Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
Nineteenth Congress 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ____ 
__________________________________________________________________ 
Introduced by Honorable Mark O. Go 
__________________________________________________________________ 
   EXPLANATORY NOTE 
On December 5, 2022, Filipinos all over the country are set to cast their votes to 
elect the new set of barangay officials who would lead their villages for a fresh term of 
three years. The last barangay elections were held last May 14, 2018, and the winning 
officials were set to serve originally until June 30, 2020. However, in order to allow 
incumbent barangay officials to continue implementing the plans and programs of the 
administration then, and in view of then ongoing discussions on a possible shift in the 
country’s form of government, the schedule of the barangay elections was moved to 
December 5, 2022 by virtue of Republic Act No. 11462.   
A month immediately following the enactment of the said law postponing the 
elections, the first case of COVID-19 in the Philippines was reported. In less than two 
months, the country would implement its first of a series of lockdowns. By April 2020, 
the unemployment in the Philippines rose to a record high of 17.7% and by the end of 
2020 real gross domestic product contracted by 9.6%, the sharpest decline since 1946. 
The pandemic continued in 2021 but the situation significantly improved with 
unemployment falling down to 6.6% by the end of 2021. A full year GDP growth of 
5.6% was recorded in 2021 but the pandemic remains a continuing concern in 2022. 
Beginning June 2022, the country is yet again witnessing a continuous rise in the number 
of covid cases, and while there is still no cause for panic, the public and institutions must 
remain cautious and vigilant. Even in the midst the rising number of cases, the 
government continues to roll out programs geared towards aiding the recovery of 
enterprises and the economy. The severe impact that the pandemic caused on trade and 
industry in the past two and a half years necessitates the injection of significant funds in 
the economy through the government’s programs and recovery packages.  
July 13, 2022
4:49 pm
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Because the national and local elections are scheduled in 2022, COMELEC’s 
budget has ballooned P26.7 billion, a P12.1 billion increase from the previous year. In the 
midst of the pandemic, COMELEC had to spend P1.5 billion on pandemic needs alone in 
order that ensure that the May 2022 elections would not be a super-spreader event. In the 
midst of rising covid cases, in the country and even abroad, ensuring the safety of voters 
during the scheduled December 2022 barangay elections would likewise be a costly 
undertaking. Furthermore, local and global complications such as the weakening of the 
peso and the oil price crisis compound the need to support ongoing and future economic 
recovery programs more so now that Filipinos are striving to rise up from the effects of 
the pandemic and thrive under the new normal.     
This bill seeks to postpone the conduct of the scheduled December 5, 2022 
barangay elections and hold it on December 4, 2023. The proposed postponement of the 
December 2022 barangay elections will result in government savings of around P8 billion 
which can be diverted to economic stimulus and recovery packages that are much needed 
now as the country endeavors to move forward.  
In view of the foregoing, approval of this bill is earnestly sought. 
MARK O. GO 


Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
Nineteenth Congress 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. _______ 
__________________________________________________________________ 
Introduced by Hon. Mark O. Go  
__________________________________________________________________ 
AN ACT  
TO POSTPONE THE CONDUCT OF THE DECEMBER 2022 BARANGAY  
AND SANGGUNIANG KABATAAN ELECTIONS, AMENDING FOR THE 
PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACT NO. 9164, AS AMENDED BY REPUBLIC ACT NO. 
9340, REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10632, REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10656, REPUBLIC ACT 
NO. 10923, REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10952, AND REPUBLIC ACT NO. 11462 AND 
FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled:  
SECTION 1. Section 1 of Republic Act No. 9164, as amended by Republic Act 
No. 9340, Republic Act No. 10632, Republic Act No. 10656, Republic Act No. 10923, 
Republic Act No. 10952, and Republic Act No. 11462 is hereby further amended to read 
as follows: 
"SECTION 1. Date of Election.- There shall be synchronized barangay and sangguniang 
kabataan elections, which shall be held on July 15, 2002. Subsequent synchronized 
barangay and sangguniang kabataan elections shall be held on the last Monday of 
October 2007 and every three (3) years thereafter: Provided, That the barangay and 
sangguniang kabataan elections on [the second Monday of May 2020] DECEMBER 5, 
2022 shall be postponed to [December 5, 2022] DECEMBER 4, 2023. Subsequent 
synchronized barangay and sangguniang kabataan elections shall be held on the first 
Monday of December [2025] 2026 and every three (3) years thereafter.” 
SEC. 2. Section 4 of Republic Act No. 9164, as amended is hereby further 
amended to read as follows: 
"SEC.4. Assumption of Office.- The term of office of the barangay and sangguniang 
kabataan officials elected under this Act shall commence at noon of June 30 next 
following their election: Provided, however, That the term of office of the barangay and 
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sangguniang kabataan officials elected in the [December 5, 2022] DECEMBER 4, 2023 
elections and subsequently thereafter, shall commence at noon of January 1 next 
following their election." 
 
SEC. 3. Hold-Over.— Until their successors shall have been duly elected and 
qualified, all incumbent barangay and sangguniang kabataan officials shall remain in 
office, unless sooner removed or suspended for cause: Provided, That barangay and 
sangguniang kabataan officials who are ex officio members of the sangguniang bayan, 
sangguniang panlungsod, or sangguniang panlalawigan, as the case may be, shall 
continue to serve as such members in the sanggunian concerned until the next barangay 
and sangguniang kabataan elections. 
 
SEC. 4. Appropriations.— The amount necessary for the implementation of this 
Act shall be taken from the appropriations of the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) 
under the General Appropriations Act and/or supplementary appropriations thereafter. 
 
SEC. 5. Repealing Clause. - All other laws, acts, presidential decrees, executive 
orders, issuances, presidential proclamations, rules and regulations or parts thereof, which 
arc contrary 6o and inconsistent with any provision of this Ad; are hereby repealed, 
amended, or modified accordingly. 
 
SEC. 6. Separability Clause. — If any portion or provision of this Act is declared 
unconstitutional, the remainder of this Act or any provision not affected thereby shall 
remain in force and effect. 
 
SEC. 7. Effectivity. This Act shall take effect immediately following the 
completion of its publication either in the Official Gazette, or in two (2) newspaper of 
general circulation in the Philippines. 
 
Approved,