Sangguniang Panlalawigan (abbreviated as SP; ), commonly known as the Provincial Board, are the
legislature
A legislature is an assembly with the authority to make law
Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior,Robertson, ''Crimes against humanity'', 90. with its p ...
s in
Philippine provinces. They are the
legislative branch
A legislature is an assembly with the authority to make laws for a political entity such as a country or city. They are often contrasted with the executive and judicial powers of government.
Laws enacted by legislatures are usually known as ...
es of the provinces, and their powers and responsibilities are defined by the
Local Government Code
Codification of laws is a common practice in the Philippines. Many general areas of substantive law, such as criminal law, civil law and labor law are governed by legal codes.
Tradition of codification
Codification is predominant in countrie ...
of 1991.
[Local Government Code of 1991](_blank)
/ref> Along with the provincial governor, the executive branch
The Executive, also referred as the Executive branch or Executive power, is the term commonly used to describe that part of government which enforces the law, and has overall responsibility for the governance of a State (polity), state.
In poli ...
of the province, they form the province's government.
Members are either called "board members" (BM) or "Sangguniang Panlalawigan members" (SPM). In Tagalog-speaking provinces, they are informally called "bokal".
History
During the early period of Spanish colonization
The Spanish Empire ( es, link=no, Imperio español), also known as the Hispanic Monarchy ( es, link=no, Monarquía Hispánica) or the Catholic Monarchy ( es, link=no, Monarquía Católica) was a colonial empire governed by Spain and its History ...
, newly conquered areas were designated as ''encomiendas
The ''encomienda'' () was a Spanish labour system that rewarded conquerors with the labour of conquered non-Christian peoples. The labourers, in theory, were provided with benefits by the conquerors for whom they laboured, including military ...
'' which were headed by an ''encomendero'' chosen by the Spanish from among the ranks of the powerful local nobles. Encomiendas were organized only for the purposes of collecting tribute that went in part to the Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
, the Spanish army, and to the Royal Treasury. Later on areas which were organized and given the designation of "province" (''provincia'') were led by an appointed ''alcalde
Alcalde (; ) is the traditional Spanish municipal magistrate, who had both judicial and administrative functions. An ''alcalde'' was, in the absence of a corregidor, the presiding officer of the Castilian '' cabildo'' (the municipal council) a ...
'' who performed judicial, fiscal and executive functions. This system of government lasted for almost three hundred years until 1886 when a governor (''gobernador'') was first appointed in each of the eighteen existing provinces, relegating the alcalde to carry out only judicial functions.
American rule brought radical changes to the system of local government in the country. In 1901 the Philippine Commission
The Philippine Commission was the name of two bodies, both appointed by the president of the United States, to assist with governing the Philippines.
The first Philippine Commission, also known as the Schurman Commission, was appointed by Preside ...
enacted Act No. 83, known as the Provincial Government Act, which outlined the powers, responsibilities and composition of the provincial government. Each regularly organized province was provided a Provincial Board composed of three provincial officials: the governor, the treasurer, and a "third member" who in most cases was known as the supervisor. The governor in regularly organized provinces under civilian control were initially elected by municipal vice-presidents and councilors within the province through a convention held in the provincial capital every even-numbered year. As civil government took hold, the governorship was made elective. The composition of provincial boards were also later modified, with the treasurer and "third member" taken out and replaced by two members elected by popular vote. Not all provinces had the same type of government. Officials in specially organized provinces (those termed "Non-Christian provinces") were appointed by the Governor-General
Governor-general (plural ''governors-general''), or governor general (plural ''governors general''), is the title of an office-holder. In the context of governors-general and former British colonies, governors-general are appointed as viceroy t ...
with the approval of the Philippine Commission until legislation gradually brought each of them in line with regularly organized provinces, that by the time of independence in 1946 all provinces had largely similar governments.
The passage of Republic Act No. 2264 (the "Local Autonomy Act") on June 19, 1959 not only granted greater autonomy to local governments, but also expanded the composition of the Provincial Board by creating a new elective office, the vice-governorship, as well as providing for provinces of the first, second and third income class to have one additional elected board member. However, the Board still had limited real legislative powers, as the provincial government was merely serving as an extension of national government. Republic Act No. 5185 was enacted in 1967 with the intention of decentralizing authority and further empowering local governments to address the needs of their constituents more effectively.
By virtue of Presidential Decree No. 826 issued by President
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
*President (education), a leader of a college or university
*President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
Ferdinand Marcos
Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos Sr. ( , , ; September 11, 1917 – September 28, 1989) was a Filipino politician, lawyer, dictator, and kleptocrat who was the 10th president of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. He ruled under martial ...
on November 14, 1975[Presidential Decree No. 826](_blank)
Chan-Robles Law Library all existing governing boards and councils in each province, city and municipality were renamed Sangguniang Bayan. The province-level Sangguniang Bayan (later given the name Sangguniang Panlalawigan, commonly abbreviated to SP) consisted of all the incumbent provincial board members (including the governor and vice-governor), plus a representative from each municipality within the province, and the provincial president of the ''Katipunan ng Mga Kabataang Barangay
The Katipunan, officially known as the Kataastaasan, Kagalanggalangang Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan or Kataastaasan Kagalang-galang na Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan (KKK; en, Supreme and Honorable Association of the Children of the Nation ...
'' or Association of Barangay Youth.
Batas Pambansa Blg. 51, enacted in 1979, standardized the composition of all provincial legislatures by reducing the membership of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan. All provinces were entitled to 6 elective SP members, unless they had more than one million residents (8 members) or less than 100,000 residents (4 members). Direct municipal representation was eliminated, and in its place was indirect "grassroots" representation through the president of the provincial association of barangay chairmen
The Liga ng mga Barangay sa Pilipinas (League of Barangays in the Philippines) and the Asosasyon ng mga Kapitan ng Barangay (Association of Barangay Captains) or ABC are formal organizations of all the barangays in the Philippines. Presently, al ...
who was appointed by the President, who also happened to be the Prime Minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...
