The House of Representatives has approved a bill that aims to extend the term of elected officials in the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) system. House Bill (HB) No. 11287, which proposes amendments to the Local Government Code of 1991, was passed on third and final reading with 153 affirmative votes, four negative votes, and one abstention.

One of the key changes in the bill is the extension of the term for barangay officials from three years to six years. The next barangay and SK elections are set to be held by the second Monday of May 2029.

Earlier this year, the House approved the same bill on second reading before the session adjourned for the election season. During the plenary debates, concerns were raised about the intentions behind the term extension, with some lawmakers questioning the need for such a change.

Kabataan party-list Rep. Raoul Manuel raised the issue of time constraints for barangay officials and compared it to the three-year term of House lawmakers. However, Assistant Majority Leader Arnan Panaligan emphasized the differences in functions between the two sets of officials.

House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez and other ranking lawmakers have expressed support for the bill, citing the need for continuity in projects and protection of barangay officials from political interference. A similar proposal by Senator Imee Marcos in the Senate seeks to extend the term of barangay officials to four years.

Both the House and Senate bills aim to address the challenges faced by barangay officials in implementing policies and projects due to short terms. The Senate-approved bill sets the next regular barangay and SK elections to be held on the first Monday of October 2027 and every four years thereafter.