The BARANGAY is the basic unit of the Philippine Political System. Originally known as barrio, its name was changed to Barangay under Presidential Decree No. 557, dated September 21, 1974 for purely historical and patriotic reasons. The word barangay comes from the sailboats in which immigrants from Indonesia and Borneo came to the islands long before the coming of foreign colonizers. The people who came on these sailboats referred their group as balangay or barangay, meaning branch. Barrio the precursor of the barangay, was of Spanish origin.

 

        A barangay usually consists of from one hundred to five hundred families residing within a circumscribed area in a city or municipality and administered by a set of elective officials headed by a Punong Barangay (Barangay Captain).

 

        As the basic political unit, the barangay is the take off point in the planning and implementation of most government programs and projects. Its powers, duties and function are carried out through three main organs, namely, the Barangay Assembly, the Sangguniang Barangay and the Punong Barangay.

 

         Barangay 5 is one of the Forty One (41) Urban Barangays which was created in 1973, under Ordinance No. P.D. 86-86-A. Modified on December 17, 1985 under City Ordinance No. 08, approving and adopting the Recommended Delineation of Boundaries of the Sixty One (61) Urban and Rural Barangays.

 

         The first Punong Barangay of Barangay 5 was Adelina Solilapse, who was appointed after Martial Law. The second was Dr. Hector Torre. He was elected but left for Manila without leave. Lina Rodriguez became the OIC, making her the third Punong Barangay of Barangay 5. The fourth was Norberto Velez followed by Ruperto Javier then Felix Jardenico Jr. And the present Punong Barangay is Raymundo S. Salaveria, making him the seventh Punong Barangay of Barangay 5.