through
Devolution
MELANIE E. NUDOS
What is
Decentralization
Raul de Guzman, "generally refers to the
systematic and rational dispersal of power,
authority and responsibility from the
center to the periphery, from top to lower
levels, or from the national to local
governments."
Decentralization
Rondinelli and Cheema, “the transfer of
planning, decision making, or administrative
authority from the central government to its
field organizations, local governments, or
nongovernmental organizations.
There are two major reasons
why governments
decentralize.
• First, to accelerate decision-making
processes by decongesting central
government and reducing red tape;
• Second, to increase citizen
participation, and to empower them
thereby leading to a more open and
democratic government.
Aims of the Local Government Code 1991
•Purpose: transform LGUs into self-reliant
communities and active partners in nation-
building by giving them more powers, authority,
responsibilities and resources
•Hopes to achieve economic development at the
regional and local levels by giving LCE more
freedom in carrying out their programs that are
suitable in their areas
Devolution
involves the transfer of powers and authorities to lower level
political or local government units.
A local government essentially has the following major
features: it has an elected local executive; it has an elected
local legislative body that passes local laws/ordinances; it
has specific taxing powers; and it has jurisdiction over a
certain defined geographical area. The notion of devolution
has always been related to that of local autonomy. Devolution
is political in nature.
Devolved Powers
Devolved Regulatory Powers
[Link] of agricultural lands
[Link] of environmental laws
[Link] of food products and quarantine
[Link] of national building code
[Link] of tricycles
[Link] and approval of subdivision plans
[Link] of cockpits
Share of LGUs in the Proceeds of National Taxes
Allotment of Internal Revenue: 30-40%
Percentage of internal revenue allocated to LGUs:
•Provinces : 23%
•Cities: 23%
•Municipalities: 34%
•Barangays: 20%
Participatory Governance
Local special bodies
•Local development councils
•Local health boards
•Local school boards
•Peace and order councils
•Others ( nutrition, agriculture, economic, etc, bidding
committees, etc)
Recall and Referendum and consultations
Corporate Powers of LGUs
•Acquire and convey real or personal property
•Enter into contracts
•Operate and manage of economic enterprises
•Generate revenues
•Apply for credit and loans, float bonds
•Secure grants and donations
Challenges
•Patronage, money politics, fiefdoms
•Inefficient, politically influenced civil service
•Dependence of local governments on
national government
Building an Archipelago of Good Governance
•Reform the electoral system
•Decentralize more powers, responsibilities and
resources to local governments
•Professionalize the civil service
•Mobilize the citizenry to demand good governance
Rationale for Decentralization
■ Seen as an alternative to provide public services in a more cost-
effective way.
■ Improve the delivery of services.
■ Make the government more responsive to the needs of the people.
■ Make local units more accountable to their constituents.
Decentralization in the Philippines
■ Passage of Local Government Code (LGC) in 1991
represented a major step in decentralization.
■ Before the LGC, LGUs’ main functions were:
– Levying and collection of local taxes
– Regulation of business activities
– Administration of garbage collection, public
cemeteries, public markets and slaughterhouses
■ The LGC paved the way for increased local
autonomy, expenditure responsibility and revenue
authority. Principal responsibility for the delivery of
basic social services and the operation of the
facilities were devolved to LGUs.
Decentralization in the Philippines
■ Devolved areas are:
– Agricultural extension and research
– Social forestry
– Environmental management and pollution
control
– Primary health and hospital care
– Social welfare services
– Repair and maintenance of infrastructure
– Water supply and communal irrigation
– Land use planning
Decentralization in the Philippines
■ LGUs were given taxing authority to be able to generate allotment that
they get from the National Government.
■ A new scheme has been devised to determine the sharere of LGUs from
the revenues collected by the national government and this is based
primarily on population and land size.
Challenges of Decentralization
■ Decentralization brings decision-making closer to the people and
consequently, may yield programs and services that better address local
needs.
■ However, this requires sufficient and technical capacity on the part of
local government units, as well as supporting institutional
arrangements.
Challenges of Decentralization
■ LGUs face greater challenges with the increased
powers given to them:
– Diagnose the problems
– Identify appropriate interventions and identify target
beneficiaries
– Do their own planning and budgeting
– Implement projects and programs
– Assess their impacts
■ To carry out their mandated functions, it is
necessary to have the relevant information.
– Institutionalizing a monitoring system at the local
level is one of the more important challenges faced
by local government units.
Challenges of decentralization
■ Planning units are mandated by the LGC to be
operational in every province, city and municipality.
