President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos has postponed the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections, signing Republic Act No. 12326 into law, which extends officials’ terms to five years and resets the polls from November 2, 2026 to November 13, 2028.
RA 12326, published in the Official Gazette on September 25, 2026, imposes new limits; barangay officials may serve for a maximum of two consecutive terms in the same position, while SK officials are restricted to one term.
Incumbents covered by the two year extension are deemed to have completed a full five year term, while those already on their final term are barred from seeking reelection in the same post.
The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) then confirmed that the filing of Certificates of Candidacy, originally scheduled for September 28 to October 5, 2026, will no longer proceed.
The election period set to begin on October 3, 2026, has also been cancelled, along with prohibitions on disbursement of public funds, appointments, promotions, and suspensions.
Voter registration will resume in the second week of November 2026 for the 2028 national and local elections.
Minutes of COMELEC’s executive session on September 25, 2026 show how the Commission formally ordered the cessation of all BSKE related activities.
Chairman George Erwin Garcia and the commissioners approved the recommendations of Deputy Executive Director Rafael Olaño.
‘With the enactment and effectivity of R.A. No. 12326, the preparations must come to a halt, and the paraphernalia, forms and supplies procured in relation thereto be properly handled, stored and preserved,’ part of the minutes of the COMELEC’s executive session reads.
The resolution directed that all activities relating to the November 2, 2026 BSKE, including the filing of COCs supposedly starting this Monday, September 28 to October 5, 2026, and the campaign period be discontinued.
Prohibitions on election conduct were lifted, while the ongoing printing of ballots and accountable forms was allowed to continue until the allocated numbers were reached, with all materials to be secured for future use.
In Cebu City, before its postponement, City Councilor Nyza ‘Nice’ Archival had filed a resolution authorizing Mayor Nestor Archival to request exemptions from COMELEC’s prohibition on releasing public funds for social welfare and housing related projects.
The request covered programs such as Aid to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS), Self Employment Assistance Program (SEAP), financial aid for fire and calamity victims, relief distribution, assistance for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), senior citizens’ pensions, rice subsidies, hospitalization aid, and youth development initiatives.
City Legal Office endorsements attached to the resolution argued that these programs were non partisan, continuous government services that should not be disrupted by election prohibitions.
But with COMELEC lifting the ban, Councilor Dave Tumulak told THE FREEMAN that the council will no longer deliberate on the exemption request.
Councilor Harold Go had earlier questioned the necessity of the move, especially on some of the items covered in the request, saying such measures could wait until COMELEC formally lifted restrictions.
The Liga ng mga Barangay sa Pilipinas, including its Cebu City chapter, welcomed the new law.
‘We are thankful to President Marcos for the trust given to barangays. This extension is a chance to prove that grassroots governance can deliver real impact. Every barangay official must make each day
count,’ LnB-Cebu City chapter President Franklyn Ong said.
However, Ong also stressed the responsibility that comes with the extension.
‘Mas dugay nga serbisyo, mas dakong responsibilidad.
The five year term is not just additional time in office-it is a mandate to deepen accountability, strengthen programs, and ensure every day in office translates into meaningful service for our kabarangay.’ Ong added.
This is not the first time Marcos Jr. has reset the grassroots polls.
In 2022, he signed RA 11935, which moved the December 2022 BSKE to October 2023.
PBBM later enacted legislation moving the next BSKE from November 2025 to November 2, 2026, before RA 12326 institutionalized the five year cycle and pushed the elections to 2028.
Escudero, Martinez
Senator Chiz Escudero and Cebu Provincial Board Member Celestino ‘Tining’ Martinez welcomed the newly signed bill.
Ezcudero, the principal author of the measure in the Senate, said the law is intended to bring greater certainty and stability to barangay governance, noting that barangays serve as the government’s frontliners in delivering public services.
‘Clearly, the purpose of this law is to fix the system and ensure that there is a clear cycle of governance in the barangay. When the term is organized, the delivery of services is also organized,’ Escudero said in a statement.
He thanked President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. for immediately signing RA 12326 into law, as well as his colleagues in the Senate and members of the House of Representatives for supporting the measure.
Escudero said the law would help establish ‘more stable, more efficient, and fairer governance’ in the country’s barangays.
Martinez, meanwhile, said the Liga ng mga Barangay-Cebu Province welcomed the passage of the law but reminded barangay officials that the additional years in office should come with greater responsibility.
‘We in the Liga ng mga Barangay welcome the passage of Republic Act No. 12326, which establishes a five-year term for barangay officials and provides for the rescheduling of the barangay elections,’ the liga president said.
He stressed that the additional years should not simply be viewed as an extension of the officials’ terms.
Martinez said the additional time in office should be used by barangay officials to demonstrate that they
are worthy of the public’s trust through sincere, competent, responsive, and accountable governance.
He also urged barangay officials to use the extended period to improve governance in their communities, strengthen institutions and systems serving residents, and pursue reforms that would remain beneficial even after their terms end.
‘Make every day count,’ Martinez said, encouraging barangay officials to maximize the additional time entrusted to them by the people.