FIVE-YEAR TERM SET FOR BARANGAY, SK OFFICIALS UNDER NEW LAW

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has signed into law a measure extending the term of office of barangay officials and members of the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) from four years to five years, while moving the next Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) to 2028.

Republic Act No. 12326, signed on September 25, 2026, amends Republic Act No. 12232, which previously fixed the term of barangay and SK officials at four years. The new law sets the next regular BSKE on November 13, 2028, according to reports confirming the measure’s enactment.

The law changes the schedule of the elections that had previously been set for November 2026 under RA 12232. Under the new five-year cycle, succeeding barangay and SK elections will be conducted every five years.

The measure affects both barangay officials and members of the SK, the local government bodies responsible for community-level governance and youth representation. The extension means incumbent officials will remain in office while the country transitions to the new election schedule, subject to the provisions of the law.

Prior to RA 12326, RA 12232 provided a four-year term for elected barangay and SK officials and scheduled the next BSKE for the first Monday of November 2026. It also provided that incumbent officials would remain in office until their successors were elected and qualified, unless they were sooner removed or suspended for cause.

The passage of RA 12232 in 2025 had already changed the previous electoral timetable. The law moved the BSKE from December 2025 to November 2026 and established a four-year term for barangay and SK officials.

The latest legislation now introduces another change to the election calendar by setting the next BSKE for 2028 and establishing a five-year term. The development comes after the House of Representatives approved House Bill No. 10971 on September 8, 2026. The House measure proposed extending the term from four to five years and moving the next BSKE to November 2028. It was approved with 211 affirmative votes, 13 negative votes, and one abstention.

With the signing of RA 12326, barangay and SK officials will operate under a new electoral timetable beginning with the 2028 elections. The change marks another adjustment in the country’s system for selecting local community and youth leaders.

As the government transitions to the new schedule, the implementation of the law will determine how the five-year terms and succeeding BSKEs will be carried out nationwide.

Report by Curt Villanueva | #TheLOStories