Local government unit historical overview.

1. LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS IN THE PHILIPPINES
Guide Questions:
1. Is devolution new in the Philippines? Briefly explain why or why not.
2. If not, what are the devolution experiences during the following periods:
a. Pre-Spanish Period
b. Spanish Period
c. American-Japanese Period
d. Post-war Period
e. Post-1986 Period
Historical Overview
Devolution is not new to the Philippines. Even before the coming of the Spaniards, almost everything was
localized. The barangay, the most basic unit, was comprised of about 30 to 100 households. The datu rules the
barangay and exercised governmental powers as discussed in the previous modules. The barangays would later
on be incorporated into the Spanish colonial regime. These indigenous and autonomous political institutions
have not attained a level of organization beyond the kinship principle.
It was during the time of the Spaniards that a centralized system of governance was introduced. The
barangay or the barrio was retained as the most basic administrative unit while other tiers were created: pueblos
(municipalities), cabildos/ayuntamiento (cities), and provincias (provinces). The governor-general was supreme
over all affairs including local ones.
While the Maura Law of 1893 gave greater autonomy to towns and provinces in Luzon and Visayas, its
effects were not felt because of the Revolution that broke in 1896. Nonetheless, the Spanish occupation had its
influence on the development of local governments—the most important of which was the high degree of
centralization in Manila, which thereafter characterized centrallocal relations. During the Malolos Republic, local
governments were also created under the Malolos Constitution. Among the important provisions of the said
constitution were the creation of municipal and provincial assemblies, autonomous local units, and popular and
direct elections. However, these did not function as expected due to the continuing revolution.
The coming of the Americans saw changes in the structure of local governance. The Americans
promulgated a number of policies recognizing local autonomy, emphasized local self-government with the
objective of building democracy from below, and introduced municipal and provincial elections. The new
colonizers, however, moved toward greater centralization to prevent the negative effects of unrestricted Filipino
rule by maintaining a highly centralized politico-administrative structure. Thus, Manila became not just the
political, but the economic and cultural center as well.
However, the bureaucracy created by the Americans was weak, which reinforced the decentralized
nature of the Philippines. After all, the American rule focused more on the creation of representative institutions
rather than on the creation of a central bureaucracy. It was only during the 1934–1935 constitutional convention
that centralization became a key governmental policy. Formal centralization continued during the Japanese
occupation and an even greater degree of central control on local governments was imposed. The Japanese
collaborators imposed authority on the local governments.
The postwar period (1946–1972) saw a trend on decentralization. Significant legislations were passed
including Republic Act (RA) 2264 (Local Autonomy Act), RA 2370 (The Barrio Charter), and RA 5185 (The
Decentralization Act of 1967), among many others. While instances of decentralization existed in the Martial Law
period, these were mere extensions of central governmental power. Martial Law and the strength of the military
paved the way for a centralized system under a dictatorship.
The post-1986 period saw the move toward greater decentralization. The 1987 Constitution (Article II,
Section 25) provided that “the state shall ensure the autonomy of local government.” Article X of the present

2. constitution is devoted to the general provisions of local governments in the Philippines. It provided for the
creation of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) and the Cordillera Administrative Region
(CAR). Moreover, LGUs were given the power to create their own sources of revenue and to levy taxes and
charges (Section 5).
LGUs shall also be provided with a just share from the national taxes The 1987 Constitution and the
Local Government Code of 1991 (RA 7160) provide for decentralization and local autonomy. Whether these
goals have been achieved in the country remains a question. The Basics of Political Science and Philippine
Politics 121 (Section 6) and shall have an equitable share in the proceeds of the utilization and development of
national wealth within their respective areas (Section 7). The provisions in the constitution gave rise to the
enactment of RA 6766 and RA 6734, which created the CAR and the ARMM, respectively; and RA 7160 or the
Local Government Code of 1991.