Manila, Philippines — Pursuant to Republic Act (RA) No. 12232, signed in August 2025, the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) are scheduled to be held on the first Monday of November 2026 and every four years thereafter.
However, the conduct of the November 2 polls remain uncertain with nearly two months to go before the scheduled Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections.
On Tuesday, September 8, the House of Representatives approved its version of a proposed law seeking to extend the terms of Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan officials.
Under House Bill No. 10971, the measure seeks to make the fixed term of BSK leaders five years, from the current four-year term provided under RA 12232.
With the proposed term extension, the November 2026 elections would be postponed and instead held on the second Monday of November 2028.
A total of 211 lawmakers voted in favor of the measure, 13 voted against it, while one abstained.
The House bill also provides that barangay officials would be limited to two consecutive terms.
Incumbent barangay officials who are already serving their third consecutive term would no longer be eligible to run for the same position in the 2028 elections.
SK officials, meanwhile, would remain limited to a single term.
Meanwhile, the Senate has already approved on second reading its version of the measure, Senate Bill (SB) No. 2387.
According to Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero, the sponsor of the measure, it seeks to make the fixed term of barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan officials five years.
He clarified that the measure is not intended to postpone the BSKE, but extending the officials’ terms would also result in a change in the election schedule.
If enacted into law, the BSKE would be held on the first Monday of November 2028.
For Senate President Pro Tempore Vicente “Tito” Sotto III and Senator Joel Pangilinan, however, the five-year term could be pursued without delaying this year’s BSKE.
The last elections for Barangay and SK positions were held in 2023. The elections originally scheduled for 2025 had already been postponed.
Sotto maintained that postponing the BSKE again would deprive voters of their right to choose their local leaders.
Five senators voted against the measure before it was ultimately approved on second reading.