Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ____ 
Introduced by HON. LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR. 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The Barangay, the most fundamental unit of the political system of the Philippines, 
plays a central role in the formulation, evaluation, and implementation of government 
policies. It is the primary administrative engine of grassroots development and its 
officials are given the daunting responsibility of implementing programs, maintaining 
public order, and ensuring the welfare of every Filipino. 
The Barangay is also quintessentially a Filipino term, originating from the word 
balangay, or the kind of boat used by a group of Austronesians migrating to the 
Philippines. Nowadays, the term would come to equate with the word “community” or 
“town.” For Filipinos who grew up in the same community for the whole of their lives, 
the word “Barangay” would be equal to “home.” This is especially true for overseas 
Filipinos who come home to their Barangays with much excitement and balikbayan 
boxes of pasalubong. 
In recognition of the importance of our Barangays, this bill aims to empower the 
barangays by providing them with appropriate basic services and facilities. It hopes to 
ensure that barangays enjoy genuine and meaningful local autonomy and provide its 
officials with benefits and privileges accorded to a regular government employee. It 
further delegates the Sangguniang Barangay the determination of the proper number 
of Barangay Tanods, considered to be the bastion of public order and safety, needed 
in their respective barangays. 
LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR. 
May 15, 2023
9:00 am
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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ____ 
Introduced by HON. LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR. 
AN ACT 
TO ESTABLISH THE MAGNA CARTA FOR BARANGAYS 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
I.
TITLE, DECLARATION OF POLICY, AND GENERAL PRINCIPLES
SECTION 1. Short Title. – This Act shall be known as "The Magna Carta for 
Barangays." 
Sec. 2. Declaration of Policy. – It is the policy of the State to promote, develop and 
improve the general welfare of barangay residents, raise the economic and social 
status of barangay officials, grant every barangay, the basic facilities for decent, 
healthy and comfortable living therein and provide new measures that will inspire its 
enjoyment of local autonomy to ensure the effective performance of its role as the 
primary planning and implementing unit of government programs, projects and 
activities, and as a forum in which the collective views of the people in the community 
may be crystallized and considered. 
Sec. 3. General Principles. – The following are the general principles of this Act: 
a)
The national government shall give more attention to the development of the
barangay, as it is the base of this country's economy.
b)
Every barangay shall be given the authority and capability to solve its
problems on its level.
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c) 
Self-help or people power shall be the guiding principle in all barangay 
development projects. 
 
II. 
BARANGAY OFFICIALS AS REGULAR GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES 
Sec. 4. The Barangay Officials as Regular Government Employees. – The punong 
barangay, sangguniang barangay members, the kabataang barangay chairman, the 
barangay secretary and barangay treasure in all barangays are hereby declared 
regular employees, and as such are entitled to fixed salaries, allowances, insurance, 
medical and dental coverage, retirement benefits and such other fringe benefits to 
which a regular government employee may be entitled to. 
 
Sec. 5. Salaries of Barangay Officials. – As soon as the appropriate steps and 
measures are undertaken by each city or municipality in coordination with the 
individual barangay involved on matters relating to the sources of fund and the 
corresponding appropriation ordinance, which in no case shall be later than six (6) 
months from the approval hereof, all barangay officials mentioned in paragraph hereof 
shall be entitled to the following fixed salaries: 
a) 
Punong Barangay – An amount equivalent to the salary of a sangguniang 
bayan member of his municipality; 
b) 
Six Sangguniang Barangay Members – An amount equivalent to eighty 
percent (80%) of the salary of a sangguniang bayan member of his 
municipality; 
c) 
Kabataang Barangay Chairman, Barangay Secretary, Barangay Treasurer – 
For each, an amount equivalent to seventy-five percent (75%) of the salary of 
a sangguniang bayan member of his municipality. 
 
III. 
BASIC PRIORITIES IN THE BARANGAY 
Sec. 6. Drinking Water for Every Barangay. – It is the right of every barangay to 
have a regular supply of clean and potable drinking water. To attain this goal, every 
city and municipality, as the case may be, is hereby required to construct and/or 
maintain at least one deep well with pumping device for drawing drinking water to 
supply the needs of every one thousand residents for each barangay within its 
jurisdiction. 
 


 
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Sec. 7. Transportation for Every Barangay. – It is also the right of every barangay 
to have public transportation available at least once a day. For this purpose, every 
municipality or city, as the case may be, should make such necessary representations 
before the appropriate government agencies to require public utility companies 
operating within its jurisdiction to provide the minimum means of transportation in 
every barangay. 
 
Sec. 8. Schools, Health Centers and Barangay Halls for the Barangays. – Every 
barangay is entitled to have at least one elementary school: Provided, That there shall 
be at least one high school for every five (5) kilometres from the barangay center It 
shall also be the right of every barangay to have one health center and one barangay 
hall. 
 
