TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session
)
SENATE
S. No. 332
ZD
-9
!.■) C ;19
Introduced by SENATOR JV EJERCITO
AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR A MAGNA CARTA FOR BARANGAYS
EXPLANATORY NOTE
The barangay being the basic poiiticai unit has always been the vanguard of 
local development activities and partner of the national government in the delivery of 
basic services to the local communities. The barangay officials, namely the Punong 
Barangay, the members of the Sangguniang Barangay, Sangguniang Kabataan 
Chairperson, Barangay Secretary and Barangay Treasurer are entrusted with a vast 
range of duties and responsibilities and are closely involved in the development of our 
communities.
Despite the gargantuan task that our barangay officials perform to ensure the 
welfare of our constituents, they are only entitled to a meager compensation without 
any other benefits that are usually enjoyed by other elected officials.
This proposed measure aims to recognize the important role of our barangay 
officials in the delivery of basic services to their communities. Under this measure, 
barangay officials will have the status of regular government employees with fixed 
salaries and benefits such as allowances, insurance, medical and dental coverage, 
retirement benefits and such other benefits that they may be entitled to under the 
law.
The proposed bill also outlines the basic priorities and services that must be 
established in every barangay such as potable drinking water transportation services, 
and social infrastructures such as schools, health centers, and barangay halls. In


addition, this measure aiso defines measures to ensure that our barangays enjoy iocai 
autonomy such as the automatic reiease of share from nationai taxes, the transfer of 
fund to barangay for maintenance of roads, the mandatory share of barangays in ail 
taxes, and the equitabie share of barangay from proceeds of the utiiization and 
deveiopment of nationai weaith.
It is also important to prioritize the continuous learning of our barangay officiais 
through trainings and capabiiity buiiding activities, which is aiso proposed in the biii.
This legislative measure affirms the cruciai role of barangays in governance and 
national development. Their criticai function in implementing national policies at the 
grassroots level ensure the delivery of basic services and the promotion of inclusive 
and sustainable development across the country.
In view of the foregoing, the passage of this bill is earnestly sought.
■
jv EJERcrro


TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session
)
SENATE
S. No. 332
25
-9 P5:19
Introduced by SENATOR JV EJERCITO
AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR A MAGNA CARTA FOR BARANGAYS
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines, in 
Congress assembled:
1
2 
TITLE I
3 
TITLE, DECLARATION OF POLICY, AND GENERAL PRINCIPLES
4 
Section 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as 'The Magna Carta for
5 
Barangays."
6 
Sec. 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is the policy of the State to promote, develop
7 
and improve the general welfare of barangay residents, raise the economic and social
8 
status of barangay officials, grant every barangay, the basic facilities for decent,
9 
healthy and comfortable living therein and provide new measures that will inspire its
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enjoyment of local autonomy to ensure the effective performance of its role as the
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primary planning and implementing unit of government programs, projects and
12 
activities, and as a forum in which the collective views of the people in the community
13 
may be crystallized and considered.
14 
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
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the barangay, as it is the base of this country's economy.
17 
b. Every barangay shall be given the authority and capability to solve its
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problems 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.


1 
TITLE II
2 
BARANGAY OFFICIALS AS REGULAR GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES
3 
Sec. 4. The Barangay Officials as Regular Government Employees. - The
4 
punong barangay, sangguniang barangay members, the sangguniang kabataan (SK)
5 
chairperson, the barangay secretary and barangay treasure in all barangays are
6 
hereby declared regular employees, and as such are entitled to fixed salaries,
7 
allowances, insurance, medical and dental coverage, retirement benefits and such
8 
other fringe benefits to which a regular government employee may be entitled to.
9 
Sec. 5. Salaries of Barangay Officials. - As soon as the appropriate steps and
10 
measures are undertaken by each city or municipality in coordination with the
11 
individual barangay involved on matters relating to the sources of fund and the
12 
corresponding appropriation ordinance, which in no case shall be later than six (6)
13 
months from the approval hereof, all barangay officials mentioned in paragraph 4
14 
hereof shall be entitled to the following fixed salaries:
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a. Punong Barangay - An amount equivalent to the salary of a sangguniang
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bayan member of his/her municipality;
17 
b. Sangguniang Barangay Members - An amount equivalent to eighty percent
18 
(80%) of the salary of a sangguniang bayan member of his/her
19 
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
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sangguniang bayan member of his/her municipality.
23 
TITLE III
24 
BASIC PRIORITIES IN THE BARANGAY
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Sec. 6. Drinking Water for Every Barangay. - It is the right of every barangay
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to have a regular supply of clean and potable drinking water. To attain this goal, every
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city and municipality, as the case may be, is hereby required to construct and/or
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maintain at least one deep well with pumping device for drawing drinking water to
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supply the needs of every one thousand residents for each barangay within its
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jurisdiction.
31 
Sec. 7. Transportation for Every Barangay. - It is also the right of every
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barangay to have public transportation available at least once a day. For this purpose.


