Batasan Hills, Quezon City
Encyclopedia
Batasan Hills is a barangay
located in the 2nd District of Quezon City
, Philippines
. It borders the barangays of Commonwealth and Bagong Silangan
to the north, Barangay Holy Spirit to the west, Barangay Matandang Balara to the south, and the town of San Mateo, Rizal
to the east. Two major government establishments are located in the barangay include the House of Representatives of the Philippines
and the Sandiganbayan
.
The current barangay captain is Ranulfo "Rannie" Z. Ludovica.
A plebiscite was conducted and ratified by the majority of the votes casts by the residents. In 1986, after the People Power Revolution and 3 years after the approval of Batas Pambansa Blg. 343, the first set of barangay officials were appointed by President Corazon C. Aquino
through the (then) Secretary of Interior and Local Government Aquilino Pimentel
. Manuel D. Laxina was the first appointed Barangay Chairman, along with 6 Barangay Kagawads (Barangay Counselors).
The barangay was envisioned to be the new home of the National Government Center, an area housing the three branches of the Philippine government (legislative, executive and judicial), because Quezon City
was declared the capital of the country in 1948. This government center in Quezon City was originally planned to be at what is now Quezon Memorial Circle
, before it was moved north to the area of what is now Batasan Hills. Even as the Batasang Pambansa Complex
was being completed, the capital of the country was transferred to Manila
in 1976. Before its creation as a barangay, the area was called "Constitution Hill", referring to the hilly area on where the government center was supposed to rise.
Today, most of Batasan Hills is residential. Although it has one of the largest urban poor populations in the country, it is also home to middle and upper class real estate properties like Filinvest 1 and 2, Northview 1 and 2, and Treviso which were developed by real estate firm Filinvest Land. Other middle and upper class real estate properties include Vista Real Executive Village and Vista Real Classica Subdivision.
As of 2007, the current population of the barangay stands at 148,624..
which houses the House of Representatives
, and the Sandiganbayan Centennial Building, home of the Sandiganbayan
which is one of the major courts of the country. Other government establishments in the area include the headquarters of the Civil Service Commission
, the Commission on Audit, and the Department of Social Welfare and Development
.
Also located within the barangay is Ever Gotesco Commonwealth (a shopping mall), a Convergys
office (call center), a branch of Starbucks, Ministop, and St. Peter's Parish along Commonwealth Avenue
.
St. Peter's Parish was created
There are three major roads in Barangay Batasan Hills, These are Commonwealth Avenue
which is the widest road in the Philippines at 18 lanes (9 on both sides), and the Batasan (IBP) Road
which is one of the main routes in to the barangay. Also, the road has a tunnel which connects the southbound side of the road to Commonwealth Avenue. The third major route is the Batasan-San Mateo Road
which connects the barangay to the town of San Mateo, Rizal
where the Batasan-San Mateo Bridge in the Marikina River
connects the two areas. There are smaller roads like Filinvest 2 Road which connects with the Batasan-San Mateo Road
, and the Filinvest 1 Road which connects with Batasan Road
.
Future MRT line
Currently there are no train lines along Commonwealth Avenue, traversing through the barangay. But there are plans to build one along the highway via the MRT 7 which will begin construction in 2010 or 2011. This MRT line starts from Quirino Highway in San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan through parts of Northern Caloocan and Quezon City through Commonwealth Avenue, and will end at North Avenue to connect with the MRT 3 line. This is expected to decongest traffic on the avenue.
Barangay
A barangay is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village, district or ward...
located in the 2nd District of Quezon City
Quezon City
Quezon City is the former capital and the most populous city in the Philippines. Located on the island of Luzon, Quezon City is one of the cities and municipalities that make up Metro Manila, the National Capital Region. The city was named after Manuel L...
, Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. It borders the barangays of Commonwealth and Bagong Silangan
Bagong Silangan
Bagong Silangan is a barangay located in the 2nd district of Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines. Nearby barangays are Commonwealth, Batasan Hills and Payatas...
to the north, Barangay Holy Spirit to the west, Barangay Matandang Balara to the south, and the town of San Mateo, Rizal
San Mateo, Rizal
San Mateo, Rizal is a first class urban municipality of Rizal Province. Located on the island of Luzon, San Mateo is one of 13 municipalities and a capital city that make up the Province of Rizal, Region 4-A of the Philippines. San Mateo is part of the Metro Luzon Urban Beltway...
to the east. Two major government establishments are located in the barangay include the House of Representatives of the Philippines
House of Representatives of the Philippines
The House of Representatives of the Philippines is the lower chamber of the...
and the Sandiganbayan
Sandiganbayan
The Sandiganbayan is a special court in the Philippines which was established under Presidential Decree No. 1606. Its rank is equivalent to the Court of Appeals. The court consists of 14 Associate Justices and 1 Presiding Justice...
.
The current barangay captain is Ranulfo "Rannie" Z. Ludovica.
Background
Barangay Batasan Hills is a portion of Barangay Matandang Balara separated and constituted into a new barangay by virtue of Batas Pambansa Blg. 343 - An Act Creating Barangay Batasan Hills in Quezon City, Metropolitan Manila on February 25, 1983. Section 2 of the act specified the area of the new barangay:A plebiscite was conducted and ratified by the majority of the votes casts by the residents. In 1986, after the People Power Revolution and 3 years after the approval of Batas Pambansa Blg. 343, the first set of barangay officials were appointed by President Corazon C. Aquino
Corazon Aquino
Maria Corazon Sumulong Cojuangco-Aquino was the 11th President of the Philippines and the first woman to hold that office in Philippine history. She is best remembered for leading the 1986 People Power Revolution, which toppled Ferdinand Marcos and restored democracy in the Philippines...
through the (then) Secretary of Interior and Local Government Aquilino Pimentel
Aquilino Pimentel, Jr.
Aquilino "Nene" Quilinging Pimentel, Jr. is a Filipino politician who served as the President of the Senate of the Philippines from 2000-2001.-Delegate to the 1971 Constitutional Convention:...
. Manuel D. Laxina was the first appointed Barangay Chairman, along with 6 Barangay Kagawads (Barangay Counselors).
The barangay was envisioned to be the new home of the National Government Center, an area housing the three branches of the Philippine government (legislative, executive and judicial), because Quezon City
Quezon City
Quezon City is the former capital and the most populous city in the Philippines. Located on the island of Luzon, Quezon City is one of the cities and municipalities that make up Metro Manila, the National Capital Region. The city was named after Manuel L...
was declared the capital of the country in 1948. This government center in Quezon City was originally planned to be at what is now Quezon Memorial Circle
Quezon Memorial Circle
The Quezon Memorial Circle is a national park and shrine located in Quezon City, former capital of the Philippines . The park is an ellipse bounded by the Elliptical Road. Its main feature is a mausoleum containing the remains of Manuel L...
, before it was moved north to the area of what is now Batasan Hills. Even as the Batasang Pambansa Complex
Batasang Pambansa Complex
The Batasang Pambansa Complex is the headquarters of the House of Representatives of the Philippines. It is located at Batasan Road, Batasan Hills, Quezon City....
was being completed, the capital of the country was transferred to Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
in 1976. Before its creation as a barangay, the area was called "Constitution Hill", referring to the hilly area on where the government center was supposed to rise.
Today, most of Batasan Hills is residential. Although it has one of the largest urban poor populations in the country, it is also home to middle and upper class real estate properties like Filinvest 1 and 2, Northview 1 and 2, and Treviso which were developed by real estate firm Filinvest Land. Other middle and upper class real estate properties include Vista Real Executive Village and Vista Real Classica Subdivision.
As of 2007, the current population of the barangay stands at 148,624..
Government Offices
- House of Representatives of the PhilippinesHouse of Representatives of the PhilippinesThe House of Representatives of the Philippines is the lower chamber of the...
at the Batasang Pambansa ComplexBatasang Pambansa ComplexThe Batasang Pambansa Complex is the headquarters of the House of Representatives of the Philippines. It is located at Batasan Road, Batasan Hills, Quezon City.... - SandiganbayanSandiganbayanThe Sandiganbayan is a special court in the Philippines which was established under Presidential Decree No. 1606. Its rank is equivalent to the Court of Appeals. The court consists of 14 Associate Justices and 1 Presiding Justice...
