Barangay councilor

A barangay councilor (Filipino: kagawad or konsehal) is an elected government official who is a member of the Sangguniang Barangay (Barangay Council) of a particular barangay, the smallest political unit in the Philippines. Each barangay council has seven regular councilors who are elected at-large by multi-member plurality voting. Barangay councilors are elected to three-year terms and are term-limited to three consecutive terms. The chairperson of the Sangguniang Kabataan (barangay's youth council) who is elected by voters aged 15 to 30 years old, is the ex officio eighth councilor. Some barangays with a population of indigenous people have an Indigenous People's Mandatory Representative (IPMR) as the ex officio ninth councilor albeit elected separately. The barangay councilors serve as the legislature of the barangay, while the barangay captain (Filipino: punong barangay) serves as the chief executive, together forming the Sangguniang Barangay.

Composition

Each barangay has seven regular kagawads who are elected through at-large multi-member plurality voting: voters may vote for up to seven candidates, and the seven candidates with the highest number of votes are elected. Under the Local Government Code of 1991 (Republic Act 7160 as amended) Barangay kagawads are elected to three-year terms, and are term limited to three consecutive terms, for a total of nine years. They are elected during barangay elections, the most recent being the ones held on October 30, 2023.

Authority

Under Article 152 of the Revised Penal Code of the Philippines, the barangay captain, members of barangay council, and members of the lupong tagapamayapa are considered persons in authority within their areas of jurisdiction.