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Insi ghts on the f ol l owi ng Assi gned Readi ngs:

Local Government Administration and the Challenges of Rural
Development
Theory and Historical Background of Local Governments
Structures and Functions of Philippine Local Governments
Basic Types of Local Government Systems
Basic Services for Delivery (From Barangay to Provincial Levels)
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Local Government Admi ni strati on and the Chal l enges of Rural
Devel opment
Local Governance serves its big importance for the development of a
certain country as it is considered as the basic governing entity. It is the means
of reaching people and a way of uniting them. It is the avenue of the common
people to address their needs and for them to know that they are part of this
what we called government. It must act as the immediate medium of peace
and prosperity, a problem solver and a provider of cure or remedies in any
problems of the diverse people living in the country, thus such a big
responsibility to be one of the persons involved in local government sector.
With its importance, it is imperative that certain knowledge must be acquired
to those who will handle such big obligations; they are the public servants of
the local government unit. Such equipment of knowledge and good governance
must be practiced in any operations involved such as in planning and decision
making.
Unfortunately, as being experienced, the above must have are being
reckoned and serving in the public unit was taken for granted. Administering
the local government serves another purpose that instead of being an allied to
foster development in the country it becomes a hindrance to achieve such
thing. Attainment of countrys development requires most the participation of
the local government for the fact that it would lead the way to national
prosperity. But in our case, it leads in different path, the problem in our local
government is that such empowerment of administrators was disregard, there
is an inadequacy of well trained and qualified personnel, political will is
missing, as a result such good governance that we are aiming is lost and with
this the sustainability among all the citizens including the government and
advancement that we are looking are said to be unlocked.
It is known to me that tough job of having such job; it would really
require such passion. It is not really an easy job, having such multiple
cultures, diverse language and unlimited wants of needs of those diverse
people and achieving this we called overall satisfaction. It is indeed a challenge,
not just to the people involved in public service but also to all the people
concerned, and they are the individual citizens in the country, its me and you.
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If we are going to base everything historically, we could say that what we
experienced right now is due to what we called knowledge from the past.
History do brought us to what we have right now, but not all the things in the
past are good. Some officials became quiet interested in regards to the idea of
using the money of the people since it is known to us the political system
during the regime of the invaders of our country, the political structures of the
previous administrators, and the awareness of bribery to corruption.
Local Government at present can create its own new history, a history
that will serve as a legacy. It needs only such enrichment in the political
system such political efficacy and deep view to this what we called good
governance and with that, local government will serve its purpose as the path
and guarantor to national integration, administration and development.
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Theory and Hi stori cal Background of Local Governments
Every country in the world has its own sovereignty being declared, part
of its sovereignty is the territory it comprise. With that, sovereignty is said to be
the level of a government which naturedly appended as a nation. In dealing
with nation, government exists and government itself is the people. By that,
since one specific country which composes of a large territory and populous
citizens subsist, such Local Government (LG) come into existence.
Central government can no longer accommodate the services necessary
to be supplemented to all the levels in a country, if not, then the means of
providing those is a bit difficult to handle and untimely. Thus, the come up of
such structure would mean the sensible provision of services for the
inhabitants of one specific location within the boundaries provided by law if
such.
Local government in a country varies historically, and most of the time
depends on the political and geographical pattern of a certain country. Though
it varies a lot in a name or delineation of power, the nature itself is almost the
same. Such local government in a specific country is a provision of law, in the
case of the Philippines it is the Local Code of 1991. By that, there is still what
we called central government wherein entitled to allow greater authority to LG
to perform their activities.
Sometimes, it is said to be that a one LG can perform more functions
while in others perform less, it is due because they are entitled on their
delegated authorities and its capability and such differences occur because
also of resources and capabilities. But regardless how small, or powerful an LG
is, LG exist for the reason of helping the central government in providing
services in accordance to the national policies as well as to cultivate greater
peoples participation.
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Structures and Functi ons of Phi l i ppi ne Local Governments
Even before the existence of the Republic Act No. 7160, more commonly
known as Local Government Code of 1991 in the Philippines such delineation
of local autonomy in the country exists already.
