PA6

LOCAL AND REGIONAL GOVERNANCE

•FAST FACTS
1. The Republic of the Philippines, comprising 7,107 islands, is the 5th longest coastline
in world.
2. The Philippines has a presidential, unitary form of government (with some
modification, there is one autonomous region largely free from the national
government), where the President functions as both head of state and head of
government and is commander-in-chief of the armed forces. The president is elected
by popular vote to a single six-year term, during which time she of he appoints and
presides over the cabinet.
3. In Unitary System the central government is the nation as a whole. The element of
subordination appears in any definition of local government. By nature, local
governments are subordinate entities, having no inherent powers and must look up to
the higher government level for delegation of authority.
4. The bicameral Congress is composed of a Senate, serving as the upper house, with
members elected to a six-year term, and a House of Representative, serving as the
lower house, with members elected to a three-year term. They are elected from both
legislative districts and through sectoral representation.
5. The judicial power is vested in the Supreme Court, composed of a Chief Justice as its
presiding officer and fourteen associate justices appointed by the Philippine
President from nominations submitted b y he Judicial and Bar Council. There have
been attempts to change the government to a federal, unicameral or parliamentary
beginning in the term of Ramos up to the present administration.
6. Definition:
o The UN (1962) defines local governments as “political subdivisions of a nation or state”.
o Two important elements are therefore found in any definition of local government – the
presence of a higher authority and territorial boundary.
7. While local government do not have inherent powers, they do have legal authority to
exercise their powers. The extent of local governments to exercise authority
delegated to them varies according to their capabilities.
8. Administrative Divisions: The Philippines is divided into three island groups: Luzon,
Visayas and Mindanao. These are divided into 17 regions, 81 provinces, 146 cities,
1,488 municipalities and 42,046 barangays. (PSGC Summary, National Statistical
Coordination Board, December 31, 2013. Retrieved 4 February 2014.
9. Local government hierarchy: The dashed lines emanating from the president means
that the President only exercises general supervision on local government.
10. Concepts and Definitions – Local Government units: Region – A sub-national
administrative unit comprising of several provinces having more or less homogenous
characteristics, such as ethnic origin of inhabitants, dialect spoken, agricultural
products, etc.
 Regions Region Designation Regional Center
Ilocos Region Region 1 San Fernando, La Union
11. Cagayan Valley Region II Tuguegarao, Cagayan
Central Luzon Region III San Fernando, Pampanga
CALABARZON Region IV-A Calamba City, Laguna
MIMAROPA Region IV-B Calapan, Oriental Mindoro
Bicol Region Region V Legaspi, Albay
Western Visayas Region VI Iloilo City,
Central Visayas Region VII Cebu City
Eastern Visayas Region VIII Tacloban City
Zamboanga Peninsula Region IX Pagadian, Zamboange del Sur
Northern Mindanao Region X Cagayan de Oro City
Davao Region Region XI Davao City
SOCCSKSSARGEN Region XII Koronadal, South Cotabato
Caraga Region Region XIII Butuan City
Autonomous Region in Muslin ARMM Cotabato City
Mindanao
Cordillera Administrative Region CAR Baguio City
12. Concepts and Definitions:
Province – The largest unit in the political structure of the Philippines. It consists, in
varying numbers, of municipalities, and, in some cases, of component cities. Its
functions and duties in relation to its component cities and municipalities are generally
coordinative and supervisory
City – There are three classes of cities in the Philippines: the highly urbanized, the
independent component cities which are independent of the province, and the
component cities which are part of the provinces where they are located and subject to
their administrative supervision.
Municipality – Is a political corporate body which is endowed with the facilities of a
municipal corporation exercised by and through the municipal government in conformity
with law. It is a subsidiary of the province which consists of a member of barangays
within its territorial boundaries, one of which is the seat of government found at the town
proper (población).
12. Concepts and Definitions:
Barangay – The smallest political unit into which cities and municipalities in the
Philippines are divided. It is the basic unit of the Philippines political system. It consists
of less than 1,000 inhabitants residing within the territorial limit of a city or municipality
and administered by a set of elective officials, headed by a barangay chairman
(punong barangay).
Highly urbanized Cities – Cities with a minimum population of two hundred thousand
(200,000) inhabitants, as certified by the National
Statistics Office (now PSA), and with the latest annual income of at least Fifty Million
Pesos (Php 50,000,000.00) based on 1991 constant prices, zas certified by the city
treasurer.
Independent Component Cities – Cities whose charters prohibit their voters from voting
for provincial elective officials. Independent component cities shall be independent of
the province.
12. Concepts and Definitions:
Component Cities – Cities which do not meet the above requirements shall be
considered component cities of the province in which they are geographically located.
If a component city is located within the boundaries of two (2) or more provinces, such
city shall be considered a component of the province of which it used to be a
municipality.
Urban/Rural Classification in the Philippines – “urban” areas fall under the following
categories:
1. In their entirely, all municipal jurisdictions which, whether designated chartered
cities, provincial capital or not, have a population density of at least 1,000 persons
per square kilometer; all barangay
2. Poblaciones or central districts of municipalities and cities which have a population
density of at least 500 persons per square kilometer
3. Poblaciones or central districts not included in (1) and (2) regardless of the
population size which have the following: street pattern or network of streets in
either parallel or right angle orientation;
o at least six establishments (commercial, manufacturing, recreational and/or
personal services);
o at least three of the following: a town hall, church or chapel with religious service
at least once a month
o a public plaza, part or cemetery
o a market place, or building, where trading activities are carried on at least once
a week;
o a public building, like a school, hospital, puericulture and health center or library
 4. Barangays having at6 least 1,000 inhabitants which meet the conditions set forth in
(3) above and where the occupation of the inhabitants is predominantly non-farming
or fishing.
RURAL AREAS – All poblaciónes or central districts and all barrios that do not neet the
requirements for classification of urban.

