SEN. Francis “Chiz” Escudero has filed a bill seeking to postpone the Nov. 2, 2026 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE) to the first Monday of November 2028.
Senate Bill 2386 seeks to extend the terms of barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan officials from four years to five years.
In his explanatory note, Escudero said the measure aims to “enhance the stability and consistency of public service at the barangay level.”
“Such intervention would promote continuity in governance, provide sufficient time for community development initiatives, reduce disruptions caused by frequent electoral exercises, and enable local officials to focus on public service rather than on electoral cycles,” he said.
The senator said the measure also seeks to enable barangay officials to fully realize their mandates as enshrined in the Local Government Code of 1991, as the primary planning and implementing unit of government policies, plans, programs, projects, and activities in the community.
“Barangay governments, as the frontline public service arm of the government, play critical roles in implementing government programs, maintaining peace and order, resolving disputes, responding to disasters and calamities, and delivering basic services at the community level,” Escudero said. “As such, the success in implementing these essential public services, depends significantly on the stability and capacity of barangay governments and its officials.”
Senate Bill 2387 would amend Republic Act 12232 by resetting the synchronized BSKE to November 2028 and every five years thereafter.
Under the measure, incumbent barangay and SK officials would have their current terms extended by two years under a transitory provision, which considers the extension as part of their completed term in office.
The bill also provides that incumbent barangay officials serving their third consecutive term in the same position would be ineligible to seek reelection for the same post in the November 2028 elections.
The measure retains the existing term limits, allowing barangay officials to serve for a maximum of three consecutive terms in the same position, while SK officials remain limited to one term.
Some members of the House of Representatives are pushing for the postponement of the BSKE scheduled for November 2026 and the reallocation of its unspent funds for the government’s response to the energy emergency.