Local government in the Philippines has its roots in the colonial
administration of Spain, which lasted in the Philippines for 327 years. The
establishment of Cebu City in 1565 started the local government system. After
Spain, the United States came into power in the early 1900s and Filippinized
local government administration. The last 50 years of the twentieth century
saw several developments towards decentralization.
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The struggle for decentralization over the past 50 years culminated in the
passage of the Local Government Code in October 1991. The Local Government
Code is a most comprehensive document on local government touching on
structures, functions and powers, including taxation and intergovernmental
relations. The Local Government Code has been implemented as part of the
continuing advocacy of the country for effective decentralization and a working
local autonomy.
Out of the readings encountered the outlined below presented the
detailed and current operational structures and functions of the Philippine
Local Governments.
Local Government Categories and Hierarchies
The categories of local authorities in the Philippines are as follows:
1 Metropolitan Government;
2 Autonomous Regional Government;
80 Provinces;
138 Cities;
1,496 Municipalities; and
42, 026 Barangays.
Local Government Structures and Functions
All levels of local government exercise the following general
functions and powers:
Efficient service delivery;
Management of the environment;
Economic development; and
Poverty alleviation.
The various provisions of the Local Government Code on provinces, cities,
municipalities and barangays, all cite these functions. Enabling legislation
from local councils may be initiated where necessary.
The Local Government Code or Republic Act 7160, contains the following
four local government laws, defining the functions and powers of local
governments:

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Country Report on Local Government Systems: Philippines
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Section 468 Functions and powers of provinces (Provincial Law)
Section 447 Functions and powers of municipalities (Municipal
Law)
Section 458 Functions and powers of cities (City Law)
Section 398 Functions and powers of barangays (Barangay Law)
The functions and powers of the Metropolitan Manila Development
Authority is defined in Republic Act 7924, that of the Autonomous Region of
Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) in RA 6649 and RA 6766, and that of Cordillera
Administration Region (CAR) in RA 6766.
All these sections have been standardized so that the respective
functions and powers are similar. For example, provincial, city, municipal and
barangay councils shall all enact ordinances and approve resolutions,
appropriate funds, and pursue Section 16 (General Welfare Clause) of the Local
Government Code. Local governments are likewise empowered to exercise their
corporate powers as provided for in Section 22 (corporate powers). This specific
section provides that local governments as a corporation shall have the
following powers:
1. To have continuous succession of its corporate name;
2. To sue and be sued;
3. To have and use a corporate seal;
4. To acquire and convey real or personal property;
5. To enter into contracts; and
6. To exercise such other powers as are granted to corporations, subject
to limitations provided in the Local Government Code and other laws.
Moreover, provinces, cities, municipalities and barangays shall:
1. Approve ordinances and pass resolutions necessary for the efficient
and effective local government administration;
2. Generate and optimize the use of resources and revenues for the
development plans, program objectives and priorities of the specific
level of local government provided under Section 18 (Power to
Generate and Apply Resources of the Local Government Code);
3. Subject to the provisions of Book II of the Local Government Code
grant franchises, approve the issuances of permits or licenses or
enact ordinances, and levy taxes, fees and charges upon such
conditions and for such purposes intended to promote the general
welfare of the inhabitants;
4. Approve ordinances which shall ensure the efficient and effective
delivery of basic services and facilities; and
5. Exercise such other powers and perform such other functions as may
be prescribed by law or ordinance.
Table 1: Functions of Local Government Officials
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Local Government Code of 1991 and Republic Act 7160 section on powers and functions
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Local Chi ef Executi ves Deputi es
Supervise local departments performance Oversee the local bureaucracy
Formulate plans and programs General supervision over
component local governments
Preside over the local legislative council Exercise regulatory powers through
the council
Approve local budget Review local ordinances
The structures of local governments are both governed by the Local
Government Code and by local ordinance passed by the local government
concern. A province must, for example, have a governor who is elected at large.
The vice governor acts as presiding officer of the provincial legislative
council and all these offices are mandated by the Local Government Code. In
the case of cities, whether it is highly urbanized or component cities, each has
a city mayor, a vice mayor which presides over the city legislative council, and
members of which, including the mayor and the vice-mayor are elected for a
three-year term. Elected local officials are allowed only tenure of a three-year
term or a total of nine consecutive years in the office as provided for in the
Constitution.
