History of Barangay Sta. Teresita
Barangay Sta. Teresita is a former sitio of Barangay Tibgao called Gogon. Oral tradition says, the sitio was so thick with cogonal grass locally called gogon. Due to the increasing population, people started clearing and cultivating the area. Thru time, the settlement became bigger and bigger and on 30 December 1946, it became an independent barangay through Municipal Council Resolution No. 67, series 1946.
With the separation from the mother barrio came a folk Catholic imperative – the need for the new barrio’s own chapel. For the chapel site, the residents selected a piece of property owned by Msgr. Arsenio Puertollano, a native of Canaman but at that time parish priest of Magarao. Msgr. Puertollano agreed to donate the site, but on the condition that he chooses the saint to whom the chapel would be dedicated. The monsignor’s choice was St. Therese of the Child Jesus; the people happily accepted the patron saint and adopted the name for their barrio as well.
(Reference: Canaman Through the Centuries by Jose V. Barrameda, Jr.)
Physical Characteristics
Barangay Sta. Teresita is centrally located in the municipality of Canaman. It is traversed by the Canaman River and is just about a kilometer from the poblacion (town proper). It has an aggregate area of 161.5918 has. or 3.87% of the total land area of the municipality. It is made up of five puroks namely Zone 1, Zone 2, Zone 3, Zone 4 and Zone 5.
It is bounded on the north by Barangay Talidtid, on the West by Barangay Poro, on the South by Barangay Del Rosario and on the East by Barangay Tibgao. The barangay’s terrain is generally flat with slope of 0-3%. It is predominantly an agricultural area with around 80% of its land devoted to rice farming. Fishing is also undertaken in the Canaman River and its tributaries.
Educational, Health and Service Facilities
Immediate need for health services in the barangay is undertaken by 5 Barangay Health Workers and supplemented by twice a month visitation by the Municipal Midwife. The residents can also access the services of the Municipal Health Office located in the town proper situated 1 km from the barangay. Serious cases can be brought directly to Naga City which is about 5.5 kilometers from the barangay.
Barangay Sta. Teresita has no elementary school. However, public elementary school can be accessed in the poblacion which is about a kilometer away or in the neighboring barangay of Poro which is less than a kilometer away. The nearest High School is located in Barangay Sta. Cruz, Canaman which is about 1 kilometer from the barangay.
Tertiary Education facilities can be found in Barangay Baras (about 2.5 kms. from the barangay) and Naga City (about 5.5 kms from the barangay).
A Day Care Worker (funded by the barangay with municipal counterpart) undertakes day care services to the children aged 3-5 years old.
Mode of Public Transportation
The entire 5 puroks of the barangay is traversed by a concrete provincial road serviced by around 48 tricycles (minimum fare is P6/person) and 35 “padyaks” (minimum fare is P5/person). These tricycles ply the route of Poblacion-Poro or Poblacion-Liñaga and they all pass through barangay Stat. Teresita. Given the road condition and the proximity of the barangay to the town proper (poblacion) public transportation for barangay Sta. Teresita is highly accessible, which are usually available as early as 4 a.m. and as late as 12midnight.
Credit Institutions
The barangay is served by several credit institutions (private and government) including those offered by private individuals. TSPI and CARD Bank, are the more prominent private lending institutions in the barangay. The Municipal Government also offers micro-lending services to identified sectors, including the micro entrepreneurs and farmers. Private individuals (5-6 or bumbay type) and compradors also offer credit services to individuals in the barangay.
Water & Electric Supply
Barangay Sta. Teresita is serviced by the Metro Naga Water District. However, most of the people in the barangay do not use the water from the pipeline for drinking, most of them get their drinking water from water lorry that ply the area for a fee (at P6 per 16 liter container). Others who can afford buy from water purifying stations that deliver water to their doorsteps at P35 per 16-liter container. This situation is amplified by the CBMS results which revealed that 96.2% or 225 of the total 234 households in the barangay have no access to safe water.
As to electricity, all the five puroks of the barangay has electrical facilities through CASURECO II. However, there are still several households (25 households) with no electrical connections due to economic reasons.
Waste Management
The barangay has no Materials Recovery Facility and no established waste management system. Most of the residents dispose their wastes thru burning or in open pits. Some irresponsible residents throw their garbage in the river. It can be mentioned that the barangay is reached by roving “Bote-Bakal-Plastic” buyers.
Peace and Order
The barangay is generally peaceful. Peace and order in the barangay is handled by the Barangay Tanods with regular detail duties and foot patrol every night. CBMS 2009 data shows that 4 households said that t hey were victimized by crime against property.
Barangay Officials
Barangay Sta. Teresita has the following Barangay Officials, to wit:
Punong Barangay: Jose J. Nolasco
Barangay Kagawads:
1. Salvacion S. Gomez
2. Noel A. Lorico
3. Jose B. Divinaflor, Jr.
4. Eugene N. Porciuncula
5. Lorna A. Gata
6. Jorge L. Copioso
7. Wenifredo P. Camalla
8. Ronel M. Buid – SK Chairman
Barangay Secretary: Ana O. Arlante
Barangay Treasurer: Josephine C. Aquino