Preamble ARTICLE I National Territory ARTICLE II Declaration of Principles and State Policies ARTICLE III Bill of Rights ARTICLE IV Citizenship ARTICLE V Suffrage ARTICLE VI Legislative Department ARTICLE VII Executive Department ARTICLE VIII Judicial Department ARTICLE IX Constitutional Commissions ARTICLE X Local Government ARTICLE XI Accountability of Public Officers ARTICLE XII National Economy and Patrimony ARTICLE XIII Social Justice and Human Rights ARTICLE XIV Education, Science and Technology, Arts, Culture and Sports ARTICLE XV The Family ARTICLE XVI General Provisions ARTICLE XVII Amendments or Revisions ARTICLE XVIII Transitory Provisions

Article 10 Philippine Constitution 1987

Table of Contents

Article 10 of the Philippine Constitution 1987 is about the Local Government. It has 21 sections.

Article 10 Section 1 Philippine Constitution

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.

Article 10 Section 2 Philippine Constitution

The territorial and political subdivisions shall enjoy local autonomy.

Article 10 Section 3 Philippine Constitution

The Congress shall enact a local government code which shall provide for a 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 matters relating to the organization and operation of the local units.

Article 10 Section 4 Philippine Constitution

The President of the Philippines shall exercise general supervision over local governments. Provinces with respect to component cities and municipalities, and 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.

Article 10 Section 5 Philippine Constitution

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.

Article 10 Section 6 Philippine Constitution

Local government units shall have a just share, as determined by law, in the national taxes which shall be automatically released to them.

Article 10 Section 7 Philippine Constitution

Local governments 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.

Article 10 Section 8 Philippine Constitution

The term of office of elective local officials, except barangay officials, which shall be determined by law, shall be three years and no such official shall serve for more than three consecutive terms. Voluntary renunciation of the office for any length of time shall not be considered as an interruption in the continuity of his service for the full term for which he was elected.

Article 10 Section 9 Philippine Constitution

Legislative bodies of local governments shall have sectoral representation as may be prescribed by law.

Article 10 Section 10 Philippine Constitution

No province, city, municipality, or barangay may be created, divided, merged, abolished, or its boundary substantially altered, except in accordance with the criteria established in the Local Government Code and subject to approval by a majority of the votes cast in a plebiscite in the political units directly affected.

Article 10 Section 11 Philippine Constitution

The Congress may, by law, create special metropolitan political subdivisions, subject to a plebiscite as set forth in Section 10 hereof. The component cities and municipalities shall retain their basic autonomy and shall be entitled to their own local executives and legislative assemblies. The jurisdiction of the metropolitan authority that will hereby be created shall be limited to basic services requiring coordination.

Article 10 Section 12 Philippine Constitution

Cities that are highly urbanized, as determined by law, and component cities whose charters prohibit their voters from voting for provincial elective officials, shall be independent of the province. The voters of component cities within a province, whose charters contain no such prohibition, shall not be deprived of their right to vote for elective provincial officials.

Article 10 Section 13 Philippine Constitution

Local government units may group themselves, consolidate or coordinate their efforts, services, and resources for purposes commonly beneficial to them in accordance with law.

Article 10 Section 14 Philippine Constitution

The President shall provide for regional development councils or other similar bodies composed of local government officials, regional heads of departments and other government offices, and representatives from non-governmental organizations within the regions for purposes 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.

Autonomous Region

Article 10 Section 15 Philippine Constitution

There shall be created autonomous regions in Muslim Mindanao and in the Cordilleras consisting of provinces, cities, municipalities, and geographical areas sharing common and distinctive historical and cultural heritage, economic and social structures, and other relevant characteristics within the framework of this Constitution and the national sovereignty as well as territorial integrity of the Republic of the Philippines.

Article 10 Section 16 Philippine Constitution

The President shall exercise general supervision over autonomous regions to ensure that the laws are faithfully executed.

Article 10 Section 17 Philippine Constitution

All powers, functions, and responsibilities not granted by this Constitution or by law to the autonomous regions shall be vested in the National Government.

Article 10 Section 18 Philippine Constitution

The Congress shall enact an organic act for each autonomous region with the assistance and participation of the regional consultative commission composed of representatives appointed by the President from a list of nominees from multisectoral bodies. The organic act shall define the basic structure of government for the region consisting of the executive department and legislative assembly, both of which shall be elective and representative of the constituent political units. The organic acts shall likewise provide for special courts with personal, family, and property law jurisdiction consistent with the provisions of this Constitution and national laws.

The creation of the autonomous region shall be effective when approved by majority of the votes cast by the constituent units in a plebiscite called for the purpose, provided that only provinces, cities, and geographic areas voting favorably in such plebiscite shall be included in the autonomous region.

Article 10 Section 19 Philippine Constitution

The first Congress elected under this Constitution shall, within eighteen months from the time of organization of both Houses, pass the organic acts for the autonomous regions in Muslim Mindanao and the Cordilleras.

Article 10 Section 20 Philippine Constitution

Within its territorial jurisdiction and subject to the provisions of this Constitution and national laws, the organic act of autonomous regions shall provide for legislative powers over:

(1) Administrative organization;

(2) Creation of sources of revenues;

(3) Ancestral domain and natural resources;

(4) Personal, family, and property relations;

(5) Regional urban and rural planning development;

(6) Economic, social, and tourism development;

(7) Educational policies;

(8) Preservation and development of the cultural heritage; and

(9) Such other matters as may be authorized by law for the promotion of the general welfare of the people of the region.

Article 10 Section 21 Philippine Constitution

The preservation of peace and order within the regions shall be the responsibility of the local police agencies which shall be organized, maintained, supervised, and utilized in accordance with applicable laws. The defense and security of the regions shall be the responsibility of the National Government.

See also: Section 32 Indian Contract Act

LawGlobal Hub