1 
every municipality or city, as the case may be, should make such necessary
2 
representations before the appropriate government agencies to require public utility
3 
companies operating within its jurisdiction to provide the minimum means of
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transportation in every barangay.
5 
Sec. 8. Schools, Health Centers and Barangay Halls for the Barangays. - Every
6 
barangay is entitled to have at least one elementary school: Provided, That there shall
7 
be at least one high school for every five (5) kilometers from the barangay center. It
8 
shall also be the right of every barangay to have one health center and one barangay
9 
hall.
10 
TITLE IV
11 
MEASURES TO ASSURE THE ENJOYMENT OF LOCAL AUTONOMY
12 
Sec. 9. Automatic Release of Share from National Taxes. - It shall be the duty
13 
of the National Treasury to remit automatically to the barangays every end of the
14 
calendar year their just share from the national taxes.
15 
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
17 
of barangay roads and bridges and other similar constructions shall be transferred or
18 
remitted directly to the general fund of every barangay for their proper disposition by
19 
the barangay officials.
20 
Sec. 11. Mandatory Share of Barangays in AH Taxes, Fees or Other Charges. -
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Twenty-five percent (25%) of all taxes collected on real property located within the
22 
barangay shall be considered barangay funds and shall be allocated in accordance
23 
with existing laws. In addition thereto, each barangay shall be entitled to ten percent
24 
(10%) from all other forms of taxes, fees, penalties, compromises or other charges
25 
collected from persons residing in the barangay or entities whose offices and/or
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manufacturing plant is located within the barangay.
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Sec. 12. Equitable Share of the Barangay from the Proceeds of the Utilization
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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
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utilization of natural wealth within its territory. The amount of barangay share shall
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be determined by the city or municipality concerned after consultations with the
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concessionaires, the municipal or city officials and barangay officials, taking into


1 
account the extent of the exposure of the barangay residents to pollution, food and
2 
ecological imbalance: Provided, however. That this equitable sharing rate for each
3 
barangay shall be resolved by all parties concerned not later than six (6) months from
4 
the approval of this Act. Revenues derived from this source shall also from part of the
5 
general fund of the barangay.
6 
TITLE V
7 
CAPACITY BUILDING OF BARANGAY OFFICIALS
8 
Sec. 13. Mandatory Training Programs for Barangay Officiais and Personnei. -
9 
Prior to assuming office, newly elected barangay officials and appointed barangay
10 
personnel shall undertake mandatory training programs to develop their skills relative
11 
to governance, public policy, administration and leadership. For these purposes, the
12 
Department of Interior and Local Government with the assistance of the Development
13 
Academy of the Philippines (DAP), the Local Government Academy (LGA), and the
14 
University of the' Philippines-National College of Public Administration and Governance
15 
(UP-NCPAG), shall jointly design and implement the mandatory and continuing training
16 
programs for barangay officials.
17 
TITLE VI
18 
SUNDRY MATTERS
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Sec. 14. Schoiarship Grant - Every barangay shall sponsor at least one
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scholarship grant every year leading to any bachelor degree to be awarded by a
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committee of five persons appointed by the Sangguniang Barangay with the approval
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of the Punong Barangay after competitive examinations are given to applicants who
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should be bona fide residents of the barangay. The grant shall include tuition fees and
24 
all other school fees, reasonable allowances for school books, supplies and
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transportation and other expenses as the barangay may deem appropriate.
26 
Sec. 15. Priority in Empioyment - Residents in every barangay shall have the 
21 priority in the hiring of workers and laborers to be needed in any government
28 
construction or development projects within the barangay.
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Sec. 16. Cooperative Enterprise. - Cooperative enterprises in the barangay shall
30 
be encouraged and every barangay is directed to give full assistance for the
31 
establishment and organization of said enterprises and to take every possible effort to
32 
make cooperative undertakings a way of life in the barangay.


1 
TITLE VII
2 
ADMINISTRATION AND ENFORCEMENT
3 
Sec. 17. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - The Secretary of the
4 
Department of Interior and Local Government shall promulgate such rules and
5 
regulations as may be necessary to implement the provisions of this Act. Rules and
6 
regulations issued pursuant to this Section shall take effect thirty (30) days after
7 
publication in a national newspaper of general circulation and by such other means as
8 
the Secretary of Local Government deems reasonably sufficient to give interested
9 
parties general notice of such issuance.
10 
Sec. 18. Budgetary Estimates. - The Secretary of Department of Interior and
11 
Local Government shall submit to the Congress the necessary budgetary estimates to
12 
implement the provisions of this Act concerning the allowances, Insurance, medical,
13 
dental and retirement benefits and other fringe benefits of barangay officials, the basic
14 
priorities in the barangays, capacity building for barangay officials and, the barangay
15 
scholarship grant.
16 
Sec. 19. Pena!Provision. - Any person who shall willfully interfere with, restrain
17 
or coerce any barangay official or barangay resident in the exercise of his or their
18 
rights guaranteed by this Act or who shall in any other manner commit any act to
19 
defeat any of the provisions of this Act shall, upon conviction, be punished by a fine
20 
of not less than five hundred pesos nor more than two thousand pesos, or by
21 
imprisonment of six months and one day, or both, subject to the discretion of the
22 
court. If the offender is a public official, the court shall order his dismissal from the
23 
government service.
24 
Sec. 20. Repealing Clause. - All Acts and decrees, executive orders,
25 
implementing rules and regulations or parts thereof, inconsistent with the provisions
26 
of this Act are hereby repealed, amended or modified accordingly.
27 
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
29 
effect.
30 
Sec. 22. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after publication
31 
in the Official Gazette or in two (2) national newspapers of general circulation.
32 
Approved,