Embo, Taguig

The Enlisted Men's Barrio, commonly known as Embo (stylized in all caps as EMBO), is a collective term for ten barangays in Taguig, Philippines. 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).

The area was formerly disputed between the cities of Makati and Taguig, as well as the municipality of Pateros. Proclamation No. 2475 issued by President Ferdinand Marcos unlawfully transferred the jurisdiction of Fort Bonifacio and the Embo barangays to Makati, which was contested by Taguig because it altered the town’s boundaries without the plebiscite as prescribed by the Constitution. 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, the barangays were transferred from Makati to Taguig.

Etymology

The collective for the Embo barangays were derived from enlisted men's ''barrios'' (EMBOs), as the area was originally a settlement for enlisted men serving in the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

History

Early history

Parts of the Embo area were formerly known as Mamancat, Masilang, San Nicolás, and Malapadnabato, all part of Pateros. Mamancat was known as a trading hub alongside its more developed neighbor, Aguho (now Barangay Agujo, Pateros) during the Spanish colonial era. San Nicolás, which comprises the present-day western portion of West Rembo, is the location of the Ermita de San Nicolás de Tolentino established in 1686, and is believed to be first settled by Chinese traders. Malapadnabato used to be linked to Pasig via an old bridge, while Masilang comprises present-day South Cembo. The two areas were later placed under the jurisdiction of San Pedro de Macati (modern Makati).

Establishment of EMBO settlements

At the end of the Philippine–American War, the United States colonial administration established Fort William McKinley at the center of present-day Metro Manila. During World War II, the military reservation served as headquarters for the United States Army Forces in the Far East (USAFFE) until the Imperial Japanese military takeover. After the end of the war, the Philippines would be granted full independence in July 1946 by the United States, which retained control over military bases in the country until 1991.

Fort McKinley would only be turned over to the Philippine government in 1949. The reservation was renamed Fort Bonifacio and the government made plans to create settlements for military personnel within the vicinity of the installation.

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. 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, then-Commanding General of Fort Bonifacio.

In 1956, two more settlements would be authorized: West Rembo and Pitogo. In 1957, Comembo, in the site formerly known as Mamancat, would be settled by personnel from the Combat Engineering Group of the Philippine Army. In the same year, the area was reserved for military use.

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. Pembo would be established to for personnel of the First Ranger Regiment, who were also known as the Panthers. In 1966, Cembo Annex was separated from Cembo proper and was renamed South Cembo.

On December 11, 1972, two barangays inside the Fort Bonifacio military reservation were established, namely: Post Proper Northside and Post Proper Southside.

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. In 1990, President Corazon Aquino issued Proclamation No. 518 to award land titles in the EMBO area to ''bona fide'' occupants.

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 and a population of 65,000 in 1995.

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 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.

Reintegration to Taguig

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. 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 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. To comply with the Supreme Court's decision, the Department of the Interior and Local Government released a memo dated October 26, 2023 transferring the control of the Embo barangays from Makati to Taguig.

On June 28, 2024, the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) formally listed the Embo barangays to be under Taguig, thereby making them eligible to vote in the 2025 Taguig local elections, for mayor, vice mayor, and city council, but initially not for the congressman (district representative) position. Due to the disenfranchisement of Embo residents, the Taguig City Council passed Ordinance No. 144 on September 16, 2024, reallocating the barangays between Taguig’s two existing legislative districts. This process was followed by Senate and House Concurrent Resolutions and COMELEC Resolution No. 11069 dated September 25, officially allowing Embo residents vote for a congressman for Taguig.

In September 2024, the Department of Justice said in a legal opinion that buildings and structures located in the EMBOs that were previously under control of Makati are under the jurisdiction of Taguig. Justice Department gave its opinion in response to a query from Department of Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa, who sought to determine whether the Supreme Court‘s 2023 ruling also transferred ownership of the buildings in the Embo barangays to Taguig.

On May 5, 2025, the Regional Trial Court of Taguig issued a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) directing the City of Makati to immediately cease obstructing the City of Taguig's access to and exclusive full possession of EMBO public properties which covers health centers, covered courts, multi-purpose buildings, parks and other properties covered by Proclamation Nos. 518 and 1916. The TRO effectively grants ownership of the public facilities to the City of Taguig and was in-effect for 72 hours. TRO was granted by the courts a 17-day extension on May 9. Later on, the RTC granted Taguig's prayer for preliminary injunction, which effectively retains Taguig's possession of the facilities for the continued public services for the Embo barangays.

Barangays

The Embo barangays are constituted as barangays of Taguig. These barangays are divided between Taguig-Pateros' two legislative districts and were previously part of Makati's 2nd legislative district. 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. The district claims an area of , which includes disputed areas with barangays Fort Bonifacio, Pinagsama, and Ususan, Western Bicutan, Palar Village.

;Former Makati Barangay Numbering

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. 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, as part of Taguig.

West Rembo was formerly designated by the Makati City Government as the city's Center of Education and Cultural Affairs when the barangay was still under Makati's control. West Rembo contains the University of Makati, while the campus of Makati Science High School is situated in Cembo.

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. 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.

The Mater Dolorosa Parish under the Amigonian Friars 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 National Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Saint John of the Cross Parish wase established for Pembo on August 9, 1991. On June 18, 1992, Santa Teresita Parish was be established in West Rembo. In 1998, a standalone parish for Comembo was proposed and was realized within the span of two years. The Military Ordinariate of the Philippines also has jurisdiction over the Philippine Army headquarters once claimed by Post Proper Southside and formerly Saint Michael the Archangel Parish in Bonifacio Global City, which was previously a military reservation.

The Pembo locale of Iglesia ni Cristo is located at Barangay Rizal. A chapel of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is located in Comembo. Churches of Baptists and Members Church of God International are also found in the Embo barangays.

References

{{Metro Manila populated places

Taguig
Makati
Pateros
Barangays of Taguig
Barangays of Metro Manila
1949 establishments in the Philippines
Former disputed land areas