13. Layers of Local Authority:

o Provinces – is the intermediate unit, providing supervision to the municipalities and
component cities under it and performing services to the national government
o Cities/Municipalities – performing services for people who live together in a
community
o Barangay (Sub municipal) – provides opportunity for face to face interaction among
the people.
14. Officials: Just as the national government, locale governments are divided into three
branches: executive, legislative and judiciary. The judicial branch is administered solely
by the Supreme Court of the Philippines. The LGU have control of the executive and
legislative branch. The executive branch is composed of the regional governor for the
autonomous region, governor for the provinces, mayor for the cities and municipalities,
ad the barangay captain for the barangays. The legislative branch is composed of the
regional Legislative Assembly for the autonomous region, the Sangguaniang
Panlalawigan (provincial assembly) for the provinces, Sangguniang Panlungsod (city
assembly) for the cities, Sangguniang Bayan (town assembly) for the municipalities,
Sangguniang Barangay (barangay council) and the Sangguniang Kabataan for the
youth sector.
15. Assemblies: The assemblies review the ordinances and resolutions enacted by the
assemblies below its jurisdiction. Aside from regular and ex-officio members, the
assemblies above the barangay level also have three sectoral representatives, once each
from women, agricultural or industrial workers, and other sectors
 LGU ASSEMBLY
AUTONOMOUS REGION:
Regional Legislative Assembly
PROVINCE:
Sangguniang Panlalawigan
COMPOSITION HEAD
24 members: (Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Sulu: 6 Assembly speaker
each, 3 elected from each assembly district – Basilan
(except Isabela), Tawi Tawi: 3 each, elected at large.
Sectoral representatives varies
Cebu, Negros Occidental, Pangasinan: 12 SP members, Vice governor
2 elected from each district.
 All other first class and second class provinces: 10 SP
members, with varying number of members per
district
 Third class and fourth class provinces: 8 SP members,
with varying number of members per district
 Fifth class and sixth class provinces: 6 SP members,
with varying number of members per district.
 LGU ASSEMBLY COMPOSITION HEAD
PROVINCE:
Includes:
 President of the provincial chapter of the Liga ng
mga Barangay
 President of the provincial federation of the
Sangguniang Kabataan
 Sectoral representatives varies

CITY:
Sangguniang Panglungsod  Manila – 36 councilors; 6 selected from each district Vice Mayor
 Davao City – 24 councilors; 8 selected from each
district
 Quezon City – 24 councilors; 6 selected from each
district
 LGU ASSEMBLY COMPOSITION HEAD
CITY:
 Antipolo, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu City, Makati,
Muntinlupa, Paranaque, Zamboanga City – 16
councilors; 8 selected from each district
 Rest of Metro Manila, Calbayog, San Jose del Monte
– 12 councilors; 6 selected from each district
 Samal, Sorsogon City – 12 councilors; 4 selected
from each district
 Baguio, General Santos, Iloilo City, San Fernando,
La Union, Tuguegarao – 12 councilors, elected at
large
 All other cities – 10 councilors elected at large

Includes:
 President of the city chapter of the Liga and mga
Barangay
 President of the city federation of the Sangguniang
Kabataan
 Sectoral representatives varies
 LGU ASSEMBLY COMPOSITION HEAD
MUNICIPALITY:
Sangguniang Bayan  Pateros, Metro Manila – 12 councilors, 6 selected Vice Mayor
from each district
 All other municipalities – 8 councilors, elected at
large

Includes:
 President of the municipal chapter of the Liga ng
mga Barangay
 President of the municipal federation of the
Sangguniang Kabataan
 Sectoral representatives varies

BARANGAY:
Sangguniang Barangay 7 members elected at large Barangay Captain
Inludes: Sangguniang Kabataan chairperson,
 LGU ASSEMBLY COMPOSITION HEAD
BARANGAY:
Sangguniang Kabataan 7 members elected at large Sangguniang
Kabataan chairperson

All elected officials have 3-year terms, and can only serve a maximum of three
consecutive terms before being ineligible for reelection.

As a matter of principle, higher legislative entities have the power to create, divide,
merge, abolish, or substantially alter boundaries of any lower-level LGU through a law or
by an ordinance, all subject to approval by a majority of the votes cast in a plebiscite to
be conducted by the Commission on Election (COMELEC) in the local government unit or
units directly affected.
P A 6 Students:
This is all for now.
I urge you to read and never stop reading.  Your course is an all reading course.  I invite
you to open, browse (surf) and read articles in the internet.  There are so many articles
concerning your subject “Local and Regional Governance.  You don’t have to limit your
readings to the Philippines setting only.  Maybe in one of your assignments (but not now)
you will compare our (Philippines) governance with other countries especially with the
issue on “Federalism”.
So…please…. read, read, and read.
Thanks a lot and God Bless.
Jun Alcomendras
Note:  Please UPDATE the facts. THANKS