■ These planning units are tasked to prepare annual
investment plans. But there are no clear guidelines
on how the planning unit is supposed to carry out
its functions.
■ Thus, we find large variations in the tasks
performed by the planning units as well as the
quality of the plans.
■ One of the more serious gaps is the lack of data
that can be used in preparing the plans.
The Autonomous Region of
Muslim Mindanao (ARMM)
The Autonomous Region of
Muslim Mindanao (ARMM)
The Organic Act of the ARMM (RA 6734)14 shifts to the regional
government all powers, functions and
responsibilities previously exercised by the national government except:
(i) foreign affairs,
(ii)(ii) national defense,
(iii) postal service,
(iv) fiscal and monetary policy,
(v) administration of justice, (vi) quarantine,
(vii) citizenship, naturalization and immigration,
The Autonomous Region of
Muslim Mindanao (ARMM)
(viii) general auditing, civil service and elections,
(ix) foreign trade,
(x) maritime, land and air transportation and communications that affect
areas outside the ARMM, and (xi) issuance of patents, trademarks, trade
names and copyrights. ARMM powers and responsibilities now comprise
implementation of programs and projects on agriculture and agrarian
reform; education; environment and natural resources; health; tourism,
trade and industry; social welfare; industrial peace, protection of
workers’ welfare and promotion of employment; promotion of
cooperatives; provision of assistance to local government units; and
development and regulation of cooperatives.
The Autonomous Region of
The Organic Act of the ARMM Muslim
(RA 6734) shiftsMindanao
government all powers, functions and
14 to the regional (ARMM)
responsibilities previously exercised by the national government
except: (i) foreign affairs, (ii) national defense,
(iii) postal service, (iv) fiscal and monetary policy, (v)
administration of justice, (vi) quarantine, (vii) citizenship,
naturalization and immigration, (viii) general auditing, civil
service and elections, (ix) foreign trade, (x)
maritime, land and air transportation and communications that
affect areas outside the ARMM, and (xi) issuance
of patents, trademarks, trade names and copyrights. ARMM
powers and responsibilities now comprise
implementation of programs and projects on agriculture and
agrarian reform; education; environment and natural
resources; health; tourism, trade and industry; social welfare;
industrial peace, protection of workers’ welfare
and promotion of employment; promotion of cooperatives;
provision of assistance to local government units; and
development and regulation of cooperatives.
Box 1.1 The Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM)
The Organic Act of the ARMM (RA 6734)14 shifts to the regional government all
powers, functions and
responsibilities previously exercised by the national government except: (i) foreign
affairs, (ii) national defense,
(iii) postal service, (iv) fiscal and monetary policy, (v) administration of justice,
(vi) quarantine, (vii) citizenship,
naturalization and immigration, (viii) general auditing, civil service and elections,
(ix) foreign trade, (x)
maritime, land and air transportation and communications that affect areas outside
the ARMM, and (xi) issuance
of patents, trademarks, trade names and copyrights. ARMM powers and
responsibilities now comprise
implementation of programs and projects on agriculture and agrarian reform;
education; environment and natural
resources; health; tourism, trade and industry; social welfare; industrial peace,
protection of workers’ welfare
and promotion of employment; promotion of cooperatives; provision of assistance
to local government units; and
development and regulation of cooperatives.
1.8 The devolution is substantial not only
Box 1.1 The Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM)
The Organic Act of the ARMM (RA 6734)14 shifts to the regional government all
powers, functions and
responsibilities previously exercised by the national government except: (i) foreign
affairs, (ii) national defense,
(iii) postal service, (iv) fiscal and monetary policy, (v) administration of justice,
(vi) quarantine, (vii) citizenship,
naturalization and immigration, (viii) general auditing, civil service and elections,
(ix) foreign trade, (x)
maritime, land and air transportation and communications that affect areas outside
the ARMM, and (xi) issuance
of patents, trademarks, trade names and copyrights. ARMM powers and
responsibilities now comprise
implementation of programs and projects on agriculture and agrarian reform;
education; environment and natural
resources; health; tourism, trade and industry; social welfare; industrial peace,
protection of workers’ welfare
and promotion of employment; promotion of cooperatives; provision of assistance
to local government units; and
development and regulation of cooperatives.
Serves a screening committee
Acts as a
coordinating
committee
Provides support functions
to management
Provides support functions
to management
References
[Link]
Philippine Journal ofPublic Administration, Vol. XLII, Nos. 1 &
2 (January - April 1998)
Eddie Dorotan, MD, MPA
Former Mayor, Irosin, Sorsogon
Executive Director, Galing Pook Foundation
Convenor, Global Public Innovations Network
