By Nel Andrade
TANAY, Rizal — From 19 barangays on Friday, the municipality now has 20 villages following last Saturday’s plebiscite creating Barangay Madilaydilay.
With ‘yes’ votes of 1,841 in favor of creation of Barangay Madilaydilay as against 43 ‘no’ votes, the new village is now officially separated from Barangay Sampaloc, one of the upland villages of the municipality.
Although there was very low turn-out of votes in last Saturday’s plebiscite, apparently due to heavy rains that affected Barangay Sampaloc on July 28, the votes cast by the villagers officially sealed and confirmed the desire of the residents of the then Sitio Madilaydilay, to become a separate village.
Madilaydilay has a population of 2,595 whose main source of income is agriculture since most of the residents are pineapple growers and coconut farmers.
Out of the total population of Madilaydilay, only 491 voters were able to vote with 489 in favor of the separation, and 1 ‘no’ vote and a voter who abstained.
Barangay Sampaloc, one of the upland villages in Tanay, has more than 14,000 voters.