Local Government History

Philippines

Before the arrival of the Spanish in the 16th century, most people lived in small
independent villages called barangays, each ruled by a local paramount ruler called
a datu. The Spanish later founded many small towns, which they called poblaciones,
and from those centres roads or trails were built in four to six directions, like the
spokes of a wheel. Along the roadsides arose numerous new villages,
designated barrios under the Spanish, that were further subdivided into smaller
neighbourhood units called sitios.

Elements of both Spanish and indigenous local settlement structures have persisted
into the early 21st century. The country is divided administratively into several dozen
provinces, which are grouped into a number of larger regions. The National Capital
Region (Metro Manila) has special status, as does the Autonomous Region in Muslim
Mindanao in the far south. Each province is headed by an elected governor. The
provinces collectively embrace more than 100 cities and some 1,500 municipalities.
Thepoblaciones are now the central business and administrative districts of larger
municipalities. Although contemporary rural and urban settlement revolves around
the poblaciones, the population is typically concentrated in the
surrounding barangays, reinstated during the Marcos regime as the basic units of
government (replacing the barrios). The barangays, which number in the tens of
thousands, consist of communities of fewer than 1,000 residents that fall within the
boundaries of a larger municipality or city. Cities, municipalities, and barangays all
have elected officials.

Justice
The constitution of 1987, which reestablished the independence of the judiciary after
the Marcos regime, provides for a Supreme Court with a chief justice and 14 associate
justices. Supreme Court justices are appointed by the president from a list submitted
by the Judicial and Bar Council and serve until they reach the age of 70. Lower courts
include the Court of Appeals; regional, metropolitan, and municipal trial courts; and
special courts, including the Court of Tax Appeals, Shariʿa (Sharīʿah) district and
circuit courts of Islamic law, and the Sandiganbayan, a court for trying cases of
corruption. Because justices and judges enjoy fixed tenure and moderate
compensation, the judiciary has generally been less criticized than other branches of
the government. However, the system remains challenged by lack of fiscal autonomy
and an extremely low budget that long has amounted to just a tiny fraction of total
government spending.
In order to reduce the load of the lower courts, local committees of citizens called
Pacification Committees (Lupon Tagapamayapa) have been organized to effect
extrajudicial settlement of minor cases between barangay residents. In
each lupon (committee) there is a Conciliation Body (Pangkat Tagapagkasundo), the
main function of which is to bring opposing parties together and effect amicable
settlement of differences. The committee cannot impose punishment, but otherwise its
decisions are binding.

Partisan political activity was vigorous until 1972, when martial law restrictions under
Marcos all but eliminated partisan politics. Where the principal rivals had been the
Nacionalista and Liberal parties, Marcos’s New Society Movement (Kilusan Bagong
Lipunan; KBL), an organization created from elements of the Nacionalista Party and
other supporters, emerged as predominant. Organized political opposition was revived
for legislative elections held in 1978, and, since the downfall of Marcos, partisan
politics has returned to its pre-1972 level, with a large number of political parties
emerging.

The Filipino political scene is marked by parties constantly forming, re-forming,

merging, and splintering into factions. Among the most prominent parties in the early
decades of the 21st century were the Liberal Party and the Lakas Kampi Christian
Muslim Democrats, the latter coming into being after the merger—completed in
2009—between the National Union of Christian Democrats (known as Lakas) and the
Alliance of Free Filipinos (known as Kampi). Other parties included the Nacionalista
Party, the Nationalist People’s Coalition, and the Force of the Filipino Masses
(Puwersa ng Masay Pilipino; PMP). Many smaller parties are splinters from the larger
organizations or are associated with particular regional interests. In addition, political
victories are often achieved through party coalition, such as the United National
Alliance, a coalition between the PMP and the Filipino Democratic Party–Laban that
elected boxer Manny Pacquiao to the lower house in 2013.

