Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
House Bill No. _________ 
Introduced by the Honorable Richard I. Gomez 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
When Filipino college students are asked the question, “What is the basic 
unit of Philippine society”, they are expected to make a fine distinction in their 
answer – that while the family is the basic social unit in our country, the 
barangay is the basic political unit. 
This bill focuses its attention to that most basic political or 
administrative unit in our nation, the barangay. The barangay, through its 
officials, is in the frontline when it comes to the delivery of government 
services. In times of calamities, whether natural or man-made, barangay 
officials are the first responders especially during those moments when the 
national, regional and even provincial governments appear to be paralyzed by 
the cut-off of our transportation and communication facilities. These officials 
maintain the peace for they have become experts in conciliation and mediation 
proceedings among their kabarangays, whom they personally know or at least 
are acquainted with. They are the “to-go-to people” in times of distress whether 
personal or social in nature.  
In furtherance of their duties this measure will help the barangay units 
to attain local and fiscal autonomy which will lead to their full development as 
a political unit. 
In view of the foregoing, the early approval of this bill is earnestly sought. 
RICHARD I. GOMEZ 
August 1, 2022
4:58 pm
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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. _________________ 
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Introduced by the Honorable Richard I. Gomez 
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AN ACT 
PROVIDING FOR A MAGNA CARTA FOR BARANGAYS AND 
 BARANGAY OFFICIALS 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the 
Philippines in Congress assembled: 
ARTICLE I 
POLICY AND PRINCIPLES 
Section 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Magna 
Carta for Barangays and Barangay Officials Act of 2022." 
Sec. 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is the policy of the State to 
promote, develop and improve the general welfare of the barangay and its 
residents, raise the economic and social status of barangay officials, grant 
every barangay the basic facilities for decent, healthy and comfortable 
living, and provide new measures that will protect its enjoyment of local 
autonomy to ensure the effective performance of its role as the primary 
planning and implementing unit of government programs, projects, 
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activities, and as a forum in which the collective views of the people in the 
community may be crystallized. 
 
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 barangays, as they are the country's basic political units; 
b.) Every barangay shall be given the authority and capability to handle 
its concerns on its level; and 
c.) Self-help or people power shall be the guiding principle in all 
barangay development projects. 
 
ARTICLE II 
BARANGAY OFFICIALS 
 
Sec. 4. Barangay Officials as Regular Government Employees. - 
The punong barangay, members of the sangguniang barangay, the 
sangguniang kabataan chairperson, the barangay secretary and barangay 
treasurer in all barangays are hereby declared regular government 
employees, and as such, are entitled to the salary, emoluments, allowances 
such as hazard pay, Representation and Transportation Allowance, 
Personnel Economic Relief Allowance, Productivity Incentive Bonus, 
Clothing Allowance, Mid-year and 13th month pay, and other benefits such 
as insurance, medical and dental coverage, retirement benefits, and all 
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 Section 4 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/her municipality or city; 
b.) Members of the Sangguniang  Barangay  -  An amount  equivalent  to   
eighty percent (80%) of the salary of the sangguniang bayan member of 
his/her municipality  or city; and 
c.) Sangguniang Kabataan Chairperson, Barangay Secretary and 
Barangay Treasurer - An amount equivalent to seventy-five percent 
(75%) of the salary of the sangguniang bayan member of his/her 
municipality or city. 
 
Sec. 6. Appointment, Selection and Benefits of Barangay Tanods. - 
There shall be Barangay Tanods in every barangay who shall maintain peace 
and order, and enforce all laws and ordinances relative to the protection of 
lives and properties in their respective barangays. The Sangguniang barangay 
shall, through a resolution, determine the appropriate number of barangay 
tanods needed in their respective barangay. 
 
The appointment and selection of barangay tanods shall be done by the 
Punong Barangays with the concurrence of the majority of the members of 
the sangguniang barangay concerned in accordance with merit and 
principle: Provided, That no person shall be appointed barangay tanod 
unless he or she is a citizen of the Philippines, a resident of the barangay 
concerned, of good moral character and of sound mind: Provided further, 
That patronage or partisan considerations shall not be a basis for such 
selection and appointment. 


 
Barangay tanods shall be appointed to a permanent status during the 
administration of the sangguniang barangay which appointed them unless 
sooner relieve from his/her appointment for just cause. 
 
Barangay tanods shall receive the following benefits and privileges: 
(a) Honoraria, allowances, and such other emoluments as may be 
authorized by law or barangay, municipal or city ordinance in 
accordance with the provisions of Republic Act No. 7160, but in no 
case shall it be less than Six hundred pesos (P600.00) per month; 
(b) Christmas bonus of at least One thousand pesos (Pl,000.00) each, 
the funds for which shall be taken from the general fund of the 
barangay or from such other funds appropriated by the national 
government for the purpose; 
(c) Insurance coverage which shall include, but shall not be limited to 
temporary and permanent disability, double indemnity, accident 
insurance, death and burial benefits; 
(d) Free medical care including subsistence, medicines, and medical 
attendance in any government hospital or institution: Provided, 
That such hospital care shall include surgery or surgical expenses, 
medicines, X-rays, laboratory fees, and other hospital expenses; 
and; 
(e) Exemption during their incumbency from paying tuition and 
matriculation fees for their legitimate dependent children attending 
state colleges or universities. He may likewise avail of such 
educational benefits in a state college or university located within 
the province or city to which the barangay belongs. 
 
