The Senate approved on third and final reading Senate Bill No. 2387, which seeks to fix the term of office of barangay officials and members of the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) to five years.
The measure was approved during the chamber’s plenary session with 13 affirmative votes, 5 negative votes, and no abstention.
Senate Bill No. 2387 seeks to amend Republic Act No. 12232 by fixing the current term of barangay and SK officials from four to five years. The measure also proposes to adjust the schedule for the regular Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE), moving the poll date from the first to the second Monday of November every five years starting in November 2028.
“A five-year term accounts for the transition of organizational work required at the start of every administration.”
“A five-year term accounts for the transition of organizational work required at the start of every administration while providing barangay and SK officials a longer, uninterrupted period to formulate, implement, evaluate, and refine their programs before the next electoral transition,” Senator Chiz Escudero, principal author and sponsor of the measure, said.
Escudero said the extended timeframe directly responds to the complex, multi-faceted responsibilities of barangay leaders who serve as community planners, first responders, peacekeepers, and frontline service providers at a level where the government interacts directly with households and families.
“Establishing a fixed five-year governing window strikes a necessary balance between continuity and democratic accountability.”
The veteran legislator added that establishing a fixed five-year governing window strikes a necessary balance between continuity and democratic accountability, granting local officials ample time to complete long-term development initiatives without the constant disruption of frequent elections.
“Elections remain regular, periodic, and certain: the electorate knows when the election will occur, can hold officials accountable at definite intervals, and retain full democratic control over barangay governance,” the seasoned lawmaker stressed.
The bill also shifts the election schedule to the second Monday of November to provide a reasonable operational buffer from the heavy travel and public service demands surrounding the annual observance of All Saints’ Day.
