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