In the case of municipalities, the position of mayor, the vice-mayor as
well as the members of the municipal legislative council is likewise mandatory
structures in the Code. The barangay government likewise has the barangay
captain and six members of the barangay council, all of who are also elected at
the barangay level. All local governments are empowered by the Local
Government Code to create their own departments and offices based on the
principle of affordability and actual need.
The legal relationship between local governments and parastatal bodies
is minimal. However, the relationship between parastatal bodies and local
government is closer in the implementation of plans and programs of
investment and development programs in areas where these plans and
programs are located in specific local governments.
Local councils generally formulate laws and other regulatory measures.
These regulatory measures are operationalized in the form of ordinances,
proclamations, resolutions and/or other administrative forms. The process of
legislation is usually based on identified needs of the municipality concerning
development, peace and order or in the promotion of economic project activities
including requirements in the social welfare clause provision of the Local
Government Code. When the local council tackles vital ordinances, such as
increasing local taxes, closure of local roads and other issues vital to the
community, the regulatory measures or proposed ordinances undergo a series
of public hearings. These ensure that the community is aware of the measures,
and participate in the formulation of laws to be implemented in response. This
process makes people consciously aware of the actions of local authorities,
which are regulatory in nature.
Basi c Types of Local Government Systems
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Organizational Structure of Subnational and Local Government
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Every country has levels of government below the central national
government. Subnational government entities have different powers, resources,
and organizational structure, depending on whether the country has a unitary
or federal political system, as well as its colonial experience, persistence of
customary forms of local administration, and the character of the
independence movements. Generally, however, subnational government is
subdivided between an intermediate level (regions, provinces, or districts)
and local government (at the municipal and village level).
In some administrative systems, subnational entities have only the
powers specifically delegated to them by the central government; in other
systems, they operate on the general competence principle, by which they can
exercise all powers not expressly reserved to central government.
In many countries, the rights and powers of local government are explicit
in the constitution or in national legislation; in other countries, they remain
unspecified, and hence are generally dependent on the attitude of the central
government of the day. Moreover, in most developing countries, the functioning
in practice of local administrative systems is strongly influenced by cultural
norms and customs. Especially in Africa and the Pacific, formal structures
have been grafted onto traditional modes of local administration.
Therefore, when assessing possible improvements in the effectiveness of
local government administration (including those suggested below), it is
important to look beyond these formal structures to the role of customary
systems and traditional leaders.
There are major differences between local administrations in rural areas,
in cities, and in megacities with over 10 million inhabitants. In rural areas,
the frequent structure of government in developing countries is that of a village
council with elected members at the base, a second-tier level of government to
represent a group of villages, and a top tier of government at district level with
indirectly elected members. In cities, the organization of municipal government
is largely a function of the services it provides.
City government is normally organized to deliver services (such as waste
disposal, water supply, internal transport, firefighting, parks, and similar
services) for the direct benefit of the local population. In a minority of cases,
municipal governments are appointed by central or provincial authoritiesa
system that in developing countries partly reflects a central distrust of local
authority inherited from the former colonial administration.
In appointed municipal governments, management is typically much less
responsive and personnel loyalties are divided. Within elected municipal
governments, the more frequent problem is fragmentation of authority,
especially when the executive head (the mayor) is elected by and from among
the members of the municipal council. The main alternatives are separate
direct election of both the mayor and the council, and the mayor in- council
model, whereby the majority party elects a slate of councilors along with a
person to head the group. In the direct election model (resembling the
presidential political system), the mayor has the strongest degree of authority,
derived from the personal electoral mandate. In the mayor-in-council model
councilors are responsible for their departments but also function as members
of a collective executive under the leadership of the mayor. Whatever the
manner of election of the mayor, the local political authority can benefit from
the support of a strong administrative executive (city manager or similar role).
The expansion of megacities (urban agglomerations with more than
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10 million people) is the most striking feature of late 20th century
urbanization. By 2025, megacities such as Jakarta, Bangkok, Manila, Seoul,
and Calcutta will account for some 400 million people in Asia alone. A megacity
typically comprises a core area, a metropolitan ring, and an extended
metropolitan region.
