Legal opinion on whether a barangay is authorized to enact a resolution or ordinance increasing the medical assistance limit for Sangguniang Barangay Members beyond the statutory P5,000.00 limit.

f BAGONG PILIPINAS Republic of the Philippines DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT DILG-NAPOLCOM Center, EDSA cor. Quezon Avenue, West Triangle, Quezon City www.dilg.gov.ph OILG OPINION NO, _34 S. 2026 te JUN 15 2026 HON. RAFAEL MENDOZA TEOPE Punong Barangay 2/F New Fortune Barangay Hall, Champaca 1 Street, Fortune, Marikina City, 1809 fortune.marikina@gmail.com Dear Hon. Teope: This refers to your letter seeking the Department's legal opinion on whether a barangay is authorized to enact a resolution or ordinance increasing the medical assistance limit for Sangguniang Barangay Members beyond the P5,000.00 limit set by Section 393(b)(3) of Republic Act No. 7160, otherwise known as the Local Government Code of 1991. We opine. At the outset, barangays are creatures of statute and cannot expand their powers beyond what the law grants. It possesses only those powers expressly conferred or necessarily implied by the Local Government Code of 1991. Consequently, no barangay ordinance or resolution may increase the P5,000.00 limit under the Code. Any such enactment would be ultra vires and void ab initio as ordinances cannot amend a national law. The provision of Section 393(b)(3) of R.A. No. 7160 is clear. Section 5 1 15 1 2 2 453 1521 56 25 96.847084 393. 5 1 15 1 2 3 524 1521 112 25 96.473549 Benefits 5 1 15 1 2 4 646 1521 28 25 96.945404 of 5 1 15 1 2 5 681 1522 133 31 96.707314 Barangay 5 1 15 1 2 6 825 1522 112 25 93.264877 Officials. 5 1 15 1 2 7 950 1537 17 3 73.028191 — 5 1 15 1 2 8 978 1522 35 31 95.064651 (a) 5 1 15 1 2 9 1024 1530 46 17 95.064651 xxx 2 1 16 0 0 0 327 1595 992 95 -1 3 1 16 1 0 0 327 1595 992 95 -1 4 1 16 1 1 0 329 1595 990 31 -1 5 1 16 1 1 1 329 1595 35 29 92.455307 (b) 5 1 16 1 1 2 385 1595 49 23 92.421867 The 5 1 16 1 1 3 450 1602 105 23 92.260384 punong 5 1 16 1 1 4 571 1596 134 29 96.341812 barangay, 5 1 16 1 1 5 726 1596 41 23 93.262260 the 5 1 16 1 1 6 784 1597 177 29 90.598946 sangguniang 5 1 16 1 1 7 977 1597 131 29 96.433647 barangay 5 1 16 1 1 8 1122 1598 136 27 96.236359 members, 5 1 16 1 1 9 1278 1598 41 23 96.421516 the 4 1 16 1 2 0 328 1630 990 32 -1 5 1 16 1 2 1 328 1630 132 30 96.132957 barangay 5 1 16 1 2 2 472 1631 129 27 96.148064 treasurer, 5 1 16 1 2 3 618 1632 52 22 96.806587 and 5 1 16 1 2 4 683 1632 41 22 96.652977 the 5 1 16 1 2 5 737 1632 131 29 96.457153 barangay 5 1 16 1 2 6 879 1633 128 29 96.648285 secretary 5 1 16 1 2 7 1020 1633 64 22 96.220329 shall 5 1 16 1 2 8 1096 1633 64 22 96.409622 also: 5 1 16 1 2 9 1175 1633 35 29 95.723930 (1) 5 1 16 1 2 10 1224 1639 45 16 95.723930 xxx 5 1 16 1 2 11 1284 1633 34 29 96.086853 (2) 4 1 16 1 3 0 327 1673 47 17 -1 5 1 16 1 3 1 327 1673 47 17 96.339363 XXX 2 1 17 0 0 0 328 1736 993 182 -1 3 1 17 1 0 0 328 1736 993 182 -1 4 1 17 1 1 0 329 1736 987 36 -1 5 1 17 1 1 1 329 1736 35 33 96.158340 (3) 5 1 17 1 1 2 380 1737 36 25 96.345047 Be 5 1 17 1 1 3 431 1737 102 26 96.495529 entitled 5 1 17 1 1 4 547 1738 23 25 96.580261 to 5 1 17 1 1 5 585 1737 53 26 96.267189 free 5 1 17 1 1 6 653 1737 108 26 93.151230 medical 5 1 17 1 1 7 774 1744 58 20 96.774796 care 5 1 17 1 1 8 847 1738 123 34 96.540787 including 5 1 17 1 1 9 984 1738 169 33 96.973457 subsistence, 5 1 17 1 1 10 1172 1739 144 32 96.039452 medicines, 4 1 17 1 2 0 329 1777 990 32 -1 5 1 17 1 2 1 329 1777 