The Makati City government said on Monday, Aug. 14, that the local government of Taguig rejected its offer to continue supplying materials to students enrolled in the schools located in the "embo barangays."

According to Makati City Administrator Claro Certeza, the offer was rejected during a meeting last July, wherein Makati Mayor Abby Binay, Taguig Mayor Lani Cayetano, city officials and Department of education (DepEd) representatives were present.

“We have offered an arrangement that would benefit the students. But Taguig rejected it,” Certeza said in a statement.

On April 3, the Supreme Court (SC) affirmed its 2021 decision declaring Taguig City local government’s “lawful” jurisdiction over 10 barangays in Makati’s second district (Pembo, Comembo, Cembo, South Cembo, West Rembo, East Rembo, Pitogo, Rizal, Northside and Southside) and the Bonifacio Global City (BGC); citing "historical, documentary, and testimonial evidence."

Despite the filing of an omnibus motion to reconsider its decision on April 4 by the Makati City local government , the SC upheld the ruling on April 27.

Certeza said Mayor Binay proposed a “status quo” system that would enable the Makati government to continue providing services to the affected schools to “ease the worries of the students and their parents and avoid disruption in school operations.”

This proposition was rejected by Taguig officials, with Certeza saying that Makati was told to “stop distributing the students’ school needs starting this school year.”

“Alang-alang sa kapakanan ng mga kabataan at mga mamamayan ng sampung apektadong barangay, hayaan nyo na kaming magbigay ng libreng gamit at supplies ng mga estudyante. Sila po sana ang unahin natin (For the sake of the youth and the residents of the 10 affected barangays, please let us provide free school gear and supplies to the students. Let us make them our priority),” he said.  

Despite the rejection, Certeza noted that the Makati government’s offer to help the students still stands.  

“Makati has offered to continue to provide these benefits to ease the worries of the students and their parents. We have asked COA for guidance on how best to proceed, but we are willing and ready any time,” he added.

Around 30,000 public school students studying in schools within the 10 barangays covered in the boundary dispute were beneficiaries of Makati City’s free school supplies program, said the local government.

The school supplies include sneakers, white socks and black leather shoes, reusable water tumblers, Japanese-inspired Randoseru bags, hygiene kits, dental kits, anti-dengue kits, hard hats and Emergency Go Bags, rain gear including rain coats and rain boots, and jackets.

Aside from school equipment, Makati also offered free nutritious snacks to Kinder to Grade 6 level students through Project FEED (Food for Excellent Education and Development).  

Moreover, Certeza asked the Taguig government to “follow the rule of law” in relation to Taguig’s “forceful takeover” of the ‘embo’ public school buildings last Aug. 12. Certeza said enforcers allegedly belonging to Taguig’s Public Safety Department (PSD) "attempted to forcibly take possession of several public elementary and high school buildings in the barangays” without any lawful order. 

The 14 public schools located in the affected barangays in District 2 are Fort Bonifacio Elementary School, Cembo Elementary School, South Cembo Elementary School, Pitogo Elementary School, East Rembo Elementary School, Rizal Elementary School, Comembo Elementary School, West Rembo Elementary School, Pembo Elementary School, Makati Science High School, Benigno “Ninoy” S. Aquino High School, Tibagan High School, Fort Bonifacio High School, and Pitogo High School.