Decentralization and Local Governance

At the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

1. identify the different levels of the Philippine Local Government;
2. explain the roles and functions of Local Government Units(LGUs); and
3. examine how decentralization affects governance.

PRE- ASSESSMENT
MULTIPLE CHOICE. Read the following items carefully. Write the letter of the correct answer on a
separate sheet of paper.
1. How many are the units of local government in the Philippines as stated in Article X Section 1 of the 1987
Constitution?
a. 4 c. 2 b. 3 d. 1
2. In 1991, the Congress enacted the Local Government Code of the Philippines also known as Republic Act
_______________.
a. R.A 7160 c. R.A. 10533 b. R.A 7610 d. R.A. 11469
3. It is the basic local government unit in the Philippine government.
a. Barangay c. Municipality b. City d. Province
4. In order to create or form a barangay, how many inhabitants are required?
a. 1,000 c. 3,000 b. 2,000 d. 4,000
5. Which of the following is NOT a function of a barangay?
a. Adopt measures to prevent child abuse
b. Ensure the delivery of basic services
c. Issue permits and licenses for local businesses.
d. Serves as a place for settling neighborhood disputes or conflicts.
6. Which is TRUE about the role of a barangay according to Section 384 of the Local Government Code of
the Philippines?
a. Ensure the delivery of basic services
b. Ensure the Public Moral of the inhabitants
c. Issue permits and licenses for local businesses.
d. Serves as the primary planning and implementing unit of government policies.
7. It is a unit of government consisting of a group of barangays.
a. Barangay c. Province
b. Municipality d. Region
8. In order to create a municipality, there should be at least _______________ inhabitants certified by
Philippine Statistics Authority.
a. 15,000 c. 25,000
b. 20,000 d. 30,000
9. Which of the following is NOT a function of a municipality?
a. Enact policies and laws, enforce them, and govern their jurisdiction.
b. Ensure the delivery of basic services.
c. Exercise regulatory powers within their jurisdictional areas to ensure that private enterprise does not
impede the good and welfare of the public.
d. Serves as a place for settling neighborhood disputes or conflicts.
10. The local government in the Philippines enjoy local autonomy, but they are also under the supervision of
the President through the Secretary of _______________.
a. Department of Budget and Management
b. Department of Foreign Affairs
c. Department of Finance
d. Department of Interior and Local Government
11. A municipality may be created if it has an average annual income, as certified by the provincial
treasurer, of at least _______________ for the last two (2) consecutive years based on the 1991 constant
prices.
a. 2,000,000 pesos c. 3,000,000 pesos
b. 2,500,000 pesos d. 3,500,000 pesos
12. All are requisites for creation of Component City EXCEPT:
a. 20,000,000 incomes as certified by DOF for the last 2 consecutive years
b. 150,000 inhabitants
c. 100 square kilometers, as certified by the Lands Management Bureau
d. Contiguous territory
13. The largest political subdivision of the local government unit is the _______________.
a. Barangay c. Municipality
b. City d. Province
14. All are requisites for creation of a province EXCEPT:
a. 20,000,000 incomes as certified by DOF for the last 2 consecutive years
b. 250,000 inhabitants
c. 2,000 square kilometers, as certified by the Lands Management Bureau
d. 125,000 voters
15. All are mandatory positions for province, city and municipality except:
a. Accountant c. Engineer
b. Architect d. Treasurer

What is It
Decentralization and Local Governance
The Constitution of the Philippines acknowledges the importance of local governments. It provides
as a policy that “the State shall guarantee and promote the autonomy of the local government units-
especially the barangays- to ensure their fullest development as self-reliant communities.
The local government in the Philippines are divided into three levels- provinces and independent
cities, components cities and municipalities, and barangays. These political subdivisions enjoy “local
autonomy”. But, they are also under the general supervisions of the President, through the secretary of
Department of Interior and Local Government.
Congress enacted the Republic act 7160 otherwise known as the Local Government Code of the
Philippines in 1991 to provide for a more responsive and accountable local government instituted through a
system of decentralization, self reliant communities and active partners in nation building by giving the local
governments more powers, authority, responsibilities and resources. The process of decentralization shall
proceed from the National Government to the local government units.
Decentralization or transfer of authority, responsibility and resources from the central government to
lower government is very important especially when the geographical area of country and its population are
too large for the central government to manage.

