Ernesto Ric Punongbayan Dela Cruz

As Punong Barangay of Barangay Santa Lucia, Ernesto Ric Punongbayan Dela Cruz presides over the Sangguniang Barangay of the barangay in San Miguel, Bulacan, 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 Lucia is one of 49 barangays in the municipality of San Miguel, in the province of Bulacan, in the Central Luzon region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 Census of Population and Housing, Barangay Santa Lucia had a population of 4,005 residents — the constituency that Ernesto serves as Punong Barangay. Bulacan 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). Ernesto 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, Ernesto Ric Punongbayan Dela Cruz is accountable to the residents of Barangay Santa Lucia 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.