ARTICLE III

The Sangguniang Panlalawigan

Section 467. Composition.

(a) The sangguniang panlalawigan, the legislative body of the province, shall be composed
of the provincial vice-governor as presiding officer, the regular sanggunian members, the
president of the provincial chapter of the liga ng mga barangay, the president of the
panlalawigang pederasyon ng mga sangguniang kabataan, the president of the provincial
federation of sanggunian members of municipalities and component cities and the sectoral
representatives, as members.

(b) In addition thereto, there shall be three (3) sectoral representatives: one (1) from the
women; and as shall be determined by the sanggunian concerned within ninety (90) days
prior to the holding of the local elections, one (1) from the agricultural or industrial workers;
and one (1) from other sectors including the urban poor, indigenous cultural communities, or
disabled persons.

(c) The regular members of the sangguniang panlalawigan and the sectoral representatives
shall be elected in the manner as may be provided for by law.

Section 468. Powers, Duties, Functions and Compensation.

(a) The sangguniang panlalawigan, as the legislative body of the province, shall enact
ordinances, approve resolutions and appropriate funds for the general welfare of the
province and its inhabitants pursuant to Section 16 of this Code in the proper exercise of the
corporate powers of the province as provided for under Section 22 of this Code, and shall:

(1) Approve ordinances and pass resolutions necessary for an efficient and effective
provincial government and, in this connection, shall:

(i) Review all ordinances approved by the sangguniang of component cities

and municipalities and executive orders issued by the mayors of said
component units to determine whether these are within the scope of the
prescribed powers of the sanggunian and of the mayor;

(ii) Maintain peace and order by enacting measures to prevent and suppress
lawlessness, disorder, riot, violence, rebellion or sedition and impose
penalties for the violation of said ordinances;

(iii) Approve ordinances imposing a fine not exceeding Five thousand pesos
(P5,000.00) or imprisonment not exceeding one (1) year, or both in the
discretion of the court, for the violation of a provincial ordinance;

(iv) Adopt measures to protect the inhabitants of the province from harmful
effects of man-made or natural disasters and calamities, and to provide relief
services and assistance for victims during and in the aftermath of said
disasters and calamities and their return to productive livelihood following
said events;
 (v) Enact ordinances intended to prevent, suppress and impose appropriate
penalties for habitual drunkenness in public places, vagrancy, mendicancy,
prostitution, establishment and maintenance of houses of ill repute, gambling
and other prohibited games of chance, fraudulent devices and ways to obtain
money or property, drug addiction, maintenance of drug dens, drug pushing,
juvenile delinquency, the printing, distribution or exhibition of obscene or
pornographic materials or publications, and other activities inimical to the
welfare and morals of the inhabitants of the province;

(vi) Protect the environment and impose appropriate penalties for acts which
endanger the environment, such as dynamite fishing and other forms of
destructive fishing, illegal logging and smuggling of logs, smuggling of natural
resources products and of endangered species of flora and fauna, slash and
burn farming, and such other activities which result in pollution acceleration
of eutrophication of rivers and lakes, or of ecological imbalance;

(vii) Subject to the provisions of this Code and pertinent laws, determine the
powers and duties of officials and employees of the province;

(viii) Determine the positions and the salaries, wages, allowances and other
emoluments and benefits of officials and employees paid wholly or mainly
from provincial funds and provide for expenditures necessary for the proper
conduct of programs, projects, services, and activities of the provincial
government;

(ix) Authorize the payment of compensation to a qualified person not in the

government service who fills up a temporary vacancy, or grant honorarium to
any qualified official or employee designated to fill a temporary vacancy in a
concurrent capacity, at the rate authorized by law;

(x) Provide a mechanism and the appropriate funds therefor, to ensure the
safety and protection of all provincial government property, public
documents, or records such as those relating to property inventory, land
ownership, records of births, marriages, deaths, assessments, taxation,
accounts, business permits, and such other records and documents of public
interest in the offices and departments of the provincial government; and

(xi) When the finances of the provincial government allow, provide for
additional allowances and other benefits to judges, prosecutors, public
elementary and high school teachers, and other national government officials
stationed or assigned to the province.

(2) Generate and maximize the use of resources and revenues for the development
plans, program objectives and priorities of the province as provided for under Section
18 of this Code, with particular attention to agro-industrial development and country-
wide growth and progress and relative thereto, shall:

(i) Enact the annual and supplemental appropriations of the provincial

government and appropriate funds for specific programs, projects, services
and activities of the province, or for other purposes not contrary to law, in
order to promote the general welfare of the province and its inhabitants;
 (ii) Subject to the provisions of Book II of this Code and applicable laws and
upon the majority vote of all the members of the sangguniang panlalawigan,
enact ordinances levying taxes, fees and charges, prescribing the rates
thereof for general and specific purposes, and granting tax exemptions,
incentives or reliefs;

(iii) Subject to the provisions of Book II of this Code and applicable laws and
upon the majority vote of all the members of the sangguniang panlalawigan,
authorize the provincial governor to negotiate and contract loans and other
forms of indebtedness;

(iv) Subject to the provisions of Book II of this Code and applicable laws and
upon the majority vote of all the members of the sangguniang panlalawigan,
enact ordinances authorizing the floating of bonds or other instruments of
indebtedness, for the purpose of raising funds to finance development
projects;

(v) Appropriate funds for the construction and maintenance or the rental of
buildings for the use of the province; and upon the majority vote of all the
members of the sangguniang panlalawigan, authorize the provincial governor
to lease to private parties such public buildings held in a proprietary capacity,
subject to existing laws, rules and regulations;

