Singkamas is a

barangay A barangay (; abbreviated as Brgy. or Bgy.), historically referred to as barrio (abbreviated as Bo.), is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village, district, or ward. In metropolita ...

located in

Makati Makati ( ), officially the City of Makati ( fil, Lungsod ng Makati), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. Makati is the financial center of the Philippines; it has the highest concentration ...

. It is a residential area with a population of 7,370 recorded by the 2015 census. The name derived from the word ''

singkamas ''Pachyrhizus erosus'', commonly known as jícama ( or ; Spanish ''jícama'' ; from Nahuatl ''xīcamatl'', ) Mexican turnip, is the name of a native Mexican vine, although the name most commonly refers to the plant's edible tuberous root. Jícam ...

'', a local term for jicamas. Singkamas is the second smallest barangay in Makati in terms of land area with a land area of .

History

Singkamas was an integral part of Barrio Tejeros. It was then a

sitio A ''sitio'' (Spanish for "site") in the Philippines is a territorial enclave that forms part of a barangay. Typically rural, a ''sitios location is usually far from the center of the barangay itself and could be its own barangay if its popul ...

with about 200 houses of light materials and 150 houses of stronger built. In 1960, after the passage of Republic Act No. 2370 (Barrio Charter), Barangay Singkamas was officially recognized as a separate barrio from Barrio Tejeros. Inspired by their independent status, the inhabitants built their own house of worship — the Holy Cross Chapel — which became the rallying point of neighborhood rehabilitation. This landmark also became the center of public forum and festivities, like

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year ...

and Barrio Fiesta Celebrations. Being the second smallest

, Barangay Singkamas struggled to sustain its existence by depending on its meager income or revenue derived from

tax collection A revenue service, revenue agency or taxation authority is a government agency responsible for the intake of government revenue, including taxes and sometimes non-tax revenue. Depending on the jurisdiction, revenue services may be charged with ...

s, IRA and RPT entitlements. Singkamas is a former sitio of Barrio Tejeros and was officially recognized as a separate barrio in 1960 by virtue of Republic Act 2370. The first move towards this independent status was taken in the early 1950s when the residents felt it would be more beneficial for them to have their own set of leaders and the autonomy to manage their own affairs especially its Barrio Fiesta. As a result of the separation, the residents of Singkamas decided to build their own chapel, the Holy Cross, although it is located in Barangay Tejeros. In the past, Singkamas had the unique tradition of hanging fresh and succulent

turnip The turnip or white turnip ('' Brassica rapa'' subsp. ''rapa'') is a root vegetable commonly grown in temperate climates worldwide for its white, fleshy taproot. The word ''turnip'' is a compound of ''turn'' as in turned/rounded on a lathe and ...

s instead of the usual

buntings The buntings are a group of Old World passerine birds forming the genus ''Emberiza'', the only genus in the family Emberizidae. The family contains 45 species. They are seed-eating birds with stubby, conical bills. Taxonomy The family Emberizi ...

during their fiesta. This practice gave the place its distinct name, Barrio Singkamas.

References

Barangays of Metro Manila {{MetroManila-geo-stub