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Advocates Philippines
Marcos Signs Law Moving Barangay SK Elections To November 2026
Photo credit: PCO
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has officially signed Republic Act No. 12232, moving the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) originally set for December 2025 to the first Monday of November 2026.
Under the new law, regular BSKEs will be held every four years thereafter. It also standardizes the term of office for both barangay and SK officials at four years. For barangay officials, no one can serve more than three consecutive terms in the same post, while SK officials are limited to just one term in the same position. Resigning early will not reset the term count.
The law states that all elected barangay and SK officials will begin their term on December 1 following the election. Until then, current officials will stay in office unless removed or suspended for cause. However, barangay officials already on their third consecutive term will no longer be eligible to run for the same position in the 2026 polls.
The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) has 90 days from the law’s effectivity to issue implementing rules.
President Marcos had earlier signaled his intent to postpone the BSKE to give the COMELEC more bandwidth to focus on the first-ever Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) parliamentary elections in October 2025.
Speaking during a media forum in Bengaluru, India, the President explained that holding the BARMM and BSKE polls just months apart could overburden the poll body and dilute resources needed for the historic BARMM vote.
“This will be the first time in our history that the people will elect the region’s parliament representatives,” Marcos stressed, underscoring the critical role of the elections in advancing the peace process in Mindanao. He warned that any failure in the BARMM polls would be a major setback for the region’s stability and the broader peace efforts.
Under the new law, regular BSKEs will be held every four years thereafter. It also standardizes the term of office for both barangay and SK officials at four years. For barangay officials, no one can serve more than three consecutive terms in the same post, while SK officials are limited to just one term in the same position. Resigning early will not reset the term count.
The law states that all elected barangay and SK officials will begin their term on December 1 following the election. Until then, current officials will stay in office unless removed or suspended for cause. However, barangay officials already on their third consecutive term will no longer be eligible to run for the same position in the 2026 polls.
The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) has 90 days from the law’s effectivity to issue implementing rules.
President Marcos had earlier signaled his intent to postpone the BSKE to give the COMELEC more bandwidth to focus on the first-ever Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) parliamentary elections in October 2025.
Speaking during a media forum in Bengaluru, India, the President explained that holding the BARMM and BSKE polls just months apart could overburden the poll body and dilute resources needed for the historic BARMM vote.
“This will be the first time in our history that the people will elect the region’s parliament representatives,” Marcos stressed, underscoring the critical role of the elections in advancing the peace process in Mindanao. He warned that any failure in the BARMM polls would be a major setback for the region’s stability and the broader peace efforts.
Aug 13, 2025
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