# Barangay captain

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Highest elected official in a barangay (Philippines)

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A **barangay captain** ([Filipino](/source/Filipino_language): *kapitan ng barangay*),[a] or a **barangay chairman** (Filipino: *punong barangay*), is the highest elected official in a [barangay](/source/Barangay), the smallest level of [administrative divisions of the Philippines](/source/Administrative_divisions_of_the_Philippines). [Sitios](/source/Sitio) and [puroks](/source/Purok) are sub-divisions of barangays, but their leadership is not elected. As of March 2022, there are 42,046 barangays and therefore 42,046 barangay captains.[1]

The current position was created in 1991 and is a successor to historical positions known variously as *[cabeza de barangay](/source/Cabeza_de_barangay)*, barrio lieutenant, and barrio captain.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*]

Along with the college of [barangay councilors](/source/Barangay_councilor), captains comprise the [Sangguniang Barangay](/source/Sangguniang_Barangay) (barangay council). They perform many official government duties, and execute minor [judicial](/source/Judicial) powers as part of the [Barangay Justice System](/source/Barangay_Justice_System), such as settling disputes between neighbors. Viewed as village elders, they also work informally with many organizations.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*]

Captains are elected for three-year terms, although this may be modified due to election postponements.[2] Their [most recent elections](/source/2023_Philippine_barangay_and_Sangguniang_Kabataan_elections) were held on October 30, 2023.

## History

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding missing information. (October 2012)

While the current structure dates only to the 1970s, the concept of a village leader has a long history, as it was already evident amongst [pre-colonial barangays](/source/Barangay_(pre-colonial)). During the [Spanish era](/source/History_of_the_Philippines_(1521%E2%80%931898)), the office was known by the title *[cabeza de barangay](/source/Cabeza_de_barangay)* (literally, "head of the barangay"), and was an unelected post.

At the beginning of the [American colonial period](/source/History_of_the_Philippines), the office was renamed barrio lieutenant. Under the [Administrative Code of 1917](/source/Administrative_Code_of_1917), passed by the [Philippine Assembly](/source/Philippine_Assembly), these too were not elected but rather appointed by and under the supervision of the city councilor for the barrio.[3] Councillors were elected at that time by [electoral districts](/source/Electoral_district). Barrio lieutenants received no pay or other compensation.[3] The lieutenant was to assist the city councilor and his term ended when the councilor's term ended.[3]

During the American colonial period and after [independence](/source/Independence_Day_(Philippines)) in 1946, barangays were known as [barrios](/source/Barrio) and barangay leaders were known as **barrio lieutenants**. In the U.S. the most similar political position to a barangay captain is a [county executive](/source/County_executive) (though the US counterpart covers more land and has more population on average than a Filipino barangay), the US colonial administration of the Philippines helped model the barangay captain's powers to that more of a US county executive.

In 1991, the position took its present name and form with amendments to the [Local Government Code](/source/Local_Government_Code).

## Responsibilities

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding missing information. (June 2022)

The captain, along with the barangay councilors (*[barangay kagawad](/source/Barangay_kagawad))* comprise the [sangguniang barangay](/source/Sangguniang_barangay) or barangay council. Apart from performing many official government duties, they also execute minor [judicial](/source/Judicial) powers as part of the [Barangay Justice System](/source/Barangay_Justice_System), such as settling disputes between neighbors. They also work informally with many organizations at the local level.

Republic Act No. 10755 authorized the *punong barangay* to administer the oath of office of any government official, including the [president of the Philippines](/source/President_of_the_Philippines) and the [vice president of the Philippines](/source/Vice_president_of_the_Philippines).

## Compensation

Barangay officials receive a salary of between [₱](/source/Philippine_peso)600 and ₱1,000 a month as per the Local Government Code.[4] They receive other forms of compensation as well.

## See also

- [Precolonial barangay](/source/Precolonial_barangay)

- [Cabeza de barangay](/source/Cabeza_de_barangay)

- [League of Barangays of the Philippines](/source/League_of_Barangays_of_the_Philippines)

- [Poblacion](/source/Poblacion)

- [List of cities and municipalities in the Philippines](/source/List_of_cities_and_municipalities_in_the_Philippines)

- [Pecalang](/source/Pecalang) and [Hansip](/source/Hansip)

## Notes

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Commonly shortened to as ***kap***

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-PSA_2022_number_of_provinces,_cities_and_barangays_2-0)** Philippine Statistics Authority (2022). [*Provincial Summary: Number of Provinces, Cities, Municipalities and Barangays, by Region: As of 31 March 2022*](https://psa.gov.ph/classification/psgc/downloads/PSGC%201Q%202022%20Provincial%20Summary.pdf) (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved June 1, 2022.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["SC Declares Unconstitutional Law Postponing Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections, Orders the Conduct of Elections in October 2023, Issues Guidelines for Validity of Rules Postponing Elections"](https://sc.judiciary.gov.ph/sc-declares-unconstitutional-law-postponing-barangay-and-sangguniang-kabataan-elections-orders-the-conduct-of-elections-in-october-2023-issues-guidelines-for-validity-of-rules-postponing-elections/). Supreme Court of the Philippines. June 27, 2023. Retrieved December 2, 2024.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-AdminCode1917_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-AdminCode1917_4-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-AdminCode1917_4-2) [*Administrative Code of 1917*](https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/1916/12/31/act-no-2657/) – via Official Gazette.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-PanayNews2014_5-0)** Golez, Prince (January 26, 2014). ["GSIS Coverage for Brgy Execs Mulled"](https://web.archive.org/web/20140202224756/http://www.panaynewsphilippines.com/top-stories/12648-gsis-coverage-for-brgy-execs-mulled.html). *Panay News*. Archived from [the original](http://www.panaynewsphilippines.com/top-stories/12648-gsis-coverage-for-brgy-execs-mulled.html) on February 2, 2014. Retrieved January 27, 2014.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Barangay captain](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barangay_captain) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barangay_captain?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.