Liga ng mga Barangay Cebu backs 5-year term for officials

CEBU, Philippines — Cebu Provincial Board Member and Liga ng mga Barangay (LnB) Cebu Provincial Federation President Celestino Martinez III welcomed the Senate’s approval of a bill extending the term of barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) officials to five years. He said the longer tenure would give local leaders more time to implement and complete programs and projects.

Senator Francis Escudero, principal author and sponsor of Senate Bill No. 2387, likewise said the measure would strengthen barangay governance by giving local officials sufficient time to plan, implement, and evaluate programs without the disruption of frequent elections.

“The members of the Liga ng mga Barangay welcomes the approval of the bill, especially after a ‘challenging’ election in the BARMM region and the looming energy crisis,” Martinez said.

The measure, however, still needs to go through the bicameral conference committee to reconcile conflicting provisions with the version approved by the House of Representatives before it can be sent to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for signature.

Once enacted, Martinez said the extended term would allow barangay officials to effectively implement and complete programs and projects that are often difficult to accomplish within the current three-year term.

He also expressed hope that the additional time would allow the LnB to advance the passage of the proposed Magna Carta for Barangay Officials and Barangay Workers.

The measure seeks to provide benefits, security, and institutional support to barangay officials and workers who serve at the grassroots level and play a vital role in delivering basic services to communities, Martinez said.

“For those who will be elected after the 2028 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE), a five-year term will provide stability in local governance and enable barangay leaders to pursue programs and projects with long-term goals for their barangays,” he said.

Escudero, meanwhile, thanked his colleagues for approving Senate Bill No. 2387 on third and final reading on Monday.

The bill was approved with 13 affirmative votes, five negative votes, and no abstentions.

Under the measure, the BSKE originally scheduled for November 2026 would be moved to November 2028. Subsequent barangay and SK elections would then be held every five years on the second Monday of November to avoid conflict with the annual observance of All Saints’ Day.

“I am grateful to my colleagues for supporting this measure that will strengthen barangay governance and give our local leaders the time they need to deliver meaningful programs,” Escudero said in a separate statement.

Among the amendments introduced during the plenary debate was limiting barangay officials to two consecutive five-year terms, instead of three. SK officials, meanwhile, would be limited to one term to promote broader youth participation and leadership turnover.

Escudero said a five-year term would provide barangay and SK officials with a longer, uninterrupted period to plan, implement, and evaluate programs before the next electoral transition.

“Barangays are planners, implementers, first responders, peacekeepers, and frontline service providers, all at a level where government interacts directly with households and families,” he said.

The senator said the measure seeks to balance continuity and democratic accountability by giving local officials enough time to complete long-term initiatives while preventing frequent elections from disrupting governance.

“Sa limang taong termino, mas may panahon ang ating mga opisyal na magpatupad ng mga programa at proyekto na tunay na makikinabang ang kanilang mga komunidad,” Escudero added. — (FREEMAN)