Therefore, the conventional single municipality model is clearly
inadequate, as responsibility for services in megacities is badly fragmented and
cannot be associated with specific municipal boundaries. Megacities are in
special need of good governance and strong coordination and planning, to deal
with environmental degradation and extreme human poverty. Interagency
coordination is essential and the central and intermediate levels of government
must necessarily play a major role.
Basi c Servi ces for Del i very (From Barangay to Provi nci al Level s)
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Enhancing Participation in the Local Governance: Experiences from the Philippines
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As a landmark legislation, Republic Act No. 7160, more commonly
known as the Local Government Code (LGC) of 1991, introduced sweeping
changes in the Philippines political processes.
The LGC drastically shifted power from the central government to the
local governments. Its end goal is to unleash the potentials at the local level.
The Code transferred substantial power, functions and responsibilities from the
national government to the local government units (LGUs), allowing the
impetus for change and development to originate from the local communities. It
redirected the countrys development thrusts and encouraged a shift from
nationally driven to locally driven strategies. Furthermore, it transferred the
responsibilities for the delivery of basic services to the LGUs, including
appropriate personnel, assets, equipment, programs and projects.
The delivery of various aspects of basic services that used to be the
responsibility of the national government is now devolved to the LGUs. These
basic services include:
field health and hospital services and other tertiary services;
social welfare;
community-based forestry;
projects on agricultural extension and on-site research;
public works funded by local fund;
school building program;
tourism facilities;
promotion and development; and
telecommunication services and housing projects for provinces and cities
and other services such as investment support.
From the organizing standpoint, the Code has altered the mode,
configuration and level of services that local governments provide. Having
bestowed greater powers and responsibilities on Philippine local governments,
there is now a common awareness of the need to improve their organizational
processes and performance. Hence, the Code embodies a major rationale for
the development of local government organization in a number of ways. The
code:
enlarges local bureaucracy because of the devolved personnel and
programs;
expressly grants local governments the authority to implement
organizational reforms in order to
perform effectively in a decentralized setting;
increases the financial capacity of LGUs;
allows local governments to seek alternative forms of service delivery;
provides for popular participation in decision-making and program
implementation; and
localizes accountability.
As mandated in Section 17 of the Local Government Code of 1991 (1991
LGC) or RA 7160, the services and facilities that each barangay need to provide
are the following:
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i. Agricultural support services which include planting materials
distribution system and operation of farm produce collection and buying
stations;
ii. Health and social welfare services which include maintenance of
barangay health center and day-care center;
iii. Services and facilities related to general hygiene and sanitation,
beautification, and solid waste collection;
iv. Maintenance of katarungang pambarangay;
v. Maintenance of barangay roads and bridges and water supply systems
vi. Infrastructure facilities such as multi- purpose hall, multipurpose
pavement, plaza, sports center, and other similar facilities;
vii. Information and reading center; and
viii. Satellite or public market, where viable
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Discussion Paper Series No. 2010-03
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References:
Articles:
http://www.nscb.gov.ph/activestats/psgc/listreg.asp
Local Government Administration and the Challenges of Rural
Development in Nigeria
Philippine Standard Geographic Code
The Nature and State of Local Government by Proserpina A. Domingo
Tapale
Documents and Presentati ons
LGU of IGACOS through Percenito O. Bustamante, CGSO
PA 205 Local Government and Regional Administration Syllabus of
University of Southeastern Philippines, A.Y 2011-2012
PDF Fi l es:
Allan S. Layug et al. (2010) Do Barangays Really Matter in Local Service
Delivery? Some Issues and Policy Options. Discussion Paper Series
No. 2010-03
Country Reports on Local Government Systems: Philippines
Enhancing Participation in Local Governance: Experience from the
Philippines. International Institute of Rural Reconstuction, Y.C
James Yen Center, Silang, Cavite Philippines
Kotecha et al. (2008). Feeling able to influence local decision making;
understanding, barriers, facilitators and strategies for increasing
empowerment
Local Government Code of 1991
Organizational Structure of Subnational and Local Government
Relevant Provisions of Local Government Code by Eleuterio C. Dumogho
Strenthening Particpatory Approaches to Local Governance: Learning the
Lessons from Abroad by John Gaventa
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Contact Information:
GLENNE B. LAGURA
IT Instructor
Davao del Norte State College
New Visayas, Panabo City
ennelg_link@yahoo.com
www.facebook.com/glenne101
09469896887