2. Table of Contents
The Nature of Local Governments
Definition and Purpose of Local Governments
Characteristics of Local Government
Decentralization, Devolution and Deconcentration
Local Governments in the New World
Patterns of Local Governments
English Model
Soviet Model
French Model
Traditional Model
3. Two-Tier and Multiple-Tier System
Local Autonomy
Reasons for the Creation of Local
Governments
Relationship with the Center
Under a Dual System
Under a Fused System
Local Government in the Philippines
General Supervision over Local
Governments
Revenue and Taxing Power of LGUs
Regional and Metropolitan Government
5. Local government is a government for
particular locality like a town, city,
country or a village. It is subordinate
to the central or national government.
It does not have natural powers but it
only derives authority and functions
from a higher- level government. Thus,
local government is merely a creation
of national government.
6. There are three evolving theories
concerning the nature of local
governments, namely: historical
theory; legal theory; and
competence theory.
7. 1. Historical Theory
The theory contends that decentralization
is a natural right of the people in local
communities toward self-determination.
Local government is seen as an essential
element of democracy in harnessing and
consolidating the varied interests of the
people in a more responsive approach. It is
believed that local villagers are far more
effective to address and solve their local
problems themselves than someone from
the outside.
8. 2. Legal Theory
The theory contends that strong
centralization of government powers is
much superior in harnessing and
coordination the needs and services of
the people in varying communities.
They can respond to development
uniformly, accessibly and predictably
rather than leaving this task to local
communities that may lack resources
and technical capabilities for effective
community organizing and
development.
9. 3. Competence Theory
The existence of local governments in
a state should be based on
performance and accomplishment.
Local governments should earn their
existence and the failure to apply and
exercise power means incompetence
and a denial for self-government or
determination.
10. Local government is a worldwide concept
of governance. It is found not only in
federal or unitary states but also in most
forms of government and political systems.
It is called through various names like
prefects, communes, municipalities,
regions and so forth. It is the lowest level
of elected territorial bodies constituting a
sub- national organization within a state.
Countries anywhere in the world make use
of local governments for administrative
purposes and those services are
effectively delivered and made them
available throughout their territorial
jurisdictions.
11. Law usually constitutes local governments
as subordinate political bodies of
provincial authorities in federal states, or
they are subsidiary unites under national
government in unitary states. In organizing
a local community in the direction of
economic growth, certain autonomy is
given to constituted local bodies to
accelerate development. In this
decentralized system, a dispersal of power
is extended to local government units to
enable them to meet the needs of the
constituencies and to crystallize as well
their interests towards more progressive
and self-reliant communities.
12. Definition and Purpose of
Local Governments
Local governments may be defined as
political subdivisions of a nation or a
state constituted by law, which have
substantial control over local affairs,
including the power of taxation. The
governing body of local government
may either be elected or appointed.
13. Local governments are widely
recognized in every democratic
state as general purpose units
created by the national
government. They represent vital
constituent parts of the nation’s
politico-administrative system
and play an important part in the
administration of public services.
14. Characteristics of Local
Government
1. Local governments are defined territorial
boundaries with political and administrative
jurisdictions;
2. Local governments are non-sovereign
communities with subordinate status,
governments which are below the national
government;
3. Local governments have authority and power
to undertake public activities;
4. Local governments are continuing
organizations with population of more or less
numerous; and
5. Local governments are municipal
corporations.
15. Local governments in the Philippines are
territorial subdivisions of the state, which
are the provinces, cities, municipalities,
and barangays. A distinct provision of the
law likewise provides for the creation of
regional governments namely: Cordillera
Administrative Region and ARMM –
Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao.
Above all, the MMDA as a metro wide
system of governance has been accepted
to address the problems of rapid
urbanization, which cannot be solved
independently by a local government unit.
