Felicidad Velasquez Santos

Felicidad Velasquez Santos is the Punong Barangay currently leading Barangay Santa Rita, part of the municipality of Jaen in Nueva Ecija, serving the 2023 - 2026 term. Under Philippine law, the Punong Barangay is directly elected by the residents of the barangay.

As the head of the smallest tier of Philippine local government, the Punong Barangay is responsible for everything from maintaining peace and order within the barangay to supervising the Barangay Development Plan, enforcing national and local laws within the barangay boundaries, and representing residents in the wider city or municipal government. The position is held for a four-year term under Republic Act No. 12232.

Barangay Santa Rita is one of 27 barangays in the municipality of Jaen, in the province of Nueva Ecija, in the Central Luzon region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 Census of Population and Housing, Barangay Santa Rita had a population of 1,483 residents — the constituency that Felicidad serves as Punong Barangay. Nueva Ecija is classified as a 1st by the Bureau of Local Government Finance.

Felicidad Velasquez Santos 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.

As an elected Philippine public official, Felicidad Velasquez Santos is accountable to the residents of Barangay Santa Rita and must comply with the Local Government Code of 1991 (RA 7160), the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees (RA 6713), and other national laws. Barangay officials are required to file Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) and are subject to the oversight of the Department of the Interior and Local Government and the Office of the Ombudsman.