman Lordan (Suan), to Vice Mayor Bebotte (Rodriguez) and to the members of the city council about the matter,” Lim said.
To drum up exposure, the federation organized a fun run last Sunday in the area. It was attended by more than 700 people.
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