16. In general, the functions of local
governments may be gleaned from the
following features they usually perform:
a. Local governments provide greater political
participation from the people at lower level
communities;
b. Local units impart socio-economic services
for the constituency consistent with national
government policies;
c. Local governments offer a means of dividing
power, responsibilities and functions by
geographic area or locality of the state; and
d. Local governments confer or vest upon
political distinction among disparate local
communities.
17. What makes local government
particularly important in unitary
states is that in most areas, it is the
only form of government outside the
center. Unitary system implies the
sovereignty lies exclusively with the
central government. In theory,
national government can abolish
lower level governments should it
wished to.
18. It has been observed that most small
countries that are democratic
societies with a history of rule by
sovereign emperors and monarchs
like Japan, France, and Great Britain,
there are three ways in which unitary
sates can disperse power from the
center: decentralization,
deconcentraton, and devolution.
19. Decentralization, Devolution
and Deconcentration
Decentralization may be defined as
the dispersal of authority and
responsibility and the allocation of
powers and functions from the center
or top level of government to regional
bodies or special- purpose authorities,
or from the national to the sub-
national levels of government.
20. Decentralizaiton may also take form of
devolution or political decentralization,
which is the transfer of authority and power
from the central government to the local
governments to perform certain
governmental functions and services.
Political decentralization involves the
granting of authority and power to the
provincial, city and municipal governments
to manage their own affairs, which process
partakes of the nature of what is commonly
referred to as local autonomy.
21. One form of decentralization is what
may be termed as decentralization is
what may be termed as
deconcentration or administrative
decentralization, which is the
delegation of authority by a central
government ministry or department to
field offices to undertake certain
programs or perform administrative
functions.
22. There are several reasons why
decentralization is adopted and applied as a
tool of development administration.
1. It enables maximum participation of the people
concerned in the decision-making processes on issues
that concern them directly. Decisions, aside from
ensuring maximum citizen participation, are also more
responsive to the needs of the people.
2. Lower levels of government are encouraged and trained,
to be more self- reliant through decentralization.
3. It hastens the decision-making processes, doing away
with traditional red tape of having to go all the way up
the central authorities for action or authority to perform
appropriate actions, and then downwards.
4. Decentralization decongests the central government of
certain functions that could well be done at the lower
levels.
23. Furthermore, there are several modes
by which the process of
decentralization can be
operationalized. These include: (1)
devolution which essentially is the
transfer of power for the performance
of certain functions from the national or
central authorities to the lower levels
of government; and (2) deconcentration
which, essentially, is the process
delegating functions from the central
government to field or regional units.
24. Devolution exits when central
government grants some decision-
making autonomy to new lower levels
like regional governments in France,
Italy and Spain. Devolution is the
transfer of political power and
authority from the central national
government to local government units
of a state.
25. It has been noted in Abueva (1998)
that the devolution of powers to local
units raises three basic concerns: (a)
the capabilities of local units to
absorb the necessary responsibilities
and raise resources; (b) the fear
among many sectors that devolution
will create local warlords; and (c) the
fragmentation of the delivery of the
basic services.
26. Deconcentration may also refer to the
assignment of functions to adhoc
bodies and special authorities created
in the region to render technical
assistance on regional development.
Administrative decentralization,
legislation, just with issuance of an
executive or administrative order.
27. Deconcentration then implies to the
location of central government
employees away from the capital
region. “The case for a
deconcentrated structure is that it
spreads the work around, enabling
field offices to benefit from local
knowledge and freeing central
departments to focus on policy
making”.
28. In the Philippines, RA 7160 became the legal
instrument that strengthened the spirit of
democracy, and attain the highest possible
level of development at the local levels in
the Philippines. It is so designed in enriching
the capabilities and maximizing limited
resources of Local government units, herein
referred to as LGUs for brevity, by
empowering the people through direct
participation in the affairs of the
government.
29. The Local Government Code provides
for much greater powers and
responsibilities by which local
governments may come up with
different programs and activities
fashioned to uphold the general
welfare of the people.
