Taguig City

Taguig (Filipino: Tagig) is the newest city in Metro Manila in the Philippines. The city used to be a thriving fishing community along the shores of Laguna de Bay but is now an important residential and industrial suburb of Manila. The recent construction of the C-5 highway and the acquisition of the Fort Bonifacio Global City development area has paved the way for progress what used to be one of the poorest municipalities in the metropolis.

Taguig lies on the western shore of Laguna de Bay and is bordered by Muntinlupa City to the south, Parañaque City to the southwest, Pasay City to the west, and Makati City, Pateros, and Pasig City to the north. Taguig River, a tributary of the Pasig River cuts through the northern half of the municipality and Napindan River, also a tributary of the Pasig forms the common border of Taguig with Pasig City.

History

Before the Spaniards came, Taguig was a part of Tondo. There were also accounts that Chinese settlements were once present in the area as revealed by the recent archeological diggings of various artifacts like glasses, cups, plates and other utensils, which bear Chinese characters. This was believed to have originated from China's Ming dynasty.

Taguig was one of the earliest known territories to have been Christianized when the Spaniards succeeded in subjugating mainland Luzon through the Legazpi expedition in 1571. Between the years 1582 and 1583, Taguig was of the encomienda of Tondo headed by an Alcalde Mayor, Captain Vergara. It was in 1587 when Taguig was established as a separate "pueblo" (town) of the then province of Manila. Captain Juan Basi was its Kapitan from 1587 to 1588. According to records, Taguig had nine (9) barrios then namely, Bagumbayan, Bambang, Hagonoy, Palingon, Sta. Ana, Tipas, Tuktukan, Ususan, and Wawa.

During that time, Taguig was accessible via the Pasig River, which was connected to two large bodies of water, the Manila Bay and Laguna de Bay. The population then was estimated to be 800 tributes. The town produced more than enough rice for their consumption but had less sugar cane to mill. The men lived through fishing while women wove cotton cloth and "sawali" from bamboo strips.

The people of Taguig were known to have resisted both Spanish and American colonial rule. During that early period of Spanish colonition. Don Jaun Basi, "Kapitan" of Taguig from 1587 to 1588, attempted to overthrow the Spanish government but failed. He was exiled for two years as punishement. When then Katipunan was on its eraly years, many from taguig became followers and later joined the uprising. The people of Taguig also joined the revolutionary government of General Emilio Aguinaldo on August 6, 1898.

During the American occupation, they struggled against the forces of General Wheaton under the command of General Pio del Pilar. It was recorded that on February 6, 1889, Filipino forces including Taguig "revolutionarios" dislodged an American position in the hills of Taguig, now a portion of Pateros and Fort Bonifacio. They were defeated eventually by the Americans with superioty in the armaments and training. taguig finally fell to the contigent of the First Washington Volunter Infantry led by Col. Wholly.

The defeat of the Filipnos after two years of struggle against the American forces subsequently subjected the Philippines to another system of governance. On August 14, 1898, united States occupied the island and established a military government with General Wesley Meritt as the First Military Governor. He exercised legislative powers until September 1, 1900.

At the start of American regime, Taguig was proclaimed as an independent municipality with the promulgation of General Order No. 4 on March 29, 1900. The town was subsequently incorporated to the newly created province of Rizal when the Philippine Commission promulgated Act. No. 137 on June 11, 1901. On October 12, 1903, Taguig, Muntinlupa and Pateros were merged by the virtue of Act. No. 942 with Pateros hosting the seat of the municipal government. The merger did not last long as a month later Muntinlupa was segregated from it and made part of Biñan when Act. No. 1008 was enacted on November 25, 1903. However it was returned to Taguig on March 22, 1905 with the promulgation Act. No. 1308. On February 29, 1908, Taguig was again declared an independent municipality through Executive Order No. 20. Eventually, Pateros separated from Taguig and both became independent municipalities of Rizal province on January 1, 1918.

It was also during the American Colonial Period that the US government acquired a 25.78 km² property of Taguig for military purposes. This large piece of land which had a TCT dated 1902, was turned into a camp and was then known as Fort McKinley(named after the 25th president of US Pres. William McKinley). When the Japanese occupied the Philippines in 1942, Fort McKinley was taken over by the Japanese Imperial Army. They occupied the military camp until the end of the war in 1945.

After the Philippines gained its political independence from the United States on July 4, 1946, the US surrendered the Republic of the Philippines all right of possession, jurisdiction, supervision and control over the Philippine territory except the used of the military bases. On May 14, 1949, Fort McKinley was turned over to the Philippine government by virtue of the US embassy Note No. 0570.

Fort McKinley was made the permanent headquarters of the PhilippineArmy in 1957 and was subsequently renamed Fort Bonifacio after the Father of the Philippine Revolution against Spain, Andres Bonifacio.

Taguig was once composed of eleven barrios, namely, Bagumbayam, Bambang, Bicutan, Calzada, Hagonoy, Napindan, Sta. Ana, Tipas, Tuktukan, Ususan and Wawa. Records show that Tipas had once petitioned to become an independent town but was denied by the Spanish government.

The town's political subdivision was changed to barangays following the nationwide implementation of the Integrated Reorganization Plan (IRP) in the 1970's when the country was under Martial Law. The IRP has increased its subdivisions into 18 barangays, namely, Bagong Tanyag, Bagumbayan, Bambang, Calzada, Hagonoy, Ibayo-Tipas, Ligid-Tipas, Lower Bicutan, Maharlika, Napindan, Palingon, Signal Village, Sta. Ana, Tuktukan, Upper Bicutan, Ususan, Wawa, and Western Bicutan. Soon to be added to its jurisdiction is Barangay Fort Bonifacio. On November 7, 1975, Taguig was carved out from the province of Rizal to form the national Capital Region through Presidential Decree No. 824. Today, Taguig is still one of the seventeen (17) cities and municipalities that comprise Metro Manila.

Makati City and Taguig have recently fought over the jurisdiction of Fort Bonifacio. This Philippine military base, part of which has been converted to a modern commercial and residential development area, lies in an ambiguous area. A portion of the base, including the Libingan ng mga Bayani (Cemetery for the Heroes) and the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial Park lies within Taguig, while the northern portion where the development center is now located used to be considered part of Makati. A 2003 ruling by a judge in the Pasig Regional Trial Court has upheld the jurisdiction of Taguig over the whole of Fort Bonifacio, including the Fort Bonfacio Global City.

In 1998, a bill was passed in Congress pushing for the cityhood of Taguig. The resulting plebiscite in April showed that the citizens were against cityhood. A recent petition to the Supreme Court sought a recount of the plebiscite and the Supreme Court on February 19, 2004 ordered the Commission on Elections to conduct a recount. The recount showed that the residents did want the municipality of Taguig to become a city (21,105 'yes' and 19,460 'no'). Subsequently, Taguig became a city on December 8, 2004.

External links

• Official Website of the City of Taguig (http://www.taguig.gov.ph/)
• Comelec Upholds Taguig Cityhood (http://www.malaya.com.ph/dec10/metro3.htm) Malaya News
• Taguig Cityhood Gets Comelec Approval (http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2004/dec/10/yehey/metro/20041210met12.html) The Manila Times
• Fernando, Jean. “Judge: Fort Bonifacio in Taguig, not Makati.” (http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2003/mar/14/metro/20030314met6.html) The Manila Times.
• “Executive Order No. 256: Declaration on the Effect of Special Patent No. 3596 and Establishing a Makati-Taguig Boundary Committee.” (http://www.ops.gov.ph/records/eo_no256.htm) Office of the President, Republic of the Philippines.

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