Jessie Pelayo Empas

Serving as Punong Barangay of Barangay Cana-an in Imelda, Zamboanga Sibugay, Jessie Pelayo Empas is currently in the 2023 - 2026 term. The Punong Barangay is the most senior elected official of a Philippine barangay and is responsible for the day-to-day administration of local services.

The Punong Barangay is the chief executive of the barangay, the smallest and most local unit of government in the Philippines. Duties under Section 389 of RA 7160 include enforcing barangay ordinances, organising and leading an emergency response team, calling and presiding over sessions of the Sangguniang Barangay, maintaining public order through the Lupong Tagapamayapa (peace council), and supervising the delivery of basic services to residents.

Barangay Cana-an is one of 18 barangays in the municipality of Imelda, in the province of Zamboanga Sibugay, in the Zamboanga Peninsula region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 Census of Population and Housing, Barangay Cana-an had a population of 904 residents — the constituency that Jessie serves as Punong Barangay. Zamboanga Sibugay is classified as a 2nd by the Bureau of Local Government Finance.

Jessie Pelayo Empas was elected to office in the most recent Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE), which took place on October 30, 2023. Under Republic Act No. 12232, barangay officials elected in 2023 serve four-year terms, meaning the current mandate runs until 2026. The next BSKE is scheduled for Monday, November 2, 2026, per COMELEC Resolution No. 11191.

The Sangguniang Barangay — which Jessie Pelayo Empas leads — is the legislative body of a Philippine barangay. It passes barangay ordinances and resolutions, approves the annual barangay budget, and exercises oversight over the barangay's programmes and projects. Its composition includes the Punong Barangay, seven kagawads, the SK Chairperson, a Secretary, and a Treasurer, all accountable directly to residents.