30. Local Governments in the
New World
The status of local government is
distinguished between the new world and
the old world of Europe. The new world
like the United States, New Zealand,
Canada and Australia regard local
government with utilitarian purpose or
function. Local governments are organized
to facilitate infrastructure services and
provide basic amenities for the villages.
Even local licensing and regulatory
services are established independent of
political parties to address specific
concerns.
31. Patterns of Local
Governments
There are traditionally four basic
patterns of local governments:
the English Model, the Soviet
Model, the French Model and the
Traditional Model.
32. 1. English Model
Local governments of England since time
immemorial assumed wide range of
powers and responsibilities toward
community organizing, and more on
stirring economic growth at the
grassroots. This typology of local
government came from the Anglo Saxon
period long before the Norman invasion of
the eleventh century. The English pattern
of local government is decentralized in
character and by nature dominated by
local legislative councils, committee
bodies and voluntary citizen organization.
33. 2. Soviet Model
As early as the 1917 Revolution, local
governments in former Soviet Union
were already in existence. During this
period, Russia typified local
governments into regions, provinces,
districts and cantons, which consist of
several villages. By nature the former
Soviet local government type is
hierarchical in character yet
decentralized. Only one dominant party
however controls and manages local
government systems.
34. 3. French Model
This type of local government
system originated during the
French revolution up to the
Napoleonic Age. It is hierarchical
and centralized in nature,
characterized by executive
domination and legislative
subordination.
35. 4. Traditional Model
Local governance is naturally inherent
among the people in a village or
community. A system of government
normally resulted from the relationship
of the inhabitants, with defined but
autocratic system of executive,
legislative and judicial powers, usually
controlled by a local chieftain. Although
it has a rather simple structure of
command obedience. It is usually
solidify by community practice and
traditions.
36. The International Union of Local
Authorities (IULA), observing “an
obvious resemblance between the
structure of local government in
neighboring countries, classified local
government systems in terms of
geography and culture (including
language, religion, governmental
traditions and philosophy and closely
related history).
37. Thus, it came up with the
following classification
1. Anglo Saxon Group: The United States, Australia, Union
of South Africa, United Kingdom, Canada
2. Eastern Europe Group: Former Soviet Union, Poland,
Bulgaria and former Yugoslavia
3. Central and Northwest Europe Group: Germany, Austria,
Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg
4. South Europe Group: France, Italy, Greece, Spain,
Portugal
5. West Asia and East Africa Group: all Islamic countries,
mostly Arab and Arab influenced states
6. South Asia and East Africa Group: India, Sri Lanka,
Malaysia, Sudan, Burma, Ethiopia
7. East Asia Group: Thailand, the Philippines, Japan
38. While the Philippines is classified
under East Asia Groups, it can easily
be categorized as that of southern
European pattern (in the IULA’s
classification) or the French Model.
The local government system in the
Philippines is colonial experience
transplanted by Spain and continued
by America.
39. Two-Tier and Multiple-Tier
System
France has a two-tier system. Local
governments are created by the
national government. It is highly
centralized characterized by
executive dominance. In principle,
a two-tier local government system
has some advantages: there is
simplicity in terms of allocation of
functions and finances;
40. smaller numbers of local government
units with short line of political
command. On the contrary, the two-
tier system carriers also negative
effects: many local units are too big
to serve as catchment areas and
criticize as inadequate for physical
and economic planning.
41. Philippines is a multiple tier system.
Local governments are subdivided on
smaller categories: provinces, cities,
municipalities and barangays. Local
government in deep tier system is
more democratic and participatory.
They easily satisfy political objectives
of the people and government, and
lower levels are mobilized for social,
community developments and are far
more effective in engaging citizen’s
participation.
42. A deep/ multiple tier system is more efficient
for planning and economic coordination,
with greater opportunity and stability in
changing functional assignments. On the
contrary, they also breed disadvantages; as
they tend to complicate and cause problems
in allocation of tasks, complicate financial
allocation by central government. The
creation of multiple tiers also evokes long
line of command, and also they breed
politically expensive organizational setup.