Certain armed political organizations also operate within the country. The two main
ones are the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), a Muslim separatist group that
officially accepted Mindanao’s status as an autonomous region in the late 20th century
but, in so doing, spawned splinter groups that remain committed to achieving a
separate Islamic state; and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), which split
from the MNLF in the late 1970s and more aggressively sought an independent
Islamic state for Muslim Filipinos (Moros). Other groups included the Abu Sayyaf
Group (ASG), a local fundamentalist Muslim organization that gained notoriety
though its kidnap-for-ransom activities and alleged links with international terrorism,
and the National Democratic Front (NDF), a communist-led insurgency movement.
The Philippines has universal suffrage for citizens who are at least 18 years old and
have lived in the country for at least one year. Suffrage was granted to women in
1937. Since that time women have become prominent leaders at all levels of
government, including the presidency.

Security
The Department of National Defense is divided into three services: the army, the
navy, and the air force. The army is the largest division. Service in the military is
voluntary and is open to both men and women. The commander in chief of the armed
forces (the president of the Philippines) is a civilian.

The armed forces are responsible for external defense. However, they also work with
the Philippine National Police (PNP) to contain the antigovernment military actions of
the NDF, the MILF, the MNLF, and other domestic militant organizations. Both the
military and the police participate in international peacekeeping efforts of the United
Nations; Philippine forces have been deployed in such a capacity to Afghanistan, East
Timor (Timor-Leste), Sudan, and other sites of conflict. The armed forces additionally
engage in nonmilitary activities, such as providing disaster relief, constructing roads
and bridges, and participating in literacy campaigns.

Under a series of agreements reached in 1947, shortly after Philippine independence,

the United States continued to maintain several bases in the Philippines and to provide
the Philippines with military equipment and training. Revision of the agreements in
1978 recognized Philippine sovereignty over the bases. All installations subsequently
raised the Philippine flag and were placed under Filipino command.

When the revised treaties expired in 1991, the U.S. military presence on the bases
ended. However, the two countries remained military allies, carrying out joint military
exercises and engaging in mutual military assistance. Following the September
11 terrorist attacks against the United States in 2001, the Philippines joined the U.S.-
led global coalition against terrorism. In so doing, the Philippines aimed to upgrade
the effectiveness of its armed forces in combating terrorist activity, not only in the
international arena but also within its own borders. In 2014 the two countries signed a
new 10-year agreement that gave the U.S. military access to several of the bases.

The PNP falls under the supervision of the Department of the Interior and Local
Government and is organized into regional and provincial commands. There are also
numerous private armies organized by landowners and local politicians. Unsuccessful
attempts have been made by various administrations to disband these civilian forces.
Health and welfare
Health and welfare are the responsibilities of the Department of Health (DOH) and the
Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). The DOH maintains
general, specialized, and research hospitals in urban centres throughout the country.
There are also government-operated regional health centres and rural units, as well as
private hospitals. Incorporated into the DSWD are several government agencies that
address the needs of children, youths, women, families, and people with disabilities. A
number of nongovernmental organizations and private social welfare agencies also
cooperate with the department.

The rate of mortality in the early 21st century was considerably lower than it had been
a few decades earlier in the latter part of the 20th century, particularly among infants,
children under the age of five years, and mothers. There was also a generally steady
increase in average life expectancy. The improvement in health is credited to better
prenatal care and the services of more trained midwives, doctors, and nurses;
improved housing, sanitation, and social security benefits; the provision of health
services to government employees; the increasing number of medical and nursing
school graduates; and the requirement that a medical graduate render rural service.
Nonetheless, the demand for health care continues to outstrip available resources; a
large number of trained medical professionals emigrate, particularly to the United
States, and many of the poorest people still rely on the services of practitioners of
traditional medicine and unlicensed midwives.

Housing
There is a serious housing shortage everywhere, although it is especially acute in
Manila. In many places, people live in their own dwellings, but the houses are often
substandard and lack elementary facilities for health and sanitation. To help meet this
problem, the government has relocated thousands of “informal settlers” (i.e.,
squatters) in Manila to resettlement areas in nearby provinces. Assorted housing plans
also have been instituted by various administrations since the Marcos era. Such
projects generally consisted of model communities that provided residents with
hygienic dwellings, a number of amenities, and facilities for raising livestock and for
pursuing cottage industries and other means of making a living. Other important
programs have included converting vacant government lands into housing sites for
low-income individuals, as well as providing mortgage programs that allow needy
families to acquire tracts of land for housing construction and improvement through
membership in a specific development community.
Education
The Department of Education ensures that all school-age children and youths receive
a basic high-quality education that will allow them to function as productive, socially
responsible citizens. Elementary education in the Philippines starts at age seven, is
compulsory, and lasts for six years. Secondary education begins at age 13 and lasts for
four years; undergraduate college instruction typically is four years. Vocational
schools offer specialized training for one to two years, some in collaboration with the
Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, an organization formed
through the merger of several government agencies in the mid-1990s. The Bureau of
Alternative Learning System offers opportunities to attain a basic education outside of
the formal school system.