Roles and Functions of the Philippine Local Government Units

There are four units of local government in the Philippines as stated in Article X, section 1 of the 1987
Constitution: the barangay, city, municipality and province.
a. Barangay. The barangay is the basic unit of government. It is made up of at least two thousand (2000)
inhabitants certified by Philippine Statistics Authority.
Officials of the Barangay Government. There shall be in each barangay, a Punong Barangay, Seven (7)
Sangguniang Barangay members, the Sangguniang Kabataang Chairman, a Barangay Secretary and a
Barangay Treasurer. There shall also be in every Barangay a Lupong Tagapamayapa. (The Local
Government Code of the Philippines Section 387).
Role of the Barangay. As the basic political unit, the barangay serves as the primary planning and
implementing unit of government policies, plans, programs, projects and activities in the community and as
a forum wherein the collective views of the people may be expressed, crystallized and considered and when
disputes may be amicably settled (The Local Government Code of the Philippines77 section 384).
Basic Functions of Barangay
1. Ensure the delivery of basic services.
2. Enforce laws and regulation relating to the protection of the environment.
3. Adopt measures to prevent and eradicate drug abuse, child abuse and juvenile delinquency.
4. Serves a forum where people’s interests and opinions on local and national issues are articulated.
5. Serves as a place for settling neighborhood disputes or conflicts.

b. Municipality. A municipality may be created if it has an average annual income, as certified by the
provincial treasurer, of at least two million five hundred thousand pesos (P2,500,000.00) for the last two (2)
consecutive years based on the 1991 constant prices; a population of at least twenty-five thousand (25,000)
inhabitants as certified by the National Statistics Office; and a contiguous territory of at least fifty (50)
square kilometers as certified by the Lands Management Bureau: (The Local Government Code of the
Philippines Section 441).
Officials of the Municipal Government. There shall be in each municipality a municipal mayor, a
municipal vice-mayor, Sangguniang Bayan members, a secretary to the Sangguniang Bayan, a municipal
treasurer, a municipal assessor, a municipal accountant, a municipal budget officer, a municipal planning
and development coordinator, a municipal engineer/building official, a municipal health officer and a
municipal civil registrar.
In addition, thereto, the mayor may appoint a municipal administrator, a municipal legal officer, a municipal
agriculturist, a municipal environment and natural resources officer, a municipal social welfare and
development officer, a municipal architect, and a municipal information officer (The Local Government
Code of the Philippines section 443).
Roles of Municipality. The municipality, consisting of a group of Barangays, serves primarily as a general
purpose government for the coordination and delivery of basic, regular and direct services and effective
governance of the inhabitants within its territorial jurisdiction. (The Local Government Code of the
Philippines section 440).
c. City. A municipality or a cluster of Barangays may be converted into a component city if it has an
average annual income, as certified by the Department of Finance, of at least Twenty million pesos
(Php20,000,000.00) for the last two (2) consecutive years based on 1991 constant prices, and if it has either
of the following requisites: (i) a contiguous territory of at least one hundred (100) square kilometers, as
certified by the Lands Management Bureau; or, (ii) a population of not less than one hundred fifty
thousand(150,000 (The Local Government Code of the Philippines section 450).
Officials of the City Government. There shall be in each city a mayor, a vicemayor, Sangguniang
Panlungsod members, a secretary to the Sangguniang Panlungsod, a city treasurer, a city assessor, a city
accountant, a city budget officer, a city planning and development coordinator, a city engineer, a city health
officer, a city civil registrar, a city administrator, a city legal officer, a city veterinarian, a city social welfare
and development officer, and a city general services officer.
In addition, thereto, the city mayor may appoint a city architect, a city information officer, a city
agriculturist, a city population officer, a city environment and natural resources officer, and a city
cooperatives officer. (The Local Government Code of the Philippines section 454).
Role of the City. The city, consisting of more urbanized and developed Barangays, serves as a general-
purpose government for the coordination and delivery of basic, regular, and direct services and effective
governance of the inhabitants within its territorial jurisdiction. (The Local Government Code of the
Philippines section 448).
Basic Functions of Cities and Municipalities
1. Ensure the delivery of basic services.
2. Enact policies and laws, enforce them, and govern their jurisdiction.
3. Exercise regulatory powers within their jurisdictional areas to ensure that private enterprise does not
impede the good and welfare of the public.
4. Issue permits and licenses and to revoke or taking back the same if necessary for local business, land use
and construction, both for industrial and private purposes.
d. Province. A province may be created if it has an average annual income, as certified by the Department
of Finance, of not less than Twenty million pesos(Php20,000,000.00) based on 1991 constant prices and
either of the following requisites: (i) a contiguous territory of at least two thousand (2,000) square
kilometers, as certified by the Lands Management Bureau; or, (ii) a population of not less than two hundred
fifty thousand(250,000) inhabitants as certified by the National Statistics Office (The Local Government
Code of the Philippines section 461).
Officials of the Provincial Government. There shall be in each province a governor, a vice-governor,
members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, a Secretary to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, a provincial
treasurer, a provincial assessor, a provincial accountant, a provincial engineer, a provincial budget officer, a
provincial planning and development coordinator, a provincial legal officer, a provincial administrator, a
provincial health officer, a provincial social welfare and development officer, a provincial general services
officer, a provincial agriculturist, and a provincial veterinarian.
In addition, thereto, the governor may appoint a provincial population officer, a provincial natural resources
and environment officer, a provincial cooperative officer, a provincial architect, and a provincial information
officer. (The Local Government Code of the Philippines section 463).
Role of the Province. The province, composed of a cluster of municipalities, or municipalities and
component cities, and as a political and corporate unit of government, serves as a dynamic mechanism for
developmental processes and effective governance of local government units within its territorial jurisdiction
(The Local Government Code of the Philippines section 459).
Basic Functions of Province
1. Supervision - Every provincial government is tasked with supervising the municipal governments in the
planning, budgeting, and service delivery process.
2. Developmental - This function has to do with facilitating economic development of municipalities within
the jurisdiction of a provincial government by paving the way for transfer of technology and the granting of
agricultural assistance to farmers.
3. Environmental - This is associated with the enforcement of laws and ordinances relating to the
preservation of the environment.
4. Health - Provincial governments provide tertiary health services in addition to what are provided by each
municipality;

