Further Amending Proclamation No. 342 (S. 2003), as Amended, and Declaring the Saturdays and Sundays of March and October of Every Year as Barangay Assembly Days

October 9, 2018

PROCLAMATION NO. 599

FURTHER AMENDING PROCLAMATION NO. 342 (S. 2003),AS AMENDED, AND DECLARING THE SATURDAYS AND SUNDAYS OF MARCH AND OCTOBER OF EVERY YEAR AS BARANGAY ASSEMBLY DAYS

WHEREAS, Section 397 of Republic Act (RA) No. 7160 requires that there shall be a barangay assembly composed of all persons who are actual residents of the barangay for at least six (6) months, fifteen years of age or over, citizens of the Philippines, and duly registered in the list of barangay assembly members, which shall meet at least twice a year to hear and discuss the semestral report of the sangguniang barangay concerning its activities and finances, as well as problems affecting the barangay;

WHEREAS, to fulfill the purposes and objectives of RA No. 7160 and to emphasize the role of the barangay in government, Proclamation No. 342 (s. 2003) was issued, declaring the last Saturday of March and the third Saturday of October 2003, and every year thereafter, as Barangay Assembly Days;

WHEREAS, to ensure that the Barangay Assembly Day for the second semester of each year does not fall under the campaign period for the Synchronized Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) Elections pursuant to Batas Pambansa (BP) Blg. 881 or the "Omnibus Election Code of the Philippines," Proclamation No. 260 (s. 2011) was issued, amending Proclamation No. 342 and declaring the last Saturday of March and the second Sunday of October 2011, and every year thereafter, as Barangay Assembly Days;

WHEREAS, based on the report of the National Barangay Operations Office of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), several barangays hold their respective barangay assemblies on dates other than those specifically provided under Proclamation No. 342, as amended, for various compelling reasons;

WHEREAS,the dates of the barangay assemblies during the first semester of CYs 2013 and 2016 coincided with the observance of Black Saturday, which significantly reduced the number of the assembly attendees while the Barangay Assembly Day scheduled on 31 March for the first semester of CY 2018 also fell on Black Saturday, which was a special (non-working) day throughout the country; and

WHEREAS,there is a need to provide flexibility in the scheduling of Barangay Assembly Days, to allow wider participation of barangay constituents, and thereby promote greater transparency and accountability of public officials at the barangay level;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, RODRIGO ROA DUTERTE,President of the Republic of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution and existing laws, do hereby declare the Saturdays and Sundays of March and October of every year as Barangay Assembly Days. Accordingly, all barangays are enjoined to hold their respective barangay assemblies for each semester on any of the aforesaid days in accordance with Section 397 of RA No. 7160 with the aim of ensuring the widest participation of their constituencies. AIDSTE

IN WITNESS WHEREOF,I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the Republic of the Philippines to be affixed.

DONE in the City of Manila, this 9th day of October, in the year of Our Lord, Two Thousand and Eighteen.