43. Local Autonomy
The concept of local autonomy has
always been related to the general
idea of decentralization. It should be
emphasized however that local
autonomy is more specifically related
to political decentralization than to
administrative decentralization.
44. Local autonomy is a level of
independence granted to local
government units to administer freely
their own local affairs with the view to
address the needs of the people living
therein and at the same time promote
the welfare of the constituency. Local
autonomy is understood in general as
the ability of local units for self-
government in varying tiers of local
governments in a state.
45. Hence, local autonomy is the
degree of self-determination
exercised by a local government
unit vis-à-vis the central
government. Decentralization is a
necessary prerequisite to local
autonomy.
46. Brillantes (1993) noted that there are
major criteria in determining local
autonomy or self-government:
1. There must be local officials elected in the
area be it at the provincial, city, municipality
or barangay level;
2. The area of local autonomy must possessed
clearly defined areas of responsibility;
3. The relationship between national and local
government must be specifically identified
and those aspects of major responsibilities
clearly outlined or delineated; and
4. The local government engaging certain
degree of self-government must likewise
enjoy fiscal capability in generating local
revenues for its development ad community
programs.
47. The intermediate units of local government
coordinate services in a larger area and
supervise lower levels of local authorities.
These are variously called provinces,
counties, prefectures, changwat or special
structures such as regional or metropolitan
governments. Below them are the basic
units of local government, those performing
services for the people who live together in
a community. These are the cities, in
townships, districts, panchayats, tambons,
and the likes.
48. They perform services that include
sanitation, protection to lives and
property, and provision of public
utilities. In a few countries, a lower
and smaller form of local government
forms the sub-municipal level, typified
by the barangays in the Philippines,
the parishes in the United Kingdom,
and the mahalle in Turkey (Bautista,
1993).
49. The International Union of Local
Authorities (IULA) noted that the
number of tiers of local governments
depends on geography, population,
number of basic units and degree of
centralization. The Philippines several
layers may be attributed to its
geographic perculiarities, centralist
experience, and historical basis of its
barangays.
50. In the Philippines, there is a specific
constitutional article providing for
local governments (Art. X of the 1987
Constitution). Sec. 2 particularly
encourages the central government to
assure self-governance or autonomy
of all local governments at all times.
51. 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. (Sec. 1 Art X)
52. In the Philippines, local
governments are political
subdivisions created by law.
These subdivisions are
provinces, cities, municipalities
and barangays
53. Under the Local Government Code of
1991, the following terms are given
their definitions and basic nature:
a. Provinces. A province is comprised
of a group of municipalities and
component cities. The role of the
province is to coordinate national
development process through
effective integration of programs and
project of all its sub-localities, and
assume basically area-wide functions,
roles and activities.
54. b. Cities. A city is similar to municipality, but
is more urbanized and better developed. It is
created and governed by a law, RA 7160,
others are governed by special law known
as charter. Thus, the term charted city. A
city serves as a general purpose government
for the coordination and delivery of all basic,
regular and direct services within its
jurisdiction. A city may be either component
or highly urbanized.
55. • A component city is a part of the
province in which it is
geographically located and is under
its administrative supervision,
• A highly urbanized city is
independent of the province in which
it is geographically located.
56. c. Municipalities. A municipality
consists of a number of barangays,
and serves primarily as a general
purpose government for the
coordination and delivery of basic,
regular, and direct services within its
jurisdiction.
57. d. Barangays. A barangay is the basic
political unit of the government. It
serves as the primary planning and
implementing unit of government
programs, projects and activities, and
as a forum in which the collective
views of the people in the community
may be crystallized and considered.
58. Moreover, the political subdivisions of
the state shall enjoy local autonomy.
By virtue of Local Government Code of
1991, local governments are to be
vested with local autonomy and are
mandated to help promote political
democracy and enhance
administrative efficiency in the
delivery of public services.
