A.

1987 PHILIPPINE CONSTITUTION

The 1987 Constitution established a representative democracy with power divided
among three separate and independent branches of government: the Executive, a bicameral
Legislature, and the Judiciary.
1. Constitutional Provisions
It lays out the formal structure of the state, defining the central governments powers and
institutions. Moreover, it specifies the relationship between the central government and other
levels. Additionally, the constitution establishes the rights of citizens and thereby creates limits
on the government.

a. Principle of Local autonomy

The present Constitution, ratified in 1987, contains more substantial provisions on local
governments with one article (Article X) devoted solely on them. The provisions reflect the
changing political environment characterized by growing recognition of the importance of local
governments.
One provision reiterates the significance of local autonomy, to wit:
Section 2 Article X: “The territorial and political subdivisions shall enjoy local autonomy.”
The principle of local autonomy under the 1987 Constitution simply means “decentralization”; it
does not make the local government sovereign within the state or an “imperium in imperio”. The
exercise of local autonomy remains subject to the power of control by Congress, and the power
of general supervision by the President.
Political Subdivisions
Section 1 Article X: The territorial and political subdivisions of the Republic of the Philippines are
the provinces, cities, municipalities, and barangays. There shall be autonomous regions in
Muslim Mindanao and the Cordilleras as hereinafter provided.
 Region
 Province
 City
 Municipality
 Barangay
 Autonomous Regions

Some cities act independently from any province and are self - governing as referred to in the
Constitution and in the 1991 Local Government Code of the Philippines:

Section 12 Article X: Cities that are highly urbanized, as determined by law, and component cities whose
charters prohibit their voters from voting for provincial elective officials, shall be independent of the
province. The voters of component cities within a province, whose charters contain no such prohibition,
shall not be deprived of their right to vote for elective provincial officials.
Sec. 451 of the Local Government Code provides that Cities, Classified, which states that, “A city may
either be component or highly urbanized: Provided, however, that the criteria established in this Code
shall not affect the classification and corporate status of existing cities. Independent component cities
are those component cities whose charters prohibit their voters from voting for provincial elective
officials. Independent component cities shall be independent of the province”