Looking for the list of candidates for barangay election 2023? It was the longest in years: Comelec counted 828,644 people running for barangay chairperson and kagawad, and 585,843 for Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) posts. The Barangay and SK Elections (BSKE) took place on Monday, 30 October 2023, in 42,001 barangays, after several postponements. Comelec reported canvassing complete two days later, with no failure of elections declared.
This guide covers the key numbers, how candidate lists and results worked, and what happened to the next BSKE.
Barangay election 2023 in numbers
| Item | Figure |
|---|---|
| Election day | Monday, 30 October 2023 |
| Campaign period | 19 to 28 October 2023 |
| Barangays | 42,001 |
| Candidates for chairperson and kagawad | 828,644 |
| Candidates for SK chairperson and members | 585,843 |
| Unopposed barangay chairperson posts | 7,226 |
| Unopposed SK chairperson posts | 8,057 |
| Spending limit | up to ₱5 per registered voter |
The previous barangay and SK elections had been held in May 2018, so many barangay officials had served much longer than the normal term.
List of candidates for barangay election 2023: how it worked
Candidates filed their certificates of candidacy at the local Comelec office. After checking the filings, Comelec published certified lists of candidates per city and municipality, which were also used to print the ballots.
A few patterns stood out in the 2023 lists:
- Many unopposed races. In 7,226 barangays only one person ran for chairperson.
- Some empty races. Eight barangays had no candidate for chairperson, and 124 had none for SK chairperson.
- Very different sizes. The largest barangay by voters, Barangay 176 in Caloocan City, had more than 90,000 registered voters, while the smallest had just 53.
Barangay elections are officially non-partisan: candidates do not run under political party names, even if many have local political links.
Barangay election 2023 update: from voting to proclamation
Unlike national elections, there is no single national results count for the barangay polls. Votes are counted in each precinct, and the barangay board of canvassers canvasses the results and proclaims the winners for that barangay.
In 2023, Comelec reported that voting and canvassing were 100% complete on 1 November 2023, and its chairman, George Garcia, said there was no failure of elections. Comelec also described the polls as generally peaceful, although some areas had been listed as areas of concern before the vote.
If you want to know who won in your barangay, the most reliable sources are the proclamation records at your city or municipal election office and Comelec's official channels, rather than unverified posts on social media.
What happened next: the BSKE was postponed again
Barangay elections have a long history of postponements. After 2023, the next BSKE was first moved to November 2026 by a law signed in 2025, which also set a four-year term.
In September 2026, President Marcos signed Republic Act No. 12326, which postpones the BSKE again, to the first Monday of November 2028, and extends barangay officials' terms. The Palace said barangay officials were needed for crime prevention and flood mitigation programmes. In practice, many officials elected in October 2023 will serve until the 2028 vote.
Why barangay elections matter
The barangay is the smallest unit of government in the Philippines, but it handles everyday issues: local peace and order, barangay clearances, small disputes and disaster response. Its officials are also part of local political networks that matter in national elections. That is why turnout and results in barangay polls are watched closely by parties and analysts.
Surveys, elections and prediction markets
Barangay races are too small and local for most prediction markets, but national contests are a different story. Surveys show what voters say at a given moment, while prediction markets turn expectations into a price that can be read as an implied probability. We compare the two approaches in presidential surveys vs prediction markets in the Philippines.
If you are new to the topic, start with how prediction markets work, and before trading any election market check its resolution source, usually official results from Comelec. Availability in the country is covered on Philippines.
Next step
Want to try it yourself? Follow our guide on how to sign up for Polymarket, then see how to deposit and how to place your first trade. Start small and only use money you can afford to lose. Check where Polymarket is available before you begin.