THE Senate and the House of Representatives on Wednesday night ratified the bicameral conference committee report extending the terms of barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) officials to four years and resetting the next polls to November 2026.
The measure was ratified on the last session day before the 19th Congress adjourned sine die.
Under the final version of the measure, lawmakers agreed to adopt the Senate proposal to extend the terms of barangay and SK officials to four years, from the current three years. The House had proposed a six-year term.
The bicameral committee said that no barangay official shall serve for more than three consecutive terms in the same position, and no SK official shall serve for more than one term.
It likewise scheduled the next BSK elections (BSKE) on the first Monday of November 2026, and four years thereafter, and set the terms of office of elected officials to commence on the first day of December of the same year.
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) had earlier set the BSKE on December 1, 2025.
Sen. Imee Marcos, chairperson of the Committee on Electoral Reforms and People’s Participation, presented the bicameral conference recommendation in the Senate plenary.
“Sa wakas, matapos ang pagkahaba-habang debate, pagpapalit-palit ng isipan na halos umabot sa bunuan, mapo-postpone na rin hanggang Nobyembre 2026 ang barangay at Sangguniang Kabataan elections (Finally, after long hours of debates, the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections will now be postponed to November 2026),” Marcos said.
The Senate its version of the measure on January this year. It proposed a four-year term and limited the terms of barangay officials to
three consecutive terms in the same position. It set the next BSKE on the first Monday of October 2027, and every four years thereafter. Winning officials will start their terms on the first day of November following the election.
On the other hand, the House approved its version of the bill just this week. It set the barangay and youth officials’ terms to six years, and the next polls on May 2029.
Elections chairman George Garcia said it would reassess its ongoing preparations for the December 1 BSKE.
“We’ll be having an emergency meeting in the Comelec next week to discuss our ongoing preparations for the BSKE,” said Garcia, adding their discussions would include the possible deferment of ongoing procurement activities for poll paraphernalia.
“We may have to suspend some procurement activities, such as those that may expire like the indelible ink,” he said.
Garcia said they may also push back the scheduled voter registration activities set on July 1 to 11.
“We can move the voter registration after the conduct of the Bangsamoro Parliamentary Elections, and make it longer,” he said.
He said they may also need to re-evaluate their budget for the BSKE as they may need additional funds if it’s moved to next year.
“If we do it next year, there will be a continuing appropriation for next year. However, we will need additional budget since there will be additional voters, which means we will have additional polling precincts and more election paraphernalia needed,” Garcia said.
Garcia said the Comelec has no say on whether the measure should be signed into law or not by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
“This is a political decision so we cannot intervene with it. We respect whatever will be their decision and implement it,” he said. – With Wendell Vigilia and Gerard Naval
