Manuel Dela Cruz Valeda

Serving as Punong Barangay of Barangay Tawiran in Obando, Bulacan, Manuel Dela Cruz Valeda 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 Tawiran is one of 11 barangays in the municipality of Obando, in the province of Bulacan, in the Central Luzon region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 Census of Population and Housing, Barangay Tawiran had a population of 1,853 residents — the constituency that Manuel serves as Punong Barangay. Bulacan is classified as a 1st by the Bureau of Local Government Finance.

Manuel Dela Cruz Valeda 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 Manuel Dela Cruz Valeda 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.