There are dozens of state-run universities and colleges, a large portion of them in
Metro Manila, as well as a number of private institutions. The University of Santo
Tomas, the oldest university in the Philippines, was founded in 1611. Other prominent
tertiary institutions include the University of the Philippines (1908), which has
numerous campuses and is the only national university in the country; the Polytechnic
University of the Philippines (1904), another public institution, with its main campus
in Manila and numerous affiliated campuses on Luzon; and the Philippine Women’s
University (1932), a private institution (coeducational since the late 20th century) that
has campuses in Manila, Quezon City, and Davao. Many technical institutions and
community colleges serve the provinces.

Pilipino (Filipino) is the medium of instruction in all elementary-school subjects

except science, mathematics, and the English language, which are taught in English.
The medium of instruction at the secondary and tertiary levels typically is English. A
chronic shortage of supplies and facilities was partially remedied by a textbook
program begun in the mid-1970s and by the large-scale manufacture of prefabricated
classrooms.
 1987 Constitution - Article X
GENERAL PROVISIONS

Section 1. 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.

Section 2. The territorial and political subdivisions shall enjoy local autonomy.

Section 3. 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.

Section 4. 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.

Section 5. 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.

Section 6. Local government units shall have a just share, as determined by law, in the
national taxes which shall be automatically released to them.

Section 7. 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.
Section 8. 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.

Section 9. Legislative bodies of local governments shall have sectoral representation as may
be prescribed by law.

Section 10. 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.

Section 11. 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
executive and legislative assemblies. The jurisdiction of the metropolitan authority that will
thereby be created shall be limited to basic services requiring coordination.

Section 12. 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.

Section 13. Local government units may group themselves, consolidate or coordinate their
efforts, services, and resources for purposes commonly beneficial to them in accordance with
law.

Section 14. 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 REGIONS

Section 15. 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.

Section 16. The President shall exercise general supervision over autonomous regions to
ensure that laws are faithfully executed.

Section 17. All powers, functions, and responsibilities not granted by this Constitution or by
law to the autonomous regions shall be vested in the National Government.

Section 18. 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 multi-sectoral
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.

Section 19. 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.

Section 20. 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.

Section 21. 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.
Local government in the Philippines

Officially local government in the Philippines, often called local government units or LGUs,
are divided into three levels – provinces and independent cities; component cities
and municipalities; and barangays. In one area, above provinces and independent cities, is
an autonomous region, the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao. Below barangays in some
cities and municipalities are sitios and puroks. All of these, with the except of sitios and puroks,
elect their own executives and legislatures. Sitios and puroks are often led by elected barangay
councilors.
Provinces and independent cities are organized into national government regions but those are
administrative regions and not separately governed areas with their own elected governments.
According to the Constitution of the Philippines, the local governments "shall enjoy local
autonomy", and in which the Philippine president exercises "general
supervision". Congress enacted the Local Government Code of the Philippines in 1991 to
"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 local units."
Levels of local government
 Autonomous regions
Autonomous regions have more powers than other local governments. The constitution limits the
creation of autonomous regions to Muslim Mindanao and the Cordilleras but only one
autonomous region exists: the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). In 2001, a
plebiscite in the ARMM confirmed the previous composition of the autonomous region and
added Basilan (except for the city of Isabela) and Marawi City in Lanao del Sur. Isabela City
remains a part of the province of Basilan despite rejecting inclusion in the ARMM. A Cordillera
Autonomous Region has never been formed because no plebiscite has received the required
support.
An autonomous region is governed by the regional governor and a legislature such as
the ARMM Regional Legislative Assembly.
 Provinces

