Arnel Omlan Buagas

Serving as Punong Barangay of Barangay Peniel in Lopez Jaena, Misamis Occidental, Arnel Omlan Buagas 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.

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 Peniel is one of 28 barangays in the municipality of Lopez Jaena, in the province of Misamis Occidental, in the Northern Mindanao region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 Census of Population and Housing, Barangay Peniel had a population of 163 residents — the constituency that Arnel serves as Punong Barangay. Misamis Occidental is classified as a 2nd by the Bureau of Local Government Finance.

Arnel Omlan Buagas 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.

A Philippine barangay's Sangguniang Barangay is composed of one Punong Barangay, seven Sangguniang Barangay Members (kagawads), a Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) Chairperson representing the youth sector, a Barangay Secretary, and a Barangay Treasurer. Together, these officials administer the smallest unit of Philippine local government and deliver frontline services — from barangay clearance issuance to peace and order, from public health assistance to the barangay's share of the Internal Revenue Allotment.