Marcos signs law moving barangay, SK elections to November 2026

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Thursday signed into law a measure that pushes the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) to November 2, 2026, extending the tenure of the country’s smallest-unit officials and redrawing the electoral calendar for millions of Filipinos.

Republic Act No. 12232 shifts the polls originally set for December 1, 2025, and lengthens the term of office for both barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan officials from three years to four years.

It also enforces term limits: barangay officials may serve a maximum of three consecutive terms in the same post, while SK officials are restricted to a single term.

The law, signed at Malacañang Palace, contains provisions that current officials will remain in a holdover capacity until their successors are elected and qualified, unless they are removed or suspended for cause. Those who are already serving their third consecutive term are barred from running again in the next election.

President Marcos justified the postponement as a practical choice to ease the strain on the Commission on Elections (COMELEC), which is tasked with holding the first-ever Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) parliamentary elections in October 2025.

“Holding two major elections within a span of one month would stretch the commission’s resources and manpower,” Malacañang said in a statement.

“This measure will ensure the orderly conduct of both electoral exercises.”

Under the new law, COMELEC is mandated to issue implementing rules and regulations within 90 days after the measure takes effect. The assumption of office for elected barangay and SK officials will now take place every December 1, following the election.

Barangays, the smallest administrative divisions in the Philippines, serve as the first point of contact between citizens and the government.

Their leaders manage basic services, oversee peacekeeping efforts, and address hyperlocal concerns, from street lighting to drainage systems.

By granting longer terms, lawmakers argue that officials will have more time to complete medium- and long-term projects without being distracted by constant election cycles. Supporters say this could lead to improved program continuity and greater policy stability at the grassroots level.

But the move has also drawn criticism from election watchdogs and civic groups. Past attempts to postpone barangay elections have been challenged in court, most notably in 2023 when the Supreme Court ruled that such delays undermine the constitutional guarantee of regular elections.

This is far from the first time the barangay and SK elections have been moved. Since 1982, the schedule has been repeatedly altered, often to coincide with political transitions or to reallocate government spending.

In 2016, the polls were postponed to 2017 under then-President Rodrigo Duterte, partly due to concerns over narco-politics.

They were deferred again to 2018, and once more to 2020. The pandemic prompted another delay to 2022, followed by a rescheduling to 2023. The most recent barangay and SK elections were finally held in October 2023, only for the next round to now be shifted to 2026.

For critics, the frequency of these changes signals a troubling pattern, one in which local democratic exercises are treated as negotiable, subject to the demands of national politics.

The next barangay and SK elections, now locked in for November 2026, will mark the first under the four-year term system. If the schedule holds, future polls will be held every four years, realigning the local political rhythm across the archipelago.

In the meantime, COMELEC must navigate a challenging electoral calendar. The BARMM parliamentary vote in October 2025 will be a historic event, establishing the first regional parliament under the 2019 Bangsamoro Organic Law.

Simultaneously, it will prepare for the 2026 BSKE, which involves over 42,000 barangays and millions of voters.

Whether the extended terms will translate into better governance, or simply prolong the grip of entrenched local power holders, remains to be seen.

For Board Member Ferdinand Zaballa, who also serves as president of the Palawan Association of Barangay Captains (ABC), the postponement is an opportunity, but one that comes with responsibility.

“We welcome the extra year as a chance to see projects through,” Zaballa said.

“But we must prove to our constituents that the time given to us will be used wisely, and not wasted.”