NO Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) will be held this year.
This is after President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. signed into law Republic Act (RA) No. 12232, which reschedules the December 2025 BSKE on November 2, 2026.
Signed on Wednesday, August 13, the new law states that the regular BSKE will be held every four years thereafter.
RA 12232 also sets the term of office of all elected barangay and SK officials to four years. Elective barangay officials can serve up to three consecutive terms in the same position, while elective SK officials can only serve in the same post for one term.
New barangay and SK officials will assume office on December 1, following their election.
While awaiting the BSKE, incumbent barangay and SK officials will remain in office, unless removed or suspended for cause. However, those serving their third consecutive term are barred from running in the same position in the November 2026 polls.
The Philippines last held the BSKE in October 2023.
Resumption of voter registration
The 10-day voter registration for the upcoming BSKE ended on August 10, in which around 2.8 million individuals registered.
However, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) earlier said that it would resume the registration in October if the BSKE is rescheduled.
Comelec Chair George Garcia reiterated this in an interview with GMA Integrated News’ Unang Balita on Thursday, stating that the poll body will reopen the voter registration from October 2025 to July 2026.
The poll chief also hopes that Congress would consider automating the upcoming BSKE, so that voters would no longer have to write down their votes.
“Mas mabilis, mas walang pong violence, at kahit paano po, ang integridad ay mas katanggap-tanggap sa ating mga kababayan. Sana nga po ma-consider na dahil po ‘yung manual, napakahabang pahanon, ‘yung mga teachers natin ay masyado pong napapagod,” Garcia stressed.
Focus on BARMM polls
Marcos previously revealed his plan to postpone the BSKE to allow the government to fully focus on the first-ever Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) parliamentary elections.
He said this was “the most sensible and the most common sense solution” for the Comelec to hold the BARMM polls successfully.
Garcia welcomed the president’s decision but stressed that the poll body continues to prepare for the next BSKE, despite the postponement.
“Hindi po kami tumitigil sa atin pong paghahanda. Sa katunayan, kahapon po ng hapon, tayo’y nakipaglagdaan sa National Printing Office sa pag-i-imprenta ng ating balota para sa Barangay and SK Elections,” he told Unang Balita.
Meanwhile, the election period for the BARMM elections has officially begun today, August 14, and will continue until October 28. Authorities are also enforcing a gun ban throughout the Bangsamoro Region.
