It is time to pass a Magna Carta for Barangays. The message of House Speaker Faustino “Bojie” G. Dy III, as he pushed on Thursday for the passage of long-overdue measures establishing a Magna Carta for Barangays, stressing that barangay officials are the true frontliners of government and deserve dignity, protection, and stronger institutional support.
Dy said this as he addressed the House Committee on Local Government-Subcommittee on Local Officials and Personnel, thanking its members for working overtime to advance the proposed Magna Carta, including House Bill No. 3533, which he authored.
The measure is rooted in both personal experience and a clear understanding of how governance works at the community level. “As a former Barangay Captain, I started in the barangay in serving the public,” Dy said.
Drawing from his experience as a former mayor and governor, he emphasized that barangay officials are the first responders and first point of contact during crises—often the first to arrive and the last to leave.
"As a former mayor and governor, lalo pong tumibay ang aking paniniwala na ang barangay officials ang tunay na frontliner ng ating pamahalaan," Dy said.
"The first responders. The first point of contact. The ones on the ground. Sila ang unang nilalapitan kapag may problema, unang kumikilos kapag may krisis, at kadalasan, sila rin ang huling umaalis kapag tapos na ang problema."
The house speaker underscored the breadth of responsibilities carried by barangay officials, noting that in practice they function as the executive, legislative, and judiciary all rolled into one.
He said barangay officials in communities around the country implement government programs, craft ordinances through the sangguniang barangay, mediate disputes through the Katarungang Pambarangay, and serve as partners in peacekeeping and law enforcement.
No other level of government, he said, is as close to the daily lives of ordinary Filipinos.
The Speaker also highlighted the indispensable role barangay officials played during the COVID-19 pandemic, when they enforced health protocols, delivered assistance, and remained in their communities despite risks to their own safety.
"During COVID, our barangay officials saved us,” emphasized Dy.
The proposed Magna Carta seeks to improve compensation and benefits for Punong Barangays, Kagawads, SK officials, and barangay personnel; ensure the availability of basic services and facilities such as barangay halls and health centers; and strengthen the barangay as an institution so it can more effectively fulfill its role as the country’s primary unit of governance.
“This bill is about giving our barangay leaders the dignity and recognition they deserve,” Dy said, stressing that barangay officials are not merely implementers of policy but vital partners in solving the country’s most pressing problems.
"Kapag pinalakas natin ang barangay, mas nararamdaman ng taumbayan ang gobyerno.”
He expressed optimism that with the support of the committee, the proposed Magna Carta for Barangays can be advanced in the 20th Congress, describing it as a measure that serves the barangay, the community, and the vision of Bagong Pilipinas.