Senator Imee Marcos announced that the Senate on Wednesday night, July 11, ratified the bicameral conference committee report fixing the terms of office of barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) officials to four years.
The final bill also postpones the December 2025 barangay and SK elections to the first Monday of November 2026 and every 4 years thereafter, she said.
Marcos said the final bill sets a four-year term of office for elected barangay officials and SK members, or a year more than the current three years.
The barangay officials will be allowed a maximum of three consecutive terms while SK officials will have one term with no reelection, she said.
The reconciled version of the bill, duly approved by both chambers, will be submitted to Malacañang.
The President will either sign it into law or veto it and send it back to the Senate.
Victorias City Mayor Javier Miguel Benitez, representative-elect of the Third District of Negros Occidental, said as a local chief executive and president of the Negros Association of Chief Executives, he has seen firsthand that the true measure of public service is not how long one serves, but how well.
“Years and terms in office matter less than the performance, sincerity, and genuine service our barangay leaders offer their communities,” he said.
From a development perspective, the shift to a four-year term, with elections moved to November 2026, allows barangay and SK officials more time to plan, implement, and sustain meaningful programs, he said.
Short election cycles often interrupt continuity, he said, adding that this change gives grassroots governance more breathing room.
“While many were expecting a longer extension, this four-year term is a step in the right direction. What matters now is how this time is used,” Benitez said.
“It must not breed complacency but inspire impact. I urge all barangay and SK officials to turn this extended mandate into real, measurable progress, and to lead with transparency, accountability, and heart,” he added.*