59. The promotion of local autonomy is a basic
state policy. In fact with RA 7160, the Local
Government Code of the Philippines, local
government units today enjoy adequate
powers, responsibilities and functions to
cope with their interests, needs and
problems, with which they assume
significant familiarity and understanding
than the central government, this, local
units shall not be prohibited in securing their
full developmental goals and actions.
60. Devolution and local autonomy officer
LGUs great challenge and opportunity
to govern their affairs and develop
their resources for the benefit of the
people in their communities who may
participate more actively in the
processes of democracy and
development at the grassroots.
61. Reasons for the Creation of
Local Governments
In most countries of the world there are
at least two levels of government, the
upper level and the local level. Usually
the upper level government in the
sovereign state, or “the government of
he whole country”. As a sovereign
national or central government in
assumes the functions of determining
and managing its own local affairs
without interference from the outside
world.
62. The central government pursues an
exclusive function, which lower levels
cant perform, such as foreign relations
or coinage of money, and also capable
of commanding state recognition from
other nation-states in international
system. On the other hand, below the
upper level government is the
“government of the parts”, which level
of typology may vary from one state to
another based on historical experience
or political systems of one state.
63. Local governments are legal
authorities “constituted by laws”
providing services, with the
rights and the necessary
organization to regulate their
own affairs.
64. They are established or organized consistent
with the principles of decentralization, thus
they came to exist for the following reasons:
1. Local government come to exist as
administrative convenience to the state
creating them, particularly in delegating
administrative functions to field agencies
making them more accountable to the
people and at the same time promoting
better and effective delivery of social and
welfare services;
65. 2. Local government are directly responsible
in crystalling the interests of the people
living in common political units, and are in
better positions to serving them. Certainly
local officials know the best the needs and
interests of local population. Thus, they can
easily come up with local ordinances
responding to specific area concerns than
the national government which concerns are
much broader and which may not
immediately address to local needs and
conditions;
66. 3. Local governments boost the
civil morale of the population as
they can directly participate in
the political affairs and
processes towards more efficient
local governance at the grass
root levels;
67. 4. Local government can become
effective partners of the central or
national government in harnessing not
only community development and
growth but also national development
and growth. The closer the people to
the government the better the
governance would become; and
68. 5. Local governments also provide a
better understanding of the
relationships between the desired
project objectives and the resources
available to implement them. In the
process, of mobilizing local resources
they also promote participation of the
people.
69. Relationship with the
Center
Normally, local government units or the sub-
national governments’ relationship with the
central is seen on two models: dual system
and fused system model. The model is
evaluated on these two premises that is
whether local governments operate as
political entities distinct and separate from
the central or national authority (dual) or
whether local governments operate as part
of a single organization (fused).
70. 1. Under a Dual System
Local governments retain freestanding
status setting their own internal
organization and employ staff on their own
condition of service. Staff tend to move
horizontally from one local authority to
another rather than vertically, between
central and local governments. Ultimate
responsibility rests with the center but local
government employees do not regard
themselves as working for the same
employer as civil servants based at the
center.
71. Britain is a traditional example of a
dual system. Hence, a dual system of
local government. Although the center
is sovereign, local authorities are not
seen as part of single state stature.
72. 2. Under a Fused System
Central and local governments combine to
form a single sphere of public authority.
Both levels express the leading authority
of the state. The two levels are normally
joined in the office of the prefect, a central
appointee who oversees the
administration of particular community,
and reports to the Ministry of the Interim in
the Capital. In theory, prefectoral system
signifies central dominance by
establishing a clear unitary hierarchy
running from national government through
the prefect to local authorities.
73. France is a classic example of a fused
system. Hence, a fused system exits
when centrally appointed prefect
supervises local authorities. The
localities, although possessing
considerable autonomy in practice,
form part of a uniform system of
administration applying across the
country.
74. Local Government in the
Philippines
The Local Government Code of 1991
is considered the landmark legislation
of the Aquino administration.
Otherwise known as RA 7160, which
look took effect on 1 January 1991.
