MPA 508 - Local Government Administration

Synthesis & Reflection

Submitted by: JOCELYN C. AZARCON

Professor: DR. PHILIP JOY R. RIZARDO

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Name of Student: JOCELYN C. AZARCON Date Submitted: April 9, 2013 Number & Description: PA 508, Local Government Administration Degree Program: Masters in Public Administration Professor: Dr. Philip Joy R. Rizardo

I.

SYNTHESIS ON

LOCAL GOVERNMENT ADMINISTRATION

Republic Act Number 7160 is an act providing for a Local Government Code of 1991. This is known as the Local Government Code of 1991. It is hereby declared that the territorial and political subdivisions shall enjoy genuine and meaningful local autonomy to enable them to attain their fullest development as self-reliant communities and effective partners in the attainment of national goals. Decentralization shall proceed from the national government to the local government units. LGU includes provinces, cities, municipalities and barangays. The indicators in creating an LGU are income, population and land. LGU may be abolished when one of the indicators has been irreversibly reduced during the immediate preceding three consecutive years to less than the requirements for its creation as certified by Department of Finance for income, National

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Statistics Office for population and Land Management Bureau for land requirement. A local government unit can also be divided or merged as long as it can comply with the same requirements prescribed for the creation. No creation, division, merger, abolition or substantial alteration of the

boundaries of LGU shall take effect unless approved by a majority of the votes cast in a plebiscite called for the purpose in the political units directly affected. In selecting local government sites, offices and facilities, factors relating to geographical centrality, accessibility, availability of transportation and communication facilities, drainage and sanitation, development and economic progress and other relevant considerations shall be taken into account. The Sanggunian in consultation with the Philippine Historical

Commission may change the name of the places under its territorial jurisdiction such as component cities, municipalities and barangays; roads, avenues, boulevards, thoroughfares and bridges; public elementary,

secondary, vocational or technical schools, post-secondary and other tertiary schools; hospitals, health centers and health facilities; and other public place or building. Within the respective territorial jurisdictions, local government units shall ensure and support the preservation and enrichment of culture,

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promote health and safety, enhance the right of the people to a balanced ecology, improve public morals, enhance economic prosperity and social justices, promote full employment among the residents, maintain peace and order and preserve the comfort and convenience of their inhabitants. Local government units shall endeavor to be self-reliant and shall continue exercising the powers and discharging the duties and functions vested upon them. They shall also be responsible for the basic services and facilities such as agricultural support, health and social welfare, hygiene and sanitation, peace and order, information center, public markets and many others. The LGU shall have the power and authority to establish an organization that shall be responsible for the effective and efficient implementation of their development plans, program objectives and priorities, to create their own revenues and to levy taxes, fees and other charges. They shall have a just share in national taxes and in the proceeds from the utilization and development of the national wealth and resources. A local government unit may, through its local chief executives exercise the power of eminent domain for public use or purpose or welfare for the benefit of the poor and the landless upon payment of just compensation. A city or municipality may, through an ordinance passed by the sanggunian after conducting hearing for the purpose, authorize

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reclassification of agricultural lands and provide for the manner of their utilization or disposition in the following cases: 1) when the land ceases to be economically feasible and sound for agricultural purposes as determined by the Department of Agriculture or 2) where the land shall have substantially greater economic value for residential, commercial or industrial purposes as determined by the sanggunian concerned. An LGU may, through an ordinance, permanently or temporarily close or open any road, alley, park, or square within its jurisdiction. No permanent closure of any local road, street alley, part or square shall be effected unless there exists a compelling reason or sufficient justification therefore such as, but not limit to, change in land use, establishment of infra facilities, projects, or such other justifiable reasons as public welfare may require. On the other hands, any national or local road, alley, park, or square may be temporarily closed during actual emergency or fiesta celebration, public rallies, agricultural or industrial fairs, or undertaking of public works and highways, telecommunications, and waterworks projects, the duration of which shall be specified by the local chief executive concerned in a written order. Every LGU, as a corporation, shall exercise the power to have continuous succession in its corporate name, to sue and be sued, to have and use a corporate seal, to acquire and convey real or personal property, to enter into contracts and to exercise such other powers as are gathered to corporations subject to limitations provided under the Local Government

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code and other applicable laws. LGUs may modify, change, or continue using their existing corporate seals. Newly established LGUs or those without corporate seals may create their own corporate seals and shall register such seals with Department of Interior and Local Government. Any change of corporate seal shall also be registered. The local chief executives may, upon authority of the sanggunian negotiate and secure financial grants and donations in kind, in support of the basic services or facilities from local or foreign assistance agencies without necessity of securing clearance or approval from any department, agency or office of national government provided that projects financed by such grants or assistance with national security implications shall be approved by the national agency concerned. The Local chief executives shall within thirty days upon signing of such grant agreement or deed of donation, report the nature, amount and terms of such assistance to both Houses of Congress and the President. LGU and their officials are not exempt from liability for death or injury to persons or damage to property. The President shall exercise general supervision over LGUs to ensure that their acts are within the scope of their prescribed powers and functions. The province, through its governor, shall exercise supervisory authority over component cities and municipalities within its territorial jurisdiction to ensure that they act within the scope of their prescribed powers and functions. Highly-urbanized cities and independent component cities shall be

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independent of the province. The city and municipality, through the city or municipal mayor, shall exercise supervisory authority over every barangay in their respective jurisdictions to ensure that they act within the scope of their assigned powers and functions.

II. REFLECTIONS

The Local Government Units play a very important role in the Philippine Government. The national government has given so much power and authority to the LGU to govern within its territorial jurisdiction. With such power and authority, they also have a very big responsibility towards the people. It is the duty of the LGU to always look after the welfare of the its constituents. Election is fast approaching. We can always hear many promises from the candidates especially during rallies. But the question is, Are they really planning to put into actions the words coming from their mouths when they are already in the position? We might believe their words but there are those elected officials who are just good during campaign periods but will forget their promises after the election.
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We should be responsible voters. We should choose the candidates who will really make our country progressive-candidates who are not corrupt, candidates who are not only after their personal interests, candidates who are true enough to their words and will serve the people from the heart. The Local government officials shall enhance their local resources in order to promote economic progress. They should consider the needs of the community and put up projects which will satisfy those needs. They should give priorities to health services so that the poor can avail such services which I think very important to each one of us.

The hope of seeing real economic progress seems to be dependent on the success of the whole fiscal policy process. Fiscal policy derives its meaning and direction from the people's aspirations and goals which are said to be embodied in the Medium Term Philippine Development Plan. The Philippine Development Plan of the current administration of President Benigno S. Aquino III proposes massive investments in physical and information technology infrastructures, fostering investment by focus and strategic planning, and ensuring transparent and responsive governance to pursue the rapid and sustainable economic growth and development and improve the quality of life of the Filipino people.

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The question is: how does the government perform its fiscal administrative function to cushion the Filipinos from the adverse effects of the onrushing global financial crisis?

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