Virgilio Alber Ornopia SR.

As Punong Barangay of Barangay Santa Cruz Lower, Virgilio Alber Ornopia SR. presides over the Sangguniang Barangay of the barangay in Lala, Lanao Del Norte, serving the 2023 - 2026 term. The Punong Barangay is a nationally recognised local government position under the Local Government Code of 1991 (Republic Act No. 7160).

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 Cruz Lower is one of 27 barangays in the municipality of Lala, in the province of Lanao Del Norte, in the Northern Mindanao region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 Census of Population and Housing, Barangay Santa Cruz Lower had a population of 1,150 residents — the constituency that Virgilio serves as Punong Barangay. Lanao Del Norte is classified as a 2nd by the Bureau of Local Government Finance.

Barangay officials in the Philippines are elected during the synchronised Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE). Virgilio currently holds office under the mandate established by the October 30, 2023 BSKE. The next BSKE, at which this position will again be contested, is scheduled for Monday, November 2, 2026.

As an elected Philippine public official, Virgilio Alber Ornopia SR. is accountable to the residents of Barangay Santa Cruz Lower 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.