Draft:2026 Sawata, Davao del Norte plebiscites
2026 referendum in the town of Davao del Norte
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On April 11, 2026, a twin plebiscites was held in the Municipality of San Isidro, Davao del Norte, Philippines, to determine whether its residents approved the renaming of the municipality to Sawata and the renaming of Barangay Sawata to Barangay Poblacion, pursuant to Republic Act No. 11814.[1]
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Comment: While it did receive much coverage the plebiscite does not seems to have much lasting impact and is limited in geographic scope to just the local area. Chorchapu (talk | edits) 15:16, 24 July 2026 (UTC)
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April 11, 2026
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(For Municipality): Do you agree to change the name of the Municipality of San Isidro, Province of Davao del Norte, to be known as Sawata, Province of Davao del Norte, pursuant to Republic Act No. 11814? (For Barangay): Do you agree to change the name of Barangay Sawata, Municipality of San Isidro, Province of Davao del Norte, to be known as Barangay Poblacion, Municipality of San Isidro, Province of Davao del Norte, pursuant to Republic Act No. 11814?
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| Outcome | For Municipality: The municipality of San Isidro renamed into "Sawata" and; For Barangay: The barangay Sawata renamed into "Poblacion" |
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Background
The Municipality of San Isidro in Davao del Norte is one of the province's component municipalities. It was established on June 26, 2004, following the ratification of Republic Act No. 9265[2], and was formed from 6 barangays of Asuncion and 7 barangays of Kapalong. On June 2, 2022, Republic Act No. 11814[1] was enacted into law, providing for the renaming of the Municipality of San Isidro to the Municipality of Sawata, subject to the approval of its residents in a plebiscite. The law also included the renaming of Barangay Sawata to Barangay Poblacion. The measure lapsed into law without the signature of former president Rodrigo Duterte, in accordance with the Philippine Constitution, and its implementation was made contingent upon ratification in a plebiscite.
Republic Act No. 11814 originated from House Bill No. 9452,[3] which was filed by former House speaker and Davao del Norte 1st District Congressman Pantaleon "Bebot" Alvarez in the House of Representatives. The bill underwent the legislative process, including committee deliberations and approval prior to its enactment into law. Proponents of the measure stated that renaming the municipality to Sawata would better reflect local identity and historical significance, while designating Barangay Sawata as Barangay Poblacion would align with the common naming convention for central barangays in Philippine municipalities.
The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) was tasked with supervising and conducting the plebiscite required for the ratification of the law. In accordance with COMELEC regulations, all registered voters of the Municipality of San Isidro were eligible to participate in the plebiscites.
Preparations
Campaign
The campaign period for the plebiscites began in February 2026, initiated through public information posts by the 8th Municipal Council of then San Isidro. Early advocacy efforts focused on informing residents about the provisions of Republic Act No. 11814[1], particularly the proposed renaming of the municipality to Sawata and the renaming of Barangay Sawata to Barangay Poblacion.
Organization
Polling for the plebiscite was scheduled to run from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on April 11, 2026.[4] Voter registration activities in the town of San Isidro were temporarily suspended from April 10 to April 11 to give way to the plebiscites.[5] The Commission on Elections (COMELEC), through Resolution No. 11202, set the guidelines for the conduct of the April 11, 2026 plebiscites in San Isidro, Davao del Norte. The resolution established the schedule, identified eligible voters, and imposed election-related restrictions to ensure an orderly and peaceful process. These included a gun ban prohibiting the carrying of firearms and other deadly weapons in public without COMELEC authorization, except for authorized law enforcement personnel. Violations of these rules were subject to penalties under election laws, such as imprisonment and disqualification from public office.[6]
Results
The plebiscite was successfully conducted on April 11, 2026, although voter turnout was relatively low, with about 36% participating in the municipal question[7] and 38% in the barangay question of the registered electorate[8]. Later that evening, at 10:35 P.M., the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) announced that both proposals had been ratified by a majority of the votes cast.[9]
| Old name | Proposed new name | Choice | Valid votes | Invalid votes | Total votes | Turnout (%) | Registered voters | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | No | |||||||||||
| Votes | % | Votes | % | Votes | % | Votes | % | |||||
| Municipality of San Isidro | Municipality of Sawata | 7,555 | 98.94% | 81 | 1.06% | 7,636 | 99.63% | 28 | 0.37% | 7,664 | 36.55% | 20,970 |
| Barangay Sawata | Barangay Poblacion | 1,226 | 98.32% | 21 | 1.68% | 1,247 | 99.52% | 6 | 0.48% | 1,253 | 38.07% | 3,291 |
| Sources: COMELEC, via SunStar.[10] | ||||||||||||
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