IV. 
MEASURES TO ASSURE THE ENJOYMENT OF LOCAL AUTONOMY 
Sec. 9. Automatic Release of Share from National Taxes. – It shall be the duty of 
the National Treasury to remit automatically to the barangays every end of the 
calendar year their just share from the national taxes. 
 
Sec. 10. Transfer of Fund to Barangay for the Maintenance of Roads and 
Bridges. – All public funds appropriated from the national treasury for the 
maintenance of barangay roads and bridges and other similar constructions shall be 
transferred or remitted directly to the general fund of every barangay for their proper 
disposition by the barangay officials. 
 
Sec. 11. Mandatory Share of Barangays in All Taxes, Fees or Other Charges. – 
Twenty-five percent (25%) of all taxes collected on real property located within the 
barangay shall be considered barangay funds and shall be allocated in accordance 
with existing laws. In addition, thereto, each barangay shall be entitled to ten percent 
(10%) from all other forms of taxes, fees, penalties, compromises or other charges 
collected from persons residing in the barangay or entities whose offices and/or 
manufacturing plant is located within the barangay. 
 
Sec. 12. Equitable Share of the Barangay from the Proceeds of the Utilization 
and Development of National Wealth. – Every barangay shall be entitled to an 


 
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equitable share of the proceeds derived from the exploitation, development and 
utilization of natural wealth within its territory. The amount of barangay share shall be 
determined by the city or municipality concerned after consultations with the 
concessionaires, the municipal or city officials and barangay officials, taking into 
account the extent of the exposure of the barangay residents to pollution, food and 
ecological imbalance: Provided, however, That this equitable sharing rate for each 
barangay shall be resolved by all parties concerned not later than six (6) months from 
the approval of this Act. Revenues derived from this source shall also from part of the 
general fund of the barangay. 
 
V. 
SUNDRY MATTERS 
Sec. 13. Scholarship Grant. – Every barangay shall sponsor at least one scholarship 
grant every year leading to any bachelor degree to be awarded by a committee of five 
persons appointed by the Sangguniang Barangay with the approval of the Punong 
Barangay after competitive examinations are given to applicants who should be bona 
fide residents of the barangay. The grant shall include tuition fees and all other school 
fees, reasonable allowances for schoolbooks, supplies and transportation and other 
expenses as the barangay may deem appropriate. 
 
Sec. 14. Priority in Employment. – Residents in every barangay shall have the 
priority in the hiring of workers and laborers to be needed in any government 
construction or development projects within the barangay.  
 
Sec. 15. Cooperative Enterprise. – Cooperative enterprises in the barangay shall be 
encouraged and every barangay is directed to give full assistance for the 
establishment and organization of said enterprises and to take every possible effort to 
make cooperative undertakings a way of life in the barangay. 
 
VI. 
ADMINISTRATION AND ENFORCEMENT 
Sec. 16. Rules and Regulations. – The Secretary of Department of Interior and Local 
Government shall promulgate such rules and regulations as may be necessary to 
implement the provisions of this Act. Rules and regulations issued pursuant to this 
Section shall take effect thirty (30) days after publication in a national newspaper of 


 
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general circulation and by such other means as the Secretary of Local Government 
deems reasonably sufficient to give interested parties general notice of such issuance. 
 
Sec. 17. Budgetary Estimates. – The Secretary of Department of Interior and Local 
Government shall submit to the Congress the necessary budgetary estimates to 
implement the provisions of this Act concerning the allowances, insurance, medical, 
dental and retirement benefits and other fringe benefits of barangay officials, the basic 
priorities in the barangays and the barangay scholarship grant.  
 
Sec. 18. Penal Provision. – Any person who shall wilfully interfere with, restrain or 
coerce any barangay official or barangay resident in the exercise of his or their rights 
guaranteed by this Act or who shall in any other manner commit any act to defeat any 
of the provisions of this Act shall, upon conviction, be punished by a fine of not less 
than five hundred pesos nor more than two thousand pesos, or by imprisonment of six 
months and one day, or both, subject to the discretion of the court. 
If the offender is a public official, the court shall order his dismissal from the 
government service. 
 
Sec. 19. Repealing Clause. – All Acts and decrees, executive orders, implementing 
rules and regulations or parts thereof, inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are 
hereby repealed, amended or modified accordingly. 
 
Sec. 20. Separability Clause. – If any provisions of this Act are declared invalid, the 
remainder or any provisions thereof not affected thereby shall remain in force and 
effect. 
 
Sec. 21. Effectivity. – This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after publication in 
the Official Gazette or in two (2) national newspapers of general circulation. 
 
Approved,