Montaser Tuganday Ukoman

Montaser Tuganday Ukoman is the Punong Barangay currently leading Barangay Arakan, part of the municipality of Matalam in Cotabato, 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 Arakan is one of 34 barangays in the municipality of Matalam, in the province of Cotabato, in the SOCCSKSARGEN region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 Census of Population and Housing, Barangay Arakan had a population of 1,191 residents — the constituency that Montaser serves as Punong Barangay. Cotabato is classified as a 1st by the Bureau of Local Government Finance.

Barangay officials in the Philippines are elected during the synchronised Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE). Montaser 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, Montaser Tuganday Ukoman is accountable to the residents of Barangay Arakan 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.