Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL No. 180

Introduced by Representatives
HORACIO P. SUANSING, JR. and ESTRELLITA B. SUANSING

AN ACT
(CHANGING THE TERM OF OFFICE OF BARANGAY OFFICIALS AND MEMBERS
OF THE SANGGUNIANG KABATAAN FROM THREE (3) TO FIVE (5) YEARS,
AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE SECTION 43 (C) OF REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7160,
AS AMENDED, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE OF
1991

EXPLANATORY NOTE

‘According to the Local Government Code of 1991: “As the basic political unit, the Barangay
serves as the primary planning and implementing unit of government policies, plans, programs,
projects and activities in the community, as a forum wherein the collective views of people
may be expressed, crystallized and considered, and where disputes may be amicably settled.”

Barangay leaders are at the very foundation of governance at the community level, especially
in parts of the Philippines that are remote and are generally inaccessible by public transport.
Officials in the country’s 42,045 barangays are not only at the forefront of delivering various
government services that attend to the basic needs of their people, but are also the primary
facilitators of citizen empowerment and engagement within their respective jurisdictions. In
recent years, several programs spearheaded and expanded by the national government, such as
the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) and the Bottom Up Budgeting (BUB) process,
have depended on the effectivity of barangay structures led by barangay officials. These
programs have been vital in serving individuals at the most basic political level and, more
importantly, have been successful in ensuring that constituents are engaged in the business of
local governance.

Thus, strengthening governance at the barangay level is essential in ensuring a more effective,
inclusive and accountable system of government in every level of political service. With the
critical role of barangay governance in providing government services and facilitating
participatory processes among citizens, there ought to be a strong emphasis on providing for
an institutional structure that is congenial to the continual fulfillment of these duties by
barangay officials. The following measure endeavors to provide for such a structure by
introducing the amendment of the length of term of barangay officials from a three-year period
to a five-year period.

‘This measure introduces the amendment of Section 43 (c) of the Local Government Code of
1991, which defines the length of term of barangay officials, primarily for the following
reasons: that it would aid in a more focused approach to public service by barangay officials in


a longer period of time, given that barangay officials, without pressing political factors such as
election campaigns as immediate distractions, are more incentivized to build and strengthen
Jong-term professional relationships with local sectors and stakeholders; that it would prevent
significant expenses, both monetary (e.g. the tens of millions of pesos spent on election
campaigns and, subsequently, the millions of pesos’ worth of resources devoted to orienting
newly-elected barangay officials on the conduct of their responsibilities and on other relevant
processes at the barangay level) and practical (e.g. the time spent on political maneuvering by
officials instead of improving the reach and quality of the programs they can offer to their
communities), that ultimately result to deadweight losses to the members of society, and
therefore would ensure that most political resources are purposed towards the continuous
provision of public services to citizens and the improvement of methods for their provision;
and finally, as it would promote a more concordant relationship between barangay officials,
members of local sectors and other local stakeholders, that it would foster a consensus-based
political environment at our most basic political level where citizen empowerment by political
participation is encouraged, which, in effect, would significantly benefit our national political
and economic institutions.

Barangay officials, as the face of the government for most of our people, require opportunities
for continuity championed by this bill to be effective agents of public service. In view of the
foregoing, the immediate approval of the bill is earnestly sought."

HORA‘ SUANSING, JR. ES ‘LLITA B. SUANSING
2™ District of Sultan Kudarat 1™ District of Nueva Ecijj

* This ill was fled by Rep. Horacio P. Suansing, Jr and Rep. Estrellta B. Suansing during the 16% Congress and the 17* Congress as House
Bill No, 6442 and House Bill 297, respectively


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

180

HOUSE BILL No.

Introduced by Representatives
HORACIO P. SUANSING, JR. and ESTRELLITA B. SUANSING

AN ACT
CHANGING THE TERM OF OFFICE OF BARANGAY OFFICIALS AND MEMBERS
OF THE SANGGUNIANG KABATAAN FROM THREE (3) TO FIVE (5) YEARS,
AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE SECTION 43 (c) OF REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7160, AS
AMENDED, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE OF
1991

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress
assembled:

SECTION 1. Section 43 (c) of Republic Act No. 7160, as amended by Republic Acts
Numbered 8524, 9164, 10632, 10656, 10923 and 10952, otherwise known as the Local
Government Code of 1991, is hereby further amended to read as follows:

“SECTION 43. Term of Office. — (a) The term of all elective officials after the
effectivity of this Code shall be three (3) years, starting from noon of June 30, 1992 or
such date as may be provided for by law, except that of elective barangay officials and
members of the sangguniang kabataan: Provided, That all local officials first elected
during the local clections immediately following the ratification of the 1987
Constitution shall serve until noon of June 30, 1992

(b) No local elective official shall serve for more than three (3) consecutive
terms in the same position. Voluntary renunciation of the office for any length of time
shall not be considered as an interruption in the continuity of service for the full term
for which the elective official concerned was elected

(c) The term of barangay officials and members of the sangguniang kabataan
shall be for five (5) years, which shall begin after the SYNCHRONIZED regular
election of barangay officials AND MEMBERS OF THE SANGGUNIANG
KABATAAN on the second Monday of May [1997] 2023, AND EVERY FIVE (5)
YEARS THEREAFTER. [Provided, That the sangguniang kabataan members who
were elected in the May 1996 elections shall serve until the next regular election of
barangay officials.]

NO BARANGAY OFFICIAL SHALL SERVE FOR MORE THAN TWO (2)
CONSECUTIVE TERMS IN THE SAME POSITION. VOLUNTARY
RENUNCIATION OF OFFICE FOR ANY LENGTH OF TIME SHALL NOT BE


CONSIDERED AS AN INTERRUPTION IN THE CONTINUITY OF SERVICE FOR
THE FULL TERM FOR WHICH THE ELECTIVE OFFICIAL WAS ELECTED.”

SECTION 2. The term of office of barangay and sangguniang kabataan officials elected in the
May 2023 elections and subsequently thereafter, shall commence at noon of June 30 next
following their election.

SECTION 3. All incumbent barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan officials shall remain in
office unless sooner removed or suspended for cause until their successors shall have been
elected and qualified. The provisions of the Omnibus Election Code relative to the failure of
elections and special elections are hereby reiterated in this Act.

SECTION 4. All laws, rules and regulations which are inconsistent with this Act, are hereby
repealed, amended or modified accordingly.

SECTION 5. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the Official
Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.

Approved,