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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
First Regular Session 
TWENTIETH CONGRESS 
                 House Bill No. 3965
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Introduced by REP. JESUS MANUEL “BONG” C. SUNTAY 
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EXPLANATORY NOTE 
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The barangay is the foundation of our local government system, the first recourse of our 
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citizens, and the enduring face of governance at the grassroots. Yet the men and women 
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who serve in this vital institution often do so without the dignity of adequate 
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compensation or institutional support. 
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This Magna Carta elevates barangay officials to the status of regular government 
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personnel, entitled to salaries, benefits, and protection commensurate with their 
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responsibilities. It affirms the right of every barangay to the means of delivering essential 
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services, including the provision of safe and potable water. 
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To dignify barangay service is to strengthen the nation at its base. This measure proclaims 
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that the governance of our smallest political unit is no less a matter of national 
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importance. 
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In view of the foregoing, the immediate passage of this bill is earnestly sought. 
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REP. JESUS MANUEL “BONG” C. SUNTAY 
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August 26, 2025
8:00 am


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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
First Regular Session 
TWENTIETH CONGRESS 
                  House Bill No. 3965
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Introduced by REP. JESUS MANUEL “BONG” C. SUNTAY 
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AN ACT PROVIDING FOR A MAGNA CARTA FOR BARANGAYS 
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Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
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Congress assembled: 
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TITLE I 
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TITLE, DECLARATION OF POLICY, AND GENERAL PRINCIPLES 
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Section 1. Short Title. – This Act shall be known as "The Magna Carta for 
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Barangays." 
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Sec. 2. Declaration of Policy. – It is the policy of the State to promote, develop and 
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improve the general welfare of barangay residents, raise the economic and social status 
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of barangay officials, grant every barangay, the basic facilities for decent, healthy and 
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comfortable living therein and provide new measures that will inspire its enjoyment of 
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local autonomy to ensure the effective performance of its role as the primary planning 
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and implementing unit of government programs, projects and activities, and as a forum 
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in which the collective views of the people in the community may be crystallized and 
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considered. 
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Sec. 3. General Principles. – The following are the general principles of this Act: 
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a. The national government shall give more attention to the development of the
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barangay, as it is the base of this country's economy.
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b. Every barangay shall be given the authority and capability to solve its problems
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on its level.
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c. Self-help or people power shall be the guiding principle in all barangay
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development projects.
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TITLE II 
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BARANGAY OFFICIALS AS REGULAR GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES 
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Sec. 4. The Barangay Officials as Regular Government Employees. – The punong 
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barangay, sangguniang barangay members, the sangguniang kabataan (SK) chairperson, 
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the barangay secretary and barangay treasure in all barangays are hereby declared regular 
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employees, and as such are entitled to fixed salaries, allowances, insurance, medical and 
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dental coverage, retirement benefits and such other fringe benefits to which a regular 
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government employee may be entitled to.   
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Sec. 5. Salaries of Barangay Officials. – As soon as the appropriate steps and 
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measures are undertaken by each city or municipality in coordination with the individual 
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barangay involved on matters relating to the sources of fund and the corresponding 
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appropriation ordinance, which in no case shall be later than six (6) months from the 
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approval hereof, all barangay officials mentioned in paragraph 4 hereof shall be entitled 
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to the following fixed salaries: 
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a. Punong Barangay - An amount equivalent to the salary of a sangguniang bayan 
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member of his/her municipality;  
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b. Sangguniang Barangay Members - An amount equivalent to eighty percent 
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(80%) of the salary of a sangguniang bayan member of his/her municipality; 
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c. SK Chairperson, Barangay Secretary, Barangay Treasurer - For each, an 
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amount equivalent to seventy-five percent (75%) of the salary of a sangguniang 
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bayan member of his/her municipality.   
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TITLE III 
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BASIC PRIORITIES IN THE BARANGAY 
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Sec. 6. Drinking Water for Every Barangay. – It is the right of every barangay to 
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have a regular supply of clean and potable drinking water. To attain this goal, every city 
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and municipality, as the case may be, is hereby required to construct and/or maintain at 
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least one deep well with pumping device for drawing drinking water to supply the needs 
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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 
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to have public transportation available at least once a day. For this purpose, every 
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municipality or city, as the case may be, should make such necessary representations 
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before the appropriate government agencies to require public utility companies operating 
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within its jurisdiction to provide the minimum means of transportation in every barangay. 
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Sec. 8. Schools, Health Centers and Barangay Halls for the Barangays. – Every 
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barangay is entitled to have at least one elementary school: Provided, That there shall be 
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at least one high school for every five (5) kilometers from the barangay center. It shall also 
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be the right of every barangay to have one health center and one barangay hall. 
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TITLE IV 
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MEASURES TO ASSURE THE ENJOYMENT OF LOCAL AUTONOMY 
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Sec. 9. Automatic Release of Share from National Taxes. – It shall be the duty of 
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the National Treasury to remit automatically to the barangays every end of the calendar 
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year their just share from the national taxes. 
