Abstract:
This study explores the role of healthcare services in determining voter behavior of the
citizens in the disputed land of Enlisted Men’s Barrio (EMBO) barangays between the cities of
Makati and Taguig. Using a sequential explanatory method in this comparative analysis between
the two cities, this study reveals how healthcare priorities and initiatives by each city affect
EMBO residents’ electoral preferences and attitudes toward political dynasties. In the conduct of
the research, surveys from the initial quantitative phase were succeeded by in-depth interviews
with the residents, local-level officials, and barangay healthcare workers. This research reveals
significant variations in the way healthcare services are perceived and valued by the residents,
having linkages with their loyalty and support for the political dynasties in either city. Moreover,
this study explains how the jurisdictional shift from Makati to Taguig has produced barriers in
accessing free public healthcare, further exacerbating the tendency of the residents to rely
heavily on politically-reliant and -motivated social services. This research also traces the
intersection of social services and political capital in contested urban spaces, offering a nuanced
understanding of political dynastic persistence amidst jurisdictional disputes, and implications
for governance, voter empowerment, and equitable healthcare provision—raising the question of,
“is EMBO dying? or are they EMBO-dying changes?”, putting primacy on the on-ground
realities of EMBO residents.