Outside the lone autonomous region, the provinces are the highest-level local government. The
provinces are organized into component cities and municipalities. A province is governed by the
governor and a legislature known as the Sangguniang Panlalawigan.
 Cities and municipalities

Municipal government in the Philippines is divided into three – independent cities, component
cities, and municipalities (sometimes referred to as towns). Several cities across the country are
"independent cities" which means that they are not governed by a province, even though
like Iloilo City the provincial capitol might be in the city. Independent city residents do not vote
for nor hold provincial offices. Far more cities are component cities and are a part of a province.
Municipalities are always a part of a province except for Pateros which was separated
from Rizal to form Metro Manila.
Cities and municipalities are governed mayors and legislatures, which are called
the Sangguniang Panlungsod in cities and the Sangguniang Bayan in municipalities.
 Barangays

Every city and municipality in the Philippines is divided into barangays, the smallest of the Local
Government Units. Barangays can be further divided into sitios and puroks but those divisions
do not have leaders elected in formal elections supervised by the national government.
A barangay's executive is the Punong Barangay or barangay captain and its legislature is
the Sangguniang Barangay, composed of barangay captain, the Barangay Kagawads (barangay
councilors) and the SK chairman. The SK chairman also leads a separate assembly for youth,
the Sangguniang Kabataan or SK.
 Offices
Local governments have two branches: executive and legislative. All courts in the Philippines
are under the Supreme Court of the Philippines and therefore there are no local-government
controlled judicial branches. Nor do local governments have any prosecutors or public defenders,
as those are under the jurisdiction of the national government.
The executive branch is composed of the regional governor for the Autonomous Region in
Muslim Mindanao, governor for the provinces, mayor for the cities and municipalities, and the
barangay captain for the barangays.[2]

Legislatures
The legislatures review the ordinances and resolutions enacted by the legislatures below. Aside
from regular and ex-officio members, the legislatures above the barangay level also have
three sectoral representatives, one each from women, agricultural or industrial workers, and other
sectors.

Local
Legislature Composition Head
government

 24 members:
Regional  Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Sulu: 6 each, 3 elected from each
Autonomous Assembly
Legislative assembly district
region speaker
Assembly  Basilan (except Isabela City), Tawi-Tawi: 3 each, elected at-large
 Sectoral representatives

 varies, as of 2007:[3]
 Cebu, Negros Occidental, Pangasinan: 12 SP members, 2 elected
from each district
 All other first class and second class provinces: 10 SP members,
Sangguniang with varying number of members per district
Province Vice governor
Panlalawigan  Third class and fourth class provinces: 8 SP members, with
varying number of members per district
 Fifth class and sixth class provinces: 6 SP members, with varying
number of members per district
 President of the provincial chapter of the Liga ng mga Barangay
  President of the provincial chapter of the League of Councilors
 President of the provincial federation of the Sangguniang Kabataan
 Sectoral representatives

 varies, as of 2007:[4]
 Manila: 36 councilors, 6 elected from each district
 Davao City: 24 councilors, 8 elected from each district
 Quezon City: 36 councilors, 6 elected from each district
 Antipolo, Cagayan de Oro,[5] Cebu
City, Makati, Muntinlupa, Parañaque, Zamboanga City, Taguig
City: 16 councilors, 8 elected from each district
Sangguniang  Rest of Metro Manila, Calbayog, San Jose del Monte: 12
City Vice mayor
Panlungsod councilors, 6 elected from each district
 Samal, Sorsogon City: 12 councilors, 4 elected from each district
 Baguio, General Santos, Iloilo City, San Fernando (La
Union), Tuguegarao: 12 councilors, elected at-large
 All other cities: 10 councilors, elected at-large
 President of the city chapter of the Liga ng mga Barangay
 President of the city federation of the Sangguniang Kabataan
 Sectoral representatives

 varies:
 Pateros, Metro Manila: 12 councilors, 6 elected from each district
Sangguniang  All other municipalities: 8 councilors, elected at-large
Municipality Vice mayor
Bayan  President of the municipal chapter of the Liga ng mga Barangay
 President of the municipal federation of the Sangguniang Kabataan
 Sectoral representatives

Sangguniang  7 members elected at-large Barangay

Barangay  Sangguniang Kabataan chairperson captain
Barangay Sangguniang
Sangguniang
 7 members elected at-large Kabataan
Kabataan
chairperson

ARMM assembly districts are similar in territorial composition of congressional districts, except
for the Basilan assembly district, which, unlike the congressional district of Basilan, does not
include Isabela City, and the 1st Maguindanao assembly district, which, unlike the 1st
congressional district of Maguindanao, does not include Cotabato City. Each ARMM assembly
district elects 3 members to the regional assembly that convenes in Cotabato City.