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Sec. 10. Transfer of Fund to Barangay for the Maintenance of Roads and 
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Bridges.– All public funds appropriated from the national treasury for the maintenance 
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of barangay roads and bridges and other similar constructions shall be transferred or 
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remitted directly to the general fund of every barangay for their proper disposition by the 
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barangay officials. 
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Sec. 11. Mandatory Share of Barangays in All Taxes, Fees or Other Charges.  – 
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Twenty-five percent (25%) of all taxes collected on real property located within the 
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barangay shall be considered barangay funds and shall be allocated in accordance with 
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existing laws. In addition thereto, each barangay shall be entitled to ten percent (10%) 
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from all other forms of taxes, fees, penalties, compromises or other charges collected from 
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persons residing in the barangay or entities whose offices and/or manufacturing plant is 
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located within the barangay. 
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Sec. 12. Equitable Share of the Barangay from the Proceeds of the Utilization and 
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Development of National Wealth. – Every barangay shall be entitled to an equitable share 
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of the proceeds derived from the exploitation, development and utilization of natural 
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wealth within its territory. The amount of barangay share shall be determined by the city 
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or municipality concerned after consultations with the concessionaires, the municipal or 
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city officials and barangay officials, taking into account the extent of the exposure of the 
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barangay residents to pollution, food and ecological imbalance: Provided, however, That 
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this equitable sharing rate for each barangay shall be resolved by all parties concerned 
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not later than six (6) months from the approval of this Act. Revenues derived from this 
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source shall also from part of the general fund of the barangay. 
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TITLE V 
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CAPACITY BUILDING OF BARANGAY OFFICIALS 
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Sec. 13. Mandatory Training Programs for Barangay Officials and Personnel. – 
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Prior to assuming office, newly elected barangay officials and appointed barangay 
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personnel shall undertake mandatory training programs to develop their skills relative to 
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governance, public policy, administration and leadership. For these purposes, the 
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Department of Interior and Local Government with the assistance of the Development 
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Academy of the Philippines (DAP), the Local Government Academy (LGA), and the 
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University of the' Philippines-National College of Public Administration and Governance 
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(UP-NCPAG), shall jointly design and implement the mandatory and continuing training 
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programs for barangay officials. 
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TITLE VI 
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SUNDRY MATTERS 
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Sec. 14. Scholarship Grant. – Every barangay shall sponsor at least one scholarship 
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grant every year leading to any bachelor degree to be awarded by a committee of five 
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persons appointed by the Sangguniang Barangay with the approval of the Punong 
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Barangay after competitive examinations are given to applicants who should be bona fide 
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residents of the barangay. The grant shall include tuition fees and all other school fees, 
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reasonable allowances for school books, supplies and transportation and other expenses 
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as the barangay may deem appropriate. 
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Sec. 15. Priority in Employment. – Residents in every barangay shall have the 
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priority in the hiring of workers and laborers to be needed in any government 
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construction or development projects within the barangay. 
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Sec. 16. Cooperative Enterprise. – Cooperative enterprises in the barangay shall 
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be encouraged and every barangay is directed to give full assistance for the establishment 
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and organization of said enterprises and to take every possible effort to make cooperative 
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undertakings a way of life in the barangay. 
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TITLE VII 
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ADMINISTRATION AND ENFORCEMENT 
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Sec. 17. Implementing Rules and Regulations. – The Secretary of the Department 
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of Interior and Local Government shall promulgate such rules and regulations as may be 
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necessary to implement the provisions of this Act. Rules and regulations issued pursuant 
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to this Section shall take effect thirty (30) days after publication in a national newspaper 
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of general circulation and by such other means as the Secretary of Local Government 
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deems reasonably sufficient to give interested parties general notice of such issuance. 
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Sec. 18. Budgetary Estimates. – The Secretary of Department of Interior and Local 
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Government shall submit to the Congress the necessary budgetary estimates to 
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implement the provisions of this Act concerning the allowances, insurance, medical, 
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dental and retirement benefits and other fringe benefits of barangay officials, the basic 
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priorities in the barangays, capacity building for barangay officials and, the barangay 
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scholarship grant. 
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Sec. 19. Penal Provision. – Any person who shall willfully interfere with, restrain 
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or coerce any barangay official or barangay resident in the exercise of his or their rights 
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guaranteed by this Act or who shall in any other manner commit any act to defeat any of 
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the provisions of this Act shall, upon conviction, be punished by a fine of not less than five 
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hundred pesos nor more than two thousand pesos, or by imprisonment of six months and 
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one day, or both, subject to the discretion of the court. If the offender is a public official, 
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the court shall order his dismissal from the government service. 
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Sec.  20. Repealing Clause. – All Acts and decrees, executive orders, implementing 
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rules and regulations or parts thereof, inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are 
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hereby repealed, amended or modified accordingly. 
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Sec. 21. Separability Clause. – If any provisions of this Act are declared invalid, 
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the remainder or any provisions thereof not affected thereby shall remain in force and 
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effect. 
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Sec. 22. Effectivity. – This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after publication in 
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the Official Gazette or in two (2) national newspapers of general circulation.   
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Approved, 
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