On February 24, 2026, members and representatives from the Bachelor of Arts in Political Science of UB’s School of Teacher Education and Liberal Arts (STELA) department joined a public consultation convention and endeavored to create a rationalized strategy for a consequential attempt at local governments and participating barangays to provide a restructuring process for the city’s recent history.
Held at the Baguio Convention and Cultural Center, the proposed ordinance seeks to merge the city’s 128 barangays into a significantly smaller number of administrative units. Anchored on the provisions of Republic Act No. 7160. Supplied by the local census data depicting the consolidation of the 128 barangays into 34 units (later adjusted to a projected range of 60 to 70 pending updated census data), to mend long-standing non-compliance with the statutory population requirement of at least 5,500 residents per barangay. In which many of Baguio’s existing barangays fall short of this threshold, placing their legal and fiscal standing in a precarious position.
Alt text: Highlights from the 2026 Consolidation and forum event held at the Baguio Convention and Cultural Center
Councilor Rocky Aliping (president of the Liga ng mga Barangay), among others, spoke about the advantages of consolidation, emphasizing that a portion of barangay inhabitants are currently constrained by limited facilities and utilities, resulting in fragmented service delivery and administrative inefficiencies. The proposed idea was formed from a public administration perspective.
Consolidation Measures for Secluded Barangays
Consolidation measures should enable the creation of fiscally viable and administratively sustainable units. In exchange, larger barangays can harness economies of scale, further increasing their National Tax Allocation (NTA) shares, as the principle of rationalization is a key focus of the discourse. The consultation also revealed that the proposal remains in a contested state. Participants were encouraged to ask questions around barangay budgets and the allocation and redistribution of assets and liabilities.
In addition, the nomination or transition mechanisms through technical studies for incumbent barangay officials were cited, covering fiscal modeling, service coverage analysis, and demographic mapping to address concerns about representation, community identity, and the potential marginalization of smaller sitios that surfaced during the open forum.
Alt text: Open forum discussions from the 2026 Consolidation and forum event held at the Baguio Convention and Cultural Center
In highly urbanized cities (HUC) like the City of Pines, demographic expansion and urban complexity demand governance structures that are adaptive and professionalized. Honorary Aliping remarked during the consultation that “Times are changing.” The persistence of small, under-resourced barangays may no longer be compatible with the evolving demands of urban governance. Proponents argued that the consolidation measures and endeavors would make governance “easier for the city” by streamlining coordination, standardizing services, and reducing administrative redundancies.
A key anticipated outcome is the professionalization of barangay governance. With larger budgets and more stable fiscal bases, consolidated barangays would have the capacity to institutionalize plantilla positions such as Barangay Engineer, Accountant, and Administrator. This shift signals a move away from purely elective and often part-time administrative arrangements toward a more technocratic model of local governance. In theory, such reforms align with good governance principles that follow efficiency, accountability, and capacity building.
The historical context is equally instructive, as attempts at barangay restructuring in the past have not succeeded, largely due to political resistance and apprehension from affected and smaller, more secluded communities. The current initiative operates within a notable balance between legal compliance and political feasibility. The presence and participation of community figures, including stakeholders and other local leaders, underscored the importance of inclusive dialogue in navigating this reform.
Alt text: UB BAPS student representatives and esteemed members present at the 2026 Consolidation and forum event held at the Baguio Convention and Cultural Center
From a governance standpoint, the proposed merger may be interpreted as part of a broader trend toward administrative rationalization in Philippine local government units. By consolidating barangays, Baguio seeks to recalibrate its grassroots governance architecture in response to demographic realities and fiscal constraints. Yet the reform’s success will ultimately depend not only on technical soundness but also on public legitimacy, secured through transparent processes and a COMELEC-administered plebiscite.
As members and dedicated representatives from the BAPS department continue to push through with creating a space that informs and precedes regional, local, and national governance and community representation (expressed through SDG numbers 4, 10, 11, and 16), the city stands at a pivotal juncture. The rationalization of its barangays could redefine the scale, scope, and professionalism of local governance. Whether this structural transformation will reconcile efficiency with community representation remains the central question, and it is one that will shape the future trajectory of governance in Baguio City.
—
Written by: Karylle Golingab, John Daniel C. Cerado, Agape Vivien H. Garcia, Ace Justin G. Baquirin
Article Enhancement by: Gabriel Madriaga
