The long-standing territorial dispute between Makati City and Taguig has finally reached its conclusion, with Taguig emerging as the victorious party. However, as the judicial dust settles, a personal clash brews between pro-Binay Makati residents and pro-Cayetano Taguigenos, leaving the fate of affected residents hanging in the balance.

After Makati Mayor Abby Binay conceded defeat and announced the formation of a transition team to facilitate the transfer of over 320,000 residents from ten barangays to Taguig, tensions run high among those who have been enjoying Makati’s social welfare services for years.

The 10 affected Embo barangays, despite contributing a mere 6% to the city’s revenue collections, currently receive a substantial 60% of Makati’s social services budget. With the automatic population surge in Taguig, now exceeding 1.2 million, many question whether the Cayetano-ruled city can maintain the same level of services for its newly acquired residents.

Amid the territorial dispute fallout, the clash between Makatizens and Taguig residents spills onto social media platforms. In particular, the “Rizal Pembo Comembo East Pembo Online Community” Facebook group, boasting over 38,000 active members, has become a battleground for intense public discourse between netizens from the two cities.

In a highly-engaged post, the group’s admin, Hector Santos from Rizal Makati, stirs the pot with his suggestion: “Abby Binay for Taguig City Mayor 2025. Baka lang naman po Mayora.” This statement resonates with numerous Binay supporters and affected residents who are grappling with the impending changes.

Responses from members flood in, each sharing their take on the potential future leadership of Taguig. One member humorously remarks, “Si Nancy Binay po ang tatakbo eh, hahaha sya po ung qualified at confirm na tatakbo,” alluding to Senator Nancy Binay, who is speculated to be a possible candidate for mayor in Taguig City in 2025.

Another member lamented that their transfer to Taguig per the Supreme Court’s landmark decision is actually “a downgrade”, saying: “Dinowngrade mo living condition mo from good to bad.”

Some worried Makati residents who could not afford to lose their benefits, like the Yellow Card, are planning to move to other Makati barangays not affected by the high court’s decision. 

Angel Cajanding Glorious posted: “LF House for rent District 1 area need na po lumipat at hindi po pwedeng mawala ang yellowcard sa tulad kong may sakit.”

One resident asked a member who appears to be pro-Taguig: “Jason Mabale, ang tanong ko po talaga anong mayron kay Taguig na wala sa Makati. paki sagot po para po maintindihan namin pinaglalaban mo.”

Some member also became emotional posting: “”If we lose something, we lose it for a reason. That reason might be hard to understand, we just have to believe that GOD takes away one thing when HE has something better to replace it with. GOD BLESS US ALL MAKATIZENS of District 2. 48 years in Brgy. Comembo.”

Another worried but grateful Makati resident, Rommel Taberdo, posted a receipt of his bill at Ospital ng Makati which would have cost him P2.1 million, but since he is a Makati resident, he was only billed P500. 

As the territorial dispute reverberates in both cities and social media platforms, the personal clash between residents reflects the broader impact of the transfer on their lives and the quality of services they have come to rely on. With emotions running high and uncertainty looming, the coming days will witness how the transition unfolds and how both cities’ leaders respond to the concerns and aspirations of their respective residents. The stage is set for a captivating drama that will shape the future of Makati and Taguig and redefine the relationships between their citizens and leaders.