ACTVITY
Fill in the table below. If given the chance to be a Barangay Chairperson, what programs and activities do
you want to implement in your barangay. Write your answers on your activity notebook.

Process
question.
How important the implementation of activities and programs in your barangay?

Assessment
IDENTIFICATION. Identify the terms being described in the following statements. Write A - for
Barangay, B - for Municipality, C - for Component City, D - for Province. Write your answer on a separate
sheet of paper.
1. The basic unit of government.
2. The head of this local government unit is the Mayor.
3. This unit of local government serves as a place for settling neighborhood disputes or conflicts.
4. A municipality or clusters of barangays may be converted into this unit of local government if it has an
average income of 20,000,000 pesos.
5. It has the function of issuing permits and licenses for local business within the municipality.
6. It has a function of supervising the political governments in the planning, budgeting, and service delivery
process.
7. The head of this local government unit is the Governor.
8. It has the function of formulating ordinances in the govern barangays and city.
9. It has the function of facilitating economic development of municipalities within the jurisdiction of a
provincial government.
10. Provides tertiary health services in addition to what are provided by each municipality.
11. It has the role to serve as a dynamic mechanism for developmental processes and effective governance
of local government units within its territorial jurisdiction.
12. It has at least 2,000 inhabitants.
13. It has a territory of at least 50 square kilometers.
14. It has at least 25,000 inhabitants.
15. It has the function of ensuring the delivery of basic services within the barangay jurisdiction.

PERFORMANCE TASK
As a student and a member of the society, you have your own roles and functions to be performed. Make
your own pledge of commitment on how to contribute in your own community to help the local government
units perform their roles and functions. Use separate sheet for your answers.
MY PLEDGE OF COMMITMENT
I (write your name) _______________________________________________________________
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__________________________________________________________________________________As a
student and a member of the society, you have your own roles and functions to be performed. Make your
own pledge of commitment on how to contribute in your own community to help the local government units
perform their roles and functions. Use separate sheet for your answers.
MY PLEDGE OF COMMITMENT
I (write your name) _______________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
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