Ma. Rowena Layug Cayanan

Serving as Punong Barangay of Barangay Becuran in Santa Rita, Pampanga, Ma. Rowena Layug Cayanan 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 Becuran is one of 10 barangays in the municipality of Santa Rita, in the province of Pampanga, in the Central Luzon region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 Census of Population and Housing, Barangay Becuran had a population of 4,285 residents — the constituency that Ma. serves as Punong Barangay. Pampanga 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). Ma. 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, Ma. Rowena Layug Cayanan is accountable to the residents of Barangay Becuran 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.