52 24 96.288582 and 5 1 17 1 2 2 400 1777 110 24 95.683090 medical 5 1 17 1 2 3 530 1778 153 24 96.447105 attendance 5 1 17 1 2 4 705 1778 21 24 95.077805 in 5 1 17 1 2 5 749 1785 50 24 95.875473 any 5 1 17 1 2 6 819 1779 165 30 95.875473 government 5 1 17 1 2 7 1004 1779 108 30 96.197998 hospital 5 1 17 1 2 8 1132 1785 29 18 94.309578 or 5 1 17 1 2 9 1180 1779 139 24 93.976433 institution: 4 1 17 1 3 0 328 1814 993 31 -1 5 1 17 1 3 1 328 1814 128 28 96.462471 Provided, 5 1 17 1 3 2 482 1815 60 22 96.624840 That 5 1 17 1 3 3 560 1815 64 22 96.367058 such 5 1 17 1 3 4 643 1815 109 28 96.317345 hospital 5 1 17 1 3 5 769 1821 59 17 96.103439 care 5 1 17 1 3 6 847 1816 64 22 95.826355 shall 5 1 17 1 3 7 928 1816 98 22 96.621262 include 5 1 17 1 3 8 1046 1822 104 23 96.260033 surgery 5 1 17 1 3 9 1168 1822 29 17 96.260033 or 5 1 17 1 3 10 1214 1817 107 28 96.632751 surgical 4 1 17 1 4 0 329 1850 992 33 -1 5 1 17 1 4 1 329 1857 137 24 96.523407 expenses, 5 1 17 1 4 2 495 1850 145 31 96.640137 medicines, 5 1 17 1 4 3 667 1851 95 32 94.884712 X-rays, 5 1 17 1 4 4 790 1851 139 32 96.819221 laboratory 5 1 17 1 4 5 952 1851 62 30 96.495255 fees, 5 1 17 1 4 6 1043 1852 52 25 95.815598 and 5 1 17 1 4 7 1119 1852 72 25 95.815598 other 5 1 17 1 4 8 1213 1852 108 31 96.093468 hospital 4 1 17 1 5 0 329 1894 140 24 -1 5 1 17 1 5 1 329 1894 140 24 95.032280 expenses, 2 1 18 0 0 0 327 1958 994 100 -1 3 1 18 1 0 0 327 1958 994 100 -1 4 1 18 1 1 0 329 1958 992 30 -1 5 1 18 1 1 1 329 1958 23 23 95.925285 In 5 1 18 1 1 2 369 1964 64 17 96.384514 case 5 1 18 1 1 3 451 1959 28 22 96.273132 of 5 1 18 1 1 4 492 1959 111 22 96.145714 extreme 5 1 18 1 1 5 621 1964 110 24 96.145714 urgency 5 1 18 1 1 6 747 1959 81 23 96.684349 where 5 1 18 1 1 7 846 1960 68 22 96.874969 there 5 1 18 1 1 8 931 1960 21 22 96.761978 is 5 1 18 1 1 9 967 1965 33 17 96.738098 no 5 1 18 1 1 10 1017 1960 122 22 96.374634 available 5 1 18 1 1 11 1155 1960 166 28 96.610817 government 4 1 18 1 2 0 328 1994 993 30 -1 5 1 18 1 2 1 328 1994 109 29 96.455681 hospital 5 1 18 1 2 2 451 2000 29 17 96.940086 or 5 1 18 1 2 3 492 1995 137 26 96.369133 institution, 5 1 18 1 2 4 648 1995 41 22 96.925629 the 5 1 18 1 2 5 705 1996 130 28 96.680634 barangay 5 1 18 1 2 6 849 1995 88 23 96.374062 official 5 1 18 1 2 7 951 1996 153 22 96.871376 attendance 5 1 18 1 2 8 1120 1996 24 22 95.242889 to 5 1 18 1 2 9 1160 1996 41 22 95.242889 the 5 1 18 1 2 10 1217 1996 104 22 96.815956 nearest 4 1 18 1 3 0 327 2029 992 29 -1 5 1 18 1 3 1 327 2029 94 27 96.737144 private 5 1 18 1 3 2 431 2029 73 27 96.576019 clinic, 5 1 18 1 3 3 517 2029 109 28 96.395264 hospital 5 1 18 1 3 4 633 2035 29 16 96.027817 or 5 1 18 1 3 5 668 2030 130 22 96.027817 institution 5 1 18 1 3 6 808 2030 52 22 96.681534 and 5 1 18 1 3 7 868 2030 41 22 96.904785 the 5 1 18 1 3 8 919 2035 132 23 96.532013 expenses 5 1 18 1 3 9 1060 2031 44 21 96.699783 not 5 1 18 1 3 10 1112 2030 142 28 96.698944 exceeding 5 1 18 1 3 11 1263 2030 56 22 96.878426 Five 2 1 19 0 0 0 617 2098 411 53 -1 3 1 19 1 0 0 617 2098 411 53 -1 4 1 19 1 1 0 617 2098 411 24 -1 5 1 19 1 1 1 617 2098 101 23 91.629715 “Matino, 5 1 19 1 1 2 729 2099 109 23 92.371086 Mahusay 5 1 19 1 1 3 847 2099 23 18 93.280128 at 5 1 19 1 1 4 878 2099 150 18 92.775917 Maaasahan” 4 1 19 1 2 0 671 2128 304 23 -1 5 1 19 1 2 1 671 2128 96 18 92.375587 Trunkline 5 1 19 1 2 2 776 2128 33 18 96.120049 No. 5 1 19 1 2 3 819 2128 39 23 95.568192 (02) 5 1 19 1 2 4 866 2128 50 18 95.568192 8876 5 1 19 1 2 5 925 2128 50 18 96.782974 3454