- Commission on Audit
Buildings and structures
Notable buildings and structures within the barangay include the Batasang Pambansa ComplexBatasang Pambansa Complex
The Batasang Pambansa Complex is the headquarters of the House of Representatives of the Philippines. It is located at Batasan Road, Batasan Hills, Quezon City....
which houses the House of Representatives
House of Representatives of the Philippines
The House of Representatives of the Philippines is the lower chamber of the...
, and the Sandiganbayan Centennial Building, home of the Sandiganbayan
Sandiganbayan
The Sandiganbayan is a special court in the Philippines which was established under Presidential Decree No. 1606. Its rank is equivalent to the Court of Appeals. The court consists of 14 Associate Justices and 1 Presiding Justice...
which is one of the major courts of the country. Other government establishments in the area include the headquarters of the Civil Service Commission
Civil Service Commission (Philippines)
The Civil Service Commission of the Philippines is a government agency which deals with civil service matters and conflict resolution. It is tasked with the responsibility of overseeing the integrity of government actions and processes. The commission was originally founded in 1900 through Act...
, the Commission on Audit, and the Department of Social Welfare and Development
Department of Social Welfare and Development (Philippines)
The Philippines Department of Social Welfare and Development is the executive department of the Philippine Government responsible for the protection of the social welfare rights of Filipinos and to promote social development.-History:...
.
Also located within the barangay is Ever Gotesco Commonwealth (a shopping mall), a Convergys
Convergys
Convergys Corporation is a corporation based in Cincinnati, Ohio that provides solutions in customer management and information management. Customer management solutions include agent assisted, self-service and proactive care solutions tailored to the communications, financial services,...
office (call center), a branch of Starbucks, Ministop, and St. Peter's Parish along Commonwealth Avenue
Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City
Commonwealth Avenue , formerly called as Don Mariano Marcos Avenue is a highway located in Quezon City, Philippines which spans from 10 to 18 lanes and known as the widest in the Philippines...
.
St. Peter's Parish was created
Villages/Subdivisions
The barangay is mostly residential with a lot of subdivisions and villages which include:- Filinvest 2 Subdivision
- Northview 1 Subdivision
- Northview 2 Subdivision
- Sugartowne Housing Project
- Treviso
- Spring Country Subdivision
- Capitol Ridge Executive Subdivision
- New Capitol Estates
- Sunnyside Heights Subdivision
- Nelson Ville I
- Villa Amor Uno
- Capitol Estates 2
- Vista Real Executive Village
- Vista Real Classica Subdivision
- other subdivisions
Schools
There are schools located in the barangay namely:- Batasan Hills National High School
- Pres.Corazon C. Aquino Elementary School (Formerly Batasan Hills Elementary School)
- San Diego Elementary School
- Diliman Preparatory SchoolDiliman Preparatory SchoolDiliman Preparatory School is a private school in Quezon City which held the attempt to break the World Record in Swim Relay last December 10-11, 2010. The 24-hour event started 4:00 p.m., December 10, and ended at the same time on December 11. It was 496 short of the world record of 5,028 swimmers...
- Capitol Hills Christian School
- Our Lady of Mercy School
- Academia de Sta. Faustina
- Mary the Queen College
- Fairhope Academy
- Batasan Chunan Christian School
- Quezon City Polytechnic UniversityQuezon City Polytechnic UniversityThe Quezon City Polytechnic University is a Local university founded by Quezon City government...
-Batasan Campus
Churches
- St. Peter's Parish
- San Antonio De Padua Parish
- Capitol Hills Christian Church
- Christ the King Parish
- Protestant Parishes
- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS church)
- Batasan Hills International Baptist Church
- Jesus Christ Saves Global Outreach - Batasan Family
- Pentecostal Missionary Church of Christ
- Manila Oh Jung Church
- Bastion Of Truth Reformed Church
Sub-Parishes
- Holy Family Sub-Parish (within Filinvest 1 Subdivision)
- Mary the Queen Sub-Parish
- Santo Nino Sub-Parish (Villa Amor Uno subdivision)
Roads/Bridges
Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City
Commonwealth Avenue , formerly called as Don Mariano Marcos Avenue is a highway located in Quezon City, Philippines which spans from 10 to 18 lanes and known as the widest in the Philippines...
