Re-imagining Philippines’ local government structures

Local governance in the Philippines can be divided into enlarged provinces (lalawigan), new metropolises (kalakhan), and the existing municipalities (bayan) and barangays (barangay).

Provinces, the highest form of local government, each have a unicameral legislature, the Assembly (Batasang Panlalawigan), a titular Governor (Gobernador), and executive First Secretary and other Secretaries (Punong Kalihim at iba pang mga Kalihim).

Metropolises are separate from, and independent of, provinces.

Metropolises also have Assemblies (Batasang Pangkalakhan). But unlike provinces, the executive power is vested in a directly elected Mayor (Alkalde). Mayors of metropolises and key metropolitan officials attend meetings of the Assembly to make statements before, and answer questions of, its members, but cannot vote. Unlike the provincial Governor, on the advice of the First Secretary, the metropolitan Mayor cannot dissolve the Assembly.

Below provinces and metropolises are municipalities. Municipalities each have a Council (Sangguniang Bayan), consisting of members elected from each Barangay or group of Barangays called District (Distrito). The Council elects a titular Chair (Tagapangulo) and the Leader (Pinuno) of the Council Executive (Tagapagpaganap).

A provincial or metropolitan Assembly may grant City (Lungsod) status, by way of issuing charters, to municipalities. City Councils (Sangguniang Panlungsod) are given the choice to either adopt the executive Mayor form of government found in metropolises or retain the Leader-Council system while changing the title of the Chair of the Council to a titular Mayor. The City status remains in force, unless the charter is deemed invalid or revoked, or the municipality is dissolved or, in any way, altered which will require a new charter.

Municipalities in metropolises, including those granted City status, are called metropolitan municipalities or cities (Pangkalakhang Bayan o Pangkalakhang Lungsod) e.g. Cebu Metropolitan City, Metropolitan Municipality of Pateros.

Note: This article is part of a series, where the Philippines is reimagined to be under a Westminster-style parliamentary regime. For related articles, click the ParliamentaryPH tag below.