(vi) Prescribe reasonable limits and restraints on the use of property within
the jurisdiction of the province;

(vii) Review the comprehensive land use plans and zoning ordinances of
component cities and municipalities and adopt a comprehensive provincial
land use plan, subject to existing laws; and

(viii) Adopt measures to enhance the full implementation of the national

agrarian reform program in coordination with the Department of Agrarian
Reform;

(3) Subject to the provisions of Book II of this Code, grant franchises, approve the
issuance of permits or licenses, or enact ordinances levying taxes, fees and charges
upon such conditions and for such purposes intended to promote the general welfare
of the inhabitants of the province, and pursuant to this legislative authority, shall:

(i) Fix and impose reasonable fees and charges for all services rendered by
the provincial government to private persons or entities; and

(ii) Regulate and fix the license fees for such activities as provided for under
this Code.

(4) Approve ordinances which shall ensure the efficient and effective delivery of basic
services and facilities as provided for under Section 17 of this Code, and, in addition
to said services and facilities, shall:
 (i) Adopt measures and safeguards against pollution and for the preservation
of the natural ecosystem in the province, in consonance with approved
standards on human settlements and environmental sanitation;

(ii) Subject to applicable laws, facilitate or provide for the establishment and
maintenance of waterworks system or district waterworks for supplying water
to inhabitants of component cities and municipalities;

(iii) Subject to the availability of funds and to existing laws, rules and
regulations, provide for the establishment and operation of vocational and
technical schools and similar post-secondary institutions; and, with the
approval of the Department of Education, Culture and Sports and subject to
existing laws on tuition fees, fix reasonable tuition fees and other school
charges in educational institutions supported by the provincial government;

(iv) Establish a scholarship fund for the poor but deserving students in
schools located within its jurisdiction or for students residing within the
province;

(v) Approve measures and adopt quarantine regulations to prevent the

introduction and spread of diseases within its territorial jurisdiction;

(vi) Provide for the care of paupers, the aged, the sick, persons of unsound
mind, abandoned minors, abused children, disabled persons, juvenile
delinquents, drug dependents, and other needy and disadvantaged persons,
particularly children and youth below eighteen (18) years of age; subject to
availability of funds, establish and support the operation of centers and
facilities for said needy and disadvantaged persons; and facilitate efforts to
promote the welfare of families below the poverty threshold, the
disadvantaged, and the exploited;

(vii) Establish and provide the maintenance and improvement of jails and
detention centers, institute a sound jail management program, and
appropriate funds for the subsistence of detainees and convicted prisoners in
the province;

(viii) Establish a provincial council whose purpose is the promotion of culture

and the arts, coordinate with government agencies and non-governmental
organizations and, subject to the availability of funds, appropriate funds for
the support and development of the same;

(ix) Establish a provincial council for the elderly which shall formulate policies
and adopt measures mutually beneficial to the elderly and to the province;
and subject to the availability of funds, appropriate funds to support programs
and projects for the elderly; and provide incentives for non-governmental
agencies and entities to support the programs and projects of the elderly; and

(5) Exercise such other powers and perform such other duties and functions as may
be prescribed by law or ordinance.
 (b) The members of the sangguniang panlalawigan shall receive a minimum monthly
compensation corresponding to Salary Grade twenty-seven (27) as prescribed under R.A.
No. 6758 and the implementing guidelines issued pursuant thereto.

Section 508. Organization.

(a) Vice-governors, vice-mayors, sanggunian members of barangays, municipalities,

component cities, highly-urbanized cities and provinces, and other elective local officials of
local government units, including those of the Metropolitan Manila Area and any metropolitan
political subdivisions, may form their respective leagues or federation, subject to applicable
provisions of this Title and pertinent provisions of this Code;

(b) Sanggunian members of component cities and municipalities shall form a provincial
federation and elect a board of directors and a set of officers headed by the president. The
duly elected president of the provincial federation of sanggunian members of component
cities and municipalities shall be an ex-officio member of the sangguniang panlalawigan
concerned and shall serve as such only during his term of office as president of the
provincial federation of sanggunian members of component cities and municipalities, which
in no case shall be beyond the term of office of the sanggunian panlalawigan concerned.

Section 509. Constitution and By-laws. - The leagues or federations shall adopt a Constitution and
by-laws which shall govern their internal organization and operation: Provided, That said Constitution
and by-laws shall always conform to the provision of the Constitution and existing laws.

Section 510. Funding. - The leagues and federations may derive funds from contributions of
individual league or federation members or from fund-raising projects or activities. The local
government unit concerned may appropriate funds to support the leagues or federation organized
pursuant to this Section, subject to the availability of funds.
ARTICLE IV

OBJECTIVES OF THE LEAGUE

Section 1. The objectives of the league shall be:

1. To establish a nationwide forum:

 To give life, meaning and substance to the constitutional mandate on “Local Autonomy
and Decentralization of Powers”,

 For ventilation of matters involving local legislative concerns.

2. To bring the Government closer to the people.

3. To strengthen the rapport, camaraderie and brotherhood among the members of the League.
4. To formulate, implement and coordinate programs, projects and activities beneficial to the
members of the League and/or the general welfare of the people;
5. To promote the development of cooperatives throughout the country to uplift the socio-
economic condition of the people;
6. To set up a foundation for the benefit of the members;
7. To undertake fund raising projects and activities to support the PCL’s program and objectives.

Provincial Federation
 Shall coordinate programs, plans and activities of the PCL on the provincial level.
 Perform such other function as may be assigned by the National Board or the Regional Council.