which is the widest road in the Philippines at 18 lanes (9 on both sides), and the Batasan (IBP) Road
Batasan Road
The Batasan Road is a 6 to 10-lane highway located in the barangays of Batasan Hills, Payatas, and Commonwealth which are located all in Quezon City, Philippines...
which is one of the main routes in to the barangay. Also, the road has a tunnel which connects the southbound side of the road to Commonwealth Avenue. The third major route is the Batasan-San Mateo Road
Batasan-San Mateo Road
The Batasan-San Mateo Road formerly named Constitutional Road is a 4-lane highway located in the cities of Quezon City and San Mateo, Rizal in the Philippines. The road begins at the intersection with the Batasan Road in Batasan Hills, Quezon City adjacent to the Batasang Pambansa complex...
which connects the barangay to the town of San Mateo, Rizal
San Mateo, Rizal
San Mateo, Rizal is a first class urban municipality of Rizal Province. Located on the island of Luzon, San Mateo is one of 13 municipalities and a capital city that make up the Province of Rizal, Region 4-A of the Philippines. San Mateo is part of the Metro Luzon Urban Beltway...
where the Batasan-San Mateo Bridge in the Marikina River
Marikina River
The San Mateo - Marikina River is a main river system in Eastern Metro Manila, Philippines. A river stretching from Rodriguez, Rizal, to Pasig City that connects to Pasig River as major tributary near Napindan Area in Pasig City.San Mateo - Marikina River used to be an important transport route...
connects the two areas. There are smaller roads like Filinvest 2 Road which connects with the Batasan-San Mateo Road
Batasan-San Mateo Road
The Batasan-San Mateo Road formerly named Constitutional Road is a 4-lane highway located in the cities of Quezon City and San Mateo, Rizal in the Philippines. The road begins at the intersection with the Batasan Road in Batasan Hills, Quezon City adjacent to the Batasang Pambansa complex...
, and the Filinvest 1 Road which connects with Batasan Road
Batasan Road
The Batasan Road is a 6 to 10-lane highway located in the barangays of Batasan Hills, Payatas, and Commonwealth which are located all in Quezon City, Philippines...
.
Future MRT line
Currently there are no train lines along Commonwealth Avenue, traversing through the barangay. But there are plans to build one along the highway via the MRT 7 which will begin construction in 2010 or 2011. This MRT line starts from Quirino Highway in San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan through parts of Northern Caloocan and Quezon City through Commonwealth Avenue, and will end at North Avenue to connect with the MRT 3 line. This is expected to decongest traffic on the avenue.
Incidents
- Batasang Pambansa bombingBatasang Pambansa bombingThe Batasang Pambansa bombing occurred on the night of November 13, 2007, at the Batasang Pambansa Complex in Quezon City, Philippines...
. On November 13, 2007 an explosion occurred on South Wing of the Batasan Complex killing four people including Congressman Wahab AkbarWahab AkbarUstadz Wahab M. Akbar was a Filipino politician who served three terms as governor of Basilan, during which time he was known for his "eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth" policy for dealing with kidnappers and terrorists in the province...
of BasilanBasilanThe Province of Basilan is an island province of the Philippines within the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao . Basilan is the largest and northernmost of the major islands of the Sulu Archipelago and is located just off the southern coast of Zamboanga Peninsula...
and injuring six more including Representatives Luzviminda IlaganLuzviminda IlaganLuzviminda Ilagan is a Filipino politician and development worker. She represents the GABRIELA Women's Partylist in the 14th Congress of the Philippines.-Batasang Pambansa Bombing:...
of GABRIELAGABRIELAGABRIELA is a leftist Filipino organization that advocates for women's issues.It is a nationwide network of grassroots organizations, institutions, and programs that address issues such as human rights, poverty, globalization, militarism, violence, health, sex trafficking, censorship and other...
and Pryde Henry TevesPryde Henry TevesPryde Henry Teves is a Filipino politician, a member of the House of Representatives of the Philippines and the congressman for the 3rd District of Negros Oriental. He was elected as a Philippine legislator on May 14, 2007 and was re-elected in 2010...
of Negros OrientalNegros OrientalNegros Oriental is a province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region. It occupies the south-eastern half of the island of Negros, with Negros Occidental comprising the north-western half. It also includes Apo Island — a popular dive site for both local and foreign tourists...
.