Elected officials
All elected officials have 3-year terms, and can only serve a maximum of three consecutive
terms before being ineligible for reelection.

LGU Official Minimum age (18 is the voting age)

Regional governor 35 years old on election day

Regional vice governor Same as regional governor

Autonomous region

Regional legislative assembly

21 years old on election day
member

Governor 23 years old on election day

Vice governor Same as governor

Provinces

Sangguniang Panlalawigan
Same as governor
member

Mayor Same as governor

Highly urbanized cities Vice mayor Same as governor

Same as governor
Sangguniang Panlungsod
 member (Councilor)

Mayor 21 years old on election day

Same as independent component and

Independent component and Vice mayor
component city mayor[6]
component cities

Sangguniang Panlungsod Same as independent component and

member (Councilor) component city mayor

Same as independent component and

Mayor
component city mayor

Same as independent component and

Municipalities Vice mayor
component city mayor

Sangguniang Bayan member Same as independent component and

(Councilor) component city mayor

Barangay captain 18 years old on election day

Barangay kagawad Same as barangay captain

Barangay
Sangguniang Kabataan
15 to 21 years old on election day*
chairperson

Sangguniang Kabataan Same as Sangguniang Kabataan

member chairperson*

*a Sangguniang Kabataan official who has surpassed 21 years of age while in office is allowed to serve
for the rest of the term.
General Powers and Attributes of Local Government Units

Sec. 6. Authority to Create Local Government Units. - A local government unit may be
created, divided, merged, abolished, or its boundaries substantially altered either by law
enacted by Congress in the case of a province, city, municipality, or any other political
subdivision, or by ordinance passed by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan or Sangguniang
Panlungsod concerned in the case of a Barangay located within its territorial jurisdiction,
subject to such limitations and requirements prescribed in this Code.

Sec. 7. Creation and Conversion. - As a general rule, the creation of a local government
unit or its conversion from one level to another level shall be based on verifiable indicators
of viability and projected capacity to provide services, to wit:

a. Income. - It must be sufficient, based on acceptable standards, to provide for all

essential government facilities and services and special functions commensurate with
the size of its population, as expected of the local government unit concerned;

b. Population. - It shall be determined as the total number of inhabitants within the

territorial jurisdiction of the local government unit concerned; and

c. Land Area. - It must be contiguous, unless it comprises two (2) or more islands or is
separated by a local government unit independent of the others; properly identified by
metes and bounds with technical descriptions; and sufficient to provide for such basic
services and facilities to meet the requirements of its populace.

Compliance with the foregoing indicators shall be attested to by the Department of

Finance (DOF), the National Statistics Office (NSO), and the Lands Management
Bureau (LMB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

Sec. 8. Division and Merger. - Division and merger of existing local government units shall
comply with the same requirements herein prescribed for their creation: Provided, however,
That such division shall not reduce the income, population, or land area of the local
government unit or units concerned to less than the minimum requirements prescribed in this
Code: Provided, further, That the income classification of the original local government unit
or units shall not fall below its current income classification prior to such division.
The income classification of local government units shall be updated within six (6) months
from the effectivity of this Code to reflect the changes in their financial position resulting
from the increased revenues as provided herein.

Sec. 9. Abolition of Local Government Units. - A local government unit may be abolished
when its income, population, or land area has been irreversibly reduced to less than the
minimum standards prescribed for its creation under Book III of this Code, as certified by the
national agencies mentioned in Section 7 hereof to Congress or to the Sanggunian concerned,
as the case may be.

The law or ordinance abolishing a local government unit shall specify the province, city,
municipality, or Barangay with which the local government unit sought to be abolished will
be incorporated or merged.