Summary
Highlights
The Philippines' territorial and political subdivisions include provinces, cities, municipalities, barangays, and autonomous regions (Muslim Mindanao and Cordilleras). Provinces are the primary political and administrative divisions, composed of cities and municipalities. Cities are urban centers with greater autonomy, either independent component cities or part of a province. Municipalities are smaller than cities, comprising barangays. Barangays are the smallest administrative divisions, responsible for grassroots governance and basic services. The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) was replaced by the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) in 2019, granting it broader autonomous governmental structures.
The Filipino Local Government Code aims to provide a responsive and accountable local government structure. It defines qualifications, elections, appointments, terms, salaries, powers, functions, and duties of local officials. The code covers the organization and operation of local government units. The President of the Philippines exercises general supervision over local governments to ensure compliance with national laws and policies. Local governments have the power to create their own revenue sources through taxes and fees, granting them financial autonomy. The term of office for local officials is three years, with a limit of three consecutive terms. Highly urbanized cities are independent of provinces, possessing their own governmental and administrative structures.
The President is responsible for establishing Regional Development Councils, composed of local government officials, regional department heads, and representatives from NGOs, to formulate regional development plans. Congress enacts an organic act for each autonomous region, which defines its powers, responsibilities, and governance structure. This act establishes the executive and legislative branches, and may include special courts for personal, family, and property law. The autonomous regions have legislative powers over administrative organization, revenue generation, ancestral domains and natural resources, personal and family relations, regional urban and rural planning, economic, social, and tourism development, educational policies, and preservation of cultural heritage, among other matters authorized by law for regional welfare.