The November 2 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections will not happen. Malacañang announced on September 25, 2026 that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. had signed Republic Act 12326, which moves the polls to November 2028. For Bislig City's 24 barangays, that means the punong barangay, kagawad and SK officials now in office will keep their seats for roughly two more years.

In August, Bislig Today reported that several bills to delay the elections had been filed in Congress and that the Commission on Elections was still preparing for November 2. Those bills have now become law.

What the new law does

According to Philstar, Palace official Claire Castro announced the signing during a briefing in Batac City, Ilocos Norte. RA 12326 amends Republic Act 12232, the 2025 law that had set the elections for the first Monday of November 2026. The new law does two things.

First, it moves the Barangay and SK Elections to November 2028. Second, it lengthens the term of barangay and SK officials from four years to five.

Castro said the administration wanted barangay officials focused on carrying out government programs rather than on campaigning. "We need them now," she said, according to Philstar. The President described the longer term as "additional time to be accountable to people."

Comelec has stopped its preparations

Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia said the commission would cancel its preparations for November 2 and issue a formal resolution. According to The Manila Times, Comelec had already spent about ₱8 billion on the 2026 elections, and its remaining ₱10.9 billion budget for them will be redirected to the 2028 national and local elections.

Election lawyer Romulo Macalintal asked the Supreme Court to stop the postponement. The Court ordered the government to comment on his petition but did not issue a temporary restraining order, so the law is in force.

What changes for Bislig

Your barangay officials stay in office. The officials elected in the October 30, 2023 barangay polls continue to serve. That covers all 24 barangays, from Mangagoy and Poblacion to the upland barangays.

People who filed to run will have to wait. Certificate of candidacy filing had been scheduled for September 28 to October 5, and the campaign period for October 22 to 31. With the election moved, there is no campaign this month. Anyone in Bislig who was preparing to run for barangay or SK office now has a 2028 race to plan for instead.

November 2 is no longer an election day. Families should plan the All Souls' Day weekend as usual. No precincts will open in Bislig schools.

Voter registration reopens in November

The postponement also reopens voter registration. Inquirer reported on October 2 that Comelec will reopen registration nationwide from the second week of November 2026 until July 30, 2027, ahead of the May 2028 national and local elections. Garcia said opening early gives Comelec time to clean up and finalize the list of voters.

Registration will cover new voters, transfers, and reactivation of deactivated records. Bisliganon who moved into the city, or whose registration was deactivated for missing two straight elections, can fix their records at the Comelec office in Bislig once registration opens. Bislig Today will publish the local schedule once the city's election office announces it.

Sources

  • Philstar, "Marcos signs law postponing 2026 barangay, SK elections," September 25, 2026
  • The Manila Times, "Marcos postpones barangay, youth polls," September 26, 2026
  • Inquirer, "Comelec reopens voter registration in November for 2028 elections," October 2, 2026