75. The Local Government Code of 1991 is so far
the best democratic decentralization
program of the Philippines. It ensures the
widest possible autonomy at the local levels
by granting Local Government Units
expanded powers, enhanced functions and
most needed financial bases to propel
economic advancement. An analysis of
these forces is contained in the provisions of
RA 7160.
76. The impetus aims to make them
effective partners of central
government in revitalizing national
progress and spurring local
development. The constitutional roles
of LGUs are explicitly provided for (Art
X of the 1987 Constitution), thus,
enabling them to be of significance at
the grassroots.
77. Sec. 3 The Congress shall enact a local
government code which shall provide for
more responsive and accountable local
government structure instituted through a
system of decentralization with effective
mechanisms of recall, initiative, and
referendum, allocate among the different
local government units their powers,
responsibilities, and resources, and provide
for the qualifications, election, appointment
and removal, term, salaries, powers and
functions and duties of local officials, and all
other relating to the organization and
operation of the local units.
78. A host of massive governmental services
have been devolved to LGUs upon the
adoption of the Local Government Code,
social welfare and development, public
works, and highways, health, agriculture,
and environment and natural resources. In
fact, under the Code, the President shall
only exercise supervisory powers over LGUs
in order to make them truly self-reliant
communities for national development.
79. The Local Government Code in the
Philippines has devolved to local
government units the following functions of
national government agriculture, health,
social services, environmental protection,
and local public works. Several regulatory
functions of national agencies have likewise
been devolved. These include
reclassification of agricultural lands,
enforcement of environmental laws,
inspection of food products and quarantine,
enforcement of national building code,
enforcement of environmental laws and so
forth.
80. Also, the code provides the legal and
institutional mechanisms for the participation of
organized groups in civil society in local
governance and development activities. In
mandates the representation of NGOs and
people’s organizations in local special bodies
and specifies the number of seats to be
allocated for this purpose. These include the
local development councils, the local health
board, and the local school board. This had
provided an effective mechanism for promoting
the local accountability and responsiveness and
underscores the fact that NGOs and Pos play a
complementary and reinforcing role in the
government’s development efforts. (Abueva,
1998)
81. General Supervision over
Local Governments
Art X, Sec. 4 states: The President of the
Philippines shall exercise general
supervision over local governments.
Provinces with respect to component cities
and municipalities with respect to
component barangays shall ensure that the
acts of their component units are within the
scope of their prescribed powers and
functions.
82. It should be noted that the President
should only have the power of
supervision over LGUs not any more
the power to control them, which
means a direct authority to manage
the LGUs. The power of the President
to supervise in only limited to the
purpose of ensuring that the LGUs
perform their functions based on
mandates of the Constitution, and on
the standards of the Code.
83. Therefore, in order to assure the goals
of local autonomy, provinces and
cities in respect to their component
cities and municipalities, and
component municipalities and
barangays, respectively shall exercise
power to supervise only inasmuch as
to ensure “that the acts of their
component units are within the scope
of their assigned powers and
functions”.
84. Revenue and Taxing Power of
LGUs
Sec. 5 Each local government unit shall have
the power to create its own sources of
revenues and to levy taxes, fees, and
charges subject to such guidelines and
limitations as the Congress may provide,
consistent with the basic policy of local
autonomy. Such taxes, fees, and charges
shall accrue exclusively to the local
governments.
85. The Constitution grants fiscal autonomy to
LGUs in creating their own sources of
revenues and to levy taxes, imposes fees
and charges within their immediate
territorial jurisdiction, subject to the
limitation determined by Congress. The
proceeds of those locally generated
resources shall accrue to the public funding
of local government concerned.
86. In terms of taxation, local governments have
the power to raise different types of fees,
along with other charges. The biggest local
tax resource comes from real property taxes
and business taxes. Fees and charges are
levied from the use of public utilities,
facilities, and equipment owned and
operated, and maintained by local
governments within their boundaries. The
most common are local roads, markets,
slaughterhouses, and public parking lots.
