Senior High School

Philippine Politics
and Governance
Quarter 3 – Module 9:
Decentralization and Local
Governance
 What I Need to Know

This module will help you understand the Local

Government Units in the Philippines. There are four
units of local government in the country, these are
the barangays, the cities and municipalities and the
provinces. Their roles and functions will be
enumerated and explained on this lesson. Each local
government unit has roles and functions to be
performed in order to deliver basic services in all
areas of the country and enact laws to maintain
peace and order in the society. At the end of this
module you will recognize and appreciate the
importance of their roles and functions and analyze your own roles and functions that
contribute to the economic development and prosperity of our nation.

The module has one lesson, namely:

• Lesson 1 – Decentralization and Local Governance
After going through this module, you are expected 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.
 What I Know

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
 Lesson
Decentralization and Local
1 Governance

What’s In

As you learned from Modules 6,7, and 8 there are three branches in Philippine
government, namely the executive branch which implements the law, the legislative
branch which makes the law and the judicial branch which interprets the law. These
three branches of the government may not be able to be effective and efficient in
implementing government programs and providing services for the benefits of the
citizens living at the different places of the country when they do it by themselves.
They need to have partners in the different communities so that the services will be
delivered, ideally to all citizens. These partners are the local governments.

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
Auhority.

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
Philippines 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 vice-
mayor, 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.
 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.