Getting a barangay clearance or certificate in Bislig is supposed to move online. A city ordinance passed at the start of 2026 requires all 24 barangays to set up an Electronic Barangay Information System (EBIS). It covers digital records, an online portal for residents, and barangay ID cards with QR codes.
The measure is Ordinance No. 2026-01, which the ordinance itself says may be cited as the "E-Barangay Ordinance of Bislig City." The Sangguniang Panlungsod enacted it on January 13, 2026, during its 26th regular session, and Mayor Florencio C. Garay signed it. It was authored by Councilor Bernadeth May R. Almanon-Balondo and sponsored by Councilor Winston Y. Sia, Councilor Victor B. Alvar, Jr., Indigenous Peoples Representative Florio S. Josafat, Jr. and Vice Mayor Conrad C. Cejoco.
Why the council passed it
The ordinance cites the E-Commerce Act of 2000 (Republic Act No. 8792) and the E-Governance Act of the Philippines (Republic Act No. 12254, signed September 5, 2025), which covers local governments down to the barangay level. It notes that Bislig's barangays "have yet to reap the benefits" of electronic systems years after the E-Commerce Law took effect, and calls this underuse a gap that leaves them behind more progressive barangays elsewhere in the country.
What the system will include
The ordinance defines EBIS as a centralized, web-based platform for managing barangay records, transactions, reports and information. It lists these features:
- Portals for the city, the barangays and residents
- A central database of residents' profiles based on the Community-Based Monitoring System (CBMS)
- Electronic recordkeeping and automated service transactions
- Common data shared between the city and the barangays
- Disaster management tools for Pre-Disaster Risk Assessment and Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment
- A barangay profile that residents can access
- Sectoral statistics
- Barangay IDs with QR codes
- A concerns and complaints mechanism
- SMS blasting, subject to National Telecommunications Commission rules
What it asks of residents
The ordinance does not only direct barangay offices. It also says residents are mandated to register in the EBIS, apply for a barangay ID with a QR code, keep their personal and household information updated, and use the client portal when availing of barangay services. The barangay ID is to serve as the main identification document for barangay transactions. Procedures are to be set by each barangay.
Who runs it
Each barangay, through the Punong Barangay and the Barangay Secretary, is the lead implementing unit. The City Information Technology team administers the central server, handles updates and security patches, backups, and user access controls. The City Planning and Development Office will feed barangay data into city planning, and the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office will use it for disaster preparedness and response.
Rollout and funding
Implementation starts with the urban barangays and is to expand to all remaining barangays within two years, along with staff training and an information campaign.
Both levels of government pay. The city sets aside money in its annual budget for development, software, infrastructure and training. Each barangay must budget, mainly from its General Fund, for computers, an ID printer and supplies, internet connection, staff salaries and training. The ordinance does not set a peso amount.
Data privacy rules
The system must follow the Data Privacy Act of 2012 and National Privacy Commission rules. Anyone given access, from barangay officials to encoders, must first sign a notarized non-disclosure agreement filed with the Barangay Secretary. Unauthorized access or misuse can lead to administrative, civil or criminal liability. In a data breach, the barangay and the City IT Office must contain it, notify the National Privacy Commission and inform affected residents.
The ordinance takes effect 15 days after posting in three conspicuous public places and on the city government's website.
Source: City of Bislig, Sangguniang Panlungsod Ordinance No. 2026-01 (enacted January 13, 2026), published on the city's Ordinances 2026 page at bislig.gov.ph.