87. One of the newest local sources under the
RA 7160 is the community tax, replacing the
old national residence tax, which has to be
paid by every inhabitant 18 years of age or
over who has been regularly employed on a
wage or salary basis or who is engaged in
business or occupation, or who owns real
property of an assessed value of Php 1,000
or more, or who is required to file an income
tax.
88. Further, local governments units shall have
a just share, as determined by law in the
national taxes which shall be automatically
released to them (Art. X, Sec 6), and local
government shall be entitled to an equitable
share in the proceeds of the utilization and
development of the national wealth within
their respective areas, in the manner
provided by law, including sharing the same
with the inhabitants by way of direct
benefits (Sec. 7).
89. Local governments also have a share
in the proceeds derived from the
utilization and development of the
national wealth (at 40%) within their
respective areas. These include
shares from mining taxes, royalties,
forestry and fishery charges, and
other surcharges, interests or fines in
any co-production, joint venture or
production sharing agreement.
90. Any government agency or
government-owned or controlled
corporation engaged in the utilization
and development of the national
wealth is also required to share their
proceeds with the local government
unit (s) concerned.
91. Apart from the regular members of local
councils in different tiers of local
government, the Code also provides for
sectoral representations in local government
such as the creation of Local School Board,
Local Development Council, and Local
Health Board in every council. This is to
ensure greater political participation of the
different sectors of the society in policy and
decision-making processes (Sec. 9).
92. Regional and Metropolitan
Government
A dominant feature of the twentieth
century is the rapid growth of cities in
developing as well as in developed
states. The emergence of the
metropolis with all its attendant
problems has become the increasing
concern of government.
93. Metropolis refers to:
A huge multi-million population center of
trade, finance, culture, and world power…It
combines the function of central leadership
and production of the main bulk of material
goods and services. Its influence
consolidates huge areas up to 1000 miles
outside the central city into vast
metropolitan regions.
94. The concept of urbanization
commonly refers to the growth of
population concentrations, which is
the development of towns and cities.
It is also used to connote the
proportion of a population living in
urban places and changes in social
organization that result from such
population concentrations.
95. Urbanization is thus a process-the
process by which rural areas are
transformed into urban areas. In
demographic terms, urbanization is an
increase in population concentration;
organizationally, it is an alternation in
structure and functions
Demographically, urbanization involves
two elements: the multiplication of
points of concentration and the
increase in the size of individual
concentrations.
96. The creation of Metropolitan Government,
the MMDA, is brought about by the problems
of urbanization. The metropolitan system of
governance has been accepted to address
the problems of rapid urbanization which
cannot be solved independently by a local
unit. The metropolitan system has been
recognized as relatively successful in
addressing urban problems like pollution,
traffic, garbage, the delivery of basic
services, etc.
97. Rapid urbanization is one important
concerns that must be addressed
collectively or in coordination with other
LGUs in one-mega cities, which issues and
concerns extend beyond political
boundaries. The Constitution seeks the need
to administer programs and services in an
integrated approach of regional governance.
A special government which shall
consolidate and mobilize resources of
concerned LGUs in an effort to wrestle the
fast decaying problems of growing and
expanding population in key cities.
98. Metropolitan and decentralization are
two significant forces in the
development and management of
large cities throughout the world. The
unprecedented large-scale urban
problems that need to be addressed
have strengthened the call for a
metropolitan system of government.
99. The President shall provide for regional
development councils or other similar bodies
composed of local government officials,
regional heads of departments and other
governmental organizations within the
regions for purpose of administrative
decentralization to strengthen the autonomy
of the units therein and to accelerate the
economic and social growth and
development of the units in the region (Sec.
14).
100. The regional government and administration
in the Philippines constitutes a new tier in
local government system. They assume
coordinating roles among lower levels of
local governments. They facilitate also a
more effective decision making enhance
coordination and horizontal integration,
establish a strong and unified leadership and
implementing machinery in the region and
reduce regional disparities. Regional
government promotes local autonomy which
is of political and administrative type.
101. Next:
Part X
Political Parties and
Party Systems