Barangay councils in the Philippines
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The Sangguniang Barangay known commonly as the Barangay Council, and formerly as the Rural Council and then the Barrio Council, is the legislative body of a barangay, the lowest elected government in the Philippines.
The term is coined from the Tagalog words "sanggunian" and "baranggay" which means "barangay advisory council".
It passes ordinances and resolutions for the effective administration of the barangay. Its powers and functions are defined by the Local Government Code of 1991.[1]
The council is headed by the barangay captain, who is also the barangay's chief executive, and is composed of seven kagawads or members, known also as barangay councilors, and until the 2014 elections, the Sangguniang Kabataan chairman.
History
During the American Colonial Period, appointed Rural Councils were created, with four councillors assisting the council's Barrio Lieutenant, now known as the Barangay Captain.[2] The body was later renamed Barrio Council.[2]
The 1959 Barrio Charter Act, passed after Philippine independence in 1946, changed the council from being appointed to elected.[3]
See also
References
- ↑ DILG - Local Government Code of 1991 Archived May 8, 2008, at the Wayback Machine.
- 1 2 Zamora, Mario D. (1966). "Political Change and Tradition: The Case of Village Asia". In Karigoudar Ishwaran (Editor). International Studies in Sociology and Social Anthropology: Politics and Social Change. Leiden, the Netherlands: E.J. Brill. pp. 247–253. Retrieved 12 November 2012.
- ↑ Tigno, Jorge V. (2003). "Economic Vitality and Local Governance: The Political Economy of Decentralization in the Philippines". In Yasutami Shimomura, editor. Asian Development Experience: The role of governance in Asia Volume 2 of Asian Development Experience Series. Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. p. 266. ISBN 9789812302007. Retrieved 12 November 2012.