 


ARTICLE III 
BASIC PRIORITIES IN THE BARANGAY 
 
 
Sec. 7. Drinking Water for Every Barangay. - It is the right of 
every barangay to have a regular supply of clean and potable water. To 
attain this goal, every city or municipality, as the case may be, is hereby 
required to construct or maintain at least one (1) facility for drawing 
drinking water to supply the needs of every one thousand (1,000) residents 
for each barangay within its jurisdiction. 
Islands and far flung barangays shall be prioritized for the 
establishment of potable drinking water systems. 
 
Sec. 8. 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 appropriate government 
agencies to require public utility companies operating primarily within its 
jurisdiction to provide the minimum means of transportation in every 
barangay. 
 
Sec. 9. Schools. Health Centers, and Barangay Halls for the 
Barangays. - As far as practicable, every barangay is entitled to have at 
least one (1) child development center, one (1) kindergarten and at least 
one (1) elementary school: Provided, That there shall be at least one high 
school for every five (5) kilometers from the barangay center. It shall also be 
the right of every barangay to have one (1) health center and one (1) 
barangay hall. 
The Barangay in cooperation with appropriate government agency 
or Local Government Departments shall have a monitoring and 


evaluation system, to ensure that such facilities are fully functional and 
their usage are being maximized to its full potential. 
 
ARTICLE IV 
MEASURES TO ASSURE THE  
ENJOYMENT OF LOCAL AUTONOMY 
 
Sec. 10. Automatic Release of Share from National Taxes.  -  The 
share of each barangay from all national taxes shall be released every end 
of the calendar year, without need of further action, directly to the 
barangay treasurer. The national taxes to be included in the base for 
computing the just share of barangays shall include, but not be limited to, 
the following: 
(a) The  national  internal  revenue  taxes   enumerated   in   Section  
21  of the National Internal Revenue Code, as amended, collected 
by the Bureau of Internal Revenue and the Bureau of Customs; 
(b) Tariff and customs duties collected by the Bureau of Customs; 
(c) 60% of the national taxes collected from the exploitation and 
development of the national wealth. 
(d) The remaining 40% of the national taxes collected from the 
exploitation and development of the national wealth shall 
exclusively accrue to the host Local Government Units pursuant to 
Section 290 of Republic Act No.  7160 (Local Government Code); 
(e) 85% of the excise taxes collected from locally manufactured 
Virginia and other tobacco products. 
(f) The remaining 15% shall accrue to the special purpose funds 
created by Republic Act No. 7171 and Republic Act No. 7227; 
(g) The entire 50% of the national taxes collected under Sections 106, 


108 and 116 of the NIRC as provided under Section 283 of the 
NIRC; 
(h) 5% of the 25% franchise taxes given to the National Government 
under Section 6 of Republic Act No. 6631 and Section 8 of Republic 
Act No. 6632; and 
(i) The appropriate sharing for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in 
Muslim Mindanao under Republic Act No. 11054. 
 
Sec. 11.  Transfer of Funds 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 
construction works shall be transferred or remitted directly to the general fund 
of every barangay for their proper disposition by barangay officials, subject to 
auditing laws, rules, and regulations. 
 
Sec. 12. 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 office or manufacturing plant is 
located within the barangay. 
 
Sec. 13. Equitable Share of the Barangay from the Proceeds of 
the Utilization and Development of National Wealth - For the 
exploitation, utilization, and development of natural resources within its 
territory, every barangay shall be entitled to an equitable share of the 
proceeds derived therefrom. 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, flood and ecological imbalance: Provided, 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. 
 
ARTICLE V MISCELLANEOUS 
BENEFITS 
 
Sec. 14. Scholarship Grant - Every barangay shall sponsor at least 
one (1) college scholarship grant every year to be awarded by a committee of 
five (5) 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 school books, supplies, transportation, and other expenses as the 
barangay may deem appropriate. 
 
Sec. 15. Priority in Employment - Residents in every barangay shall 
have priority in the hiring of workers and laborers to be needed in any 
government construction or development project within the barangay. 
 
Sec. 16. Cooperative Enterprise. - Cooperative enterprises in the 
barangay shall be encouraged. 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. 
 


Sec. 17. Legal Representation – Barangay Officials and Employees 
who may be involved as a party litigant in administrative and criminal 
cases filed in connection with the performance of their official duties shall 
be entitled to free legal services of the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) who 
shall facilitate the legal representation of such official and employees. 
The benefit of legal representation shall include exemptions from 
payment of fees such as but not limited to docket fees, sheriffs’ fee, 
arbitration and mediation fee, transcripts of stenographic notes fees and 
other lawful fees. 
 
ARTICLE VI  
ADMINISTRATION AND ENFORCEMENT 
 
Sec. 18. Rules and Regulations. - The Secretary of the 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 newspaper of general circulation and by such 
other means as the Secretary deems reasonably sufficient to give 
interested parties general notice of such issuance. 
 
Sec. 19. Appropriations. - The amount necessary to implement the 
provisions of this Act shall be included in the annual General 
Appropriations Act. 
 
Sec. 20. Penal Provisions. -Any person who shall willfully 
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 (PS00.00) nor more than two thousand pesos 
imprisonment  or six (6) months and one (1) day, or both, subject  to the 
discretion of the  court. 
 
Sec. 21. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act is 
subsequently declared unconstitutional, the validity of the remaining 
provisions hereof shall remain in full force and effect. 
 
Sec. 22. 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. 23. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen days (15) after 
its complete publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general 
circulation in the Philippines. 
 
 
 
Approved,