. Other members of the new Sanggunian were the governor and the vice governor, both elected by popular vote, and the president of the provincial federation of the Kabataang Barangay, appointed by the President/Prime Minister.Batas Pambansa Blg. 51
/ref>
The powers and duties of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan was codified under Batas Pambansa Blg. 337, also known as the Local Government Code of 1983. The governor served as an ''ex officio'' member, who did not vote except only to break a tie, but had the power to veto items within, or entire, Sanggunian ordinances and resolutions. However the veto can be overridden by a two-thirds vote of all voting SP members.
Chan-Robles Law Library.
The Sangguniang Panlalawigan was retained as the legislative branch of all provincial governments under the 1987 Constitution and the Local Government Code of 1991. However, unlike the old Provincial Boards or the pre-1992 Sanggunian, which included in their memberships provincial executives, under current laws the governor is not considered as a Sanggunian member (although the governor retains the power to veto SP legislation, which can still be overridden by a two-thirds vote of all voting members), and the vice-governor, who has now become the presiding officer, only participates in breaking ties in voting. Since 1992 SP members are elected from districts to ensure geographical representation, and the size of the province's Sanggunian was dependent on its income classification rather than population.
Powers, duties, and functions
The powers, duties, and functions of the Sanggunian are outlined in Section 468 of the Local Government Code of 1991. The legislative body is tasked in general to ''"enact ordinances, approve resolutions and appropriate funds for the general welfare of the province and its inhabitants... in the proper exercise of the corporate powers of the province."'' Its powers, duties and functions are outlined into five broad mandates:
*''"Approve ordinances and pass resolutions necessary for an efficient and effective provincial government,"'' which includes:
**Reviewing all ordinances approved by the Sangguniang Panlungsod
The Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) is the local legislative body of a city governments in the Philippines. The name of the legislative body comes from the Tagalog words "''sanggunian''" ("council") – ultimately from the rootword "''sangguni''" ...
and Sangguniang Bayan of the province's component cities and municipalities to ensure that they and their mayors are within their scope of powers as outlined in the Local Government Code
**Enacting measures to maintain peace and order and imposing penalties on violations of such ordinances
**Approving ordinances that impose fines and/or imprisonment for violations of provincial ordinances
**Adopt measures to protect the inhabitants of the province from harmful effects of man-made or natural disasters, and provide relief services and assistance for victims not only during and in the aftermath of disasters and calamities, but also in their "return to productive livelihood" following the events
**Enacting ordinances intended to prevent, suppress and impose appropriate penalties for "activities inimical to the welfare and morals of the inhabitants of the province," such as prostitution, juvenile delinquency and drug addiction.
**Protect the environment and impose appropriate penalties for acts which endanger the environment
**Determine the powers and duties of officials and employees of the province in accordance with the Local Government Code and pertinent laws, and also determine their wages, salaries, allowances, honorariums, compensation and other emoluments and benefits, and provide for expenditures necessary to properly carry out programs, projects, services and activities of the provincial government
**Provide a mechanism (and appropriate funding for it) to ensure the safety and protection of all provincial government property, public documents and records
**When the finances of the provincial government allow, provide for additional allowances or other benefits to officials and public servants working in the province
*''"Generate and maximize the use of resources and revenues for the development plans, program objectives and priorities of the province... with particular attention to agro-industrial development and country-wide growth and progress and relative thereto,"'' which involve the following:
**Enact annual and supplemental appropriations of the provincial government and appropriate funds for specific programs, projects, services and activities of the province, or for other purposes not contrary to law, in order to promote the general welfare of the province and its inhabitants
**Subject to the provisions of Book II of the Local Government Code and applicable laws and upon the majority vote of all the members of the sangguniang panlalawigan:
***Enact ordinances levying taxes, fees and charges, prescribing the rates thereof for general and specific purposes, and granting tax exemptions, incentives or reliefs
***Authorize the provincial governor to negotiate and contract loans and other forms of indebtedness
***Enact ordinances authorizing the floating of bonds or other instruments of indebtedness, for the purpose of raising funds to finance development projects
**Appropriate funds for the construction and maintenance or the rental of buildings for the use of the province; and upon the majority vote of all the members of the sangguniang panlalawigan, authorize the provincial governor to lease to private parties such public buildings held in a proprietary capacity, subject to existing laws, rules and regulations
**Prescribe reasonable limits and restraints on the use of property within the jurisdiction of the province
**Review the comprehensive land use plans and zoning ordinances of component cities and municipalities and adopt a comprehensive provincial land use plan, subject to existing laws
**Adopt measures to enhance the full implementation of the national agrarian reform program in coordination with the Department of Agrarian Reform
*''"Grant franchises, approve the issuance of permits or licenses, or enact ordinances levying taxes, fees and charges upon such conditions and for such purposes,"'' which include the power to:
**Fix and impose reasonable fees and charges for all services rendered by the provincial government to private persons or entities
**Regulate and fix the license fees for such activities as provided for under the Local Government Code
*''"Approve ordinances which shall ensure the efficient and effective delivery of basic services and facilities"'' and, in addition to the services and facilities outlined in Section 17 of the Local Government Code, also:
**Adopt measures and safeguards against pollution and for the preservation of the natural ecosystem in the province, in consonance with approved standards on human settlements and environmental sanitation
**Subject to applicable laws, facilitate or provide for the establishment and maintenance of waterworks system or district waterworks for supplying water to inhabitants of component cities and municipalities
**Provide for the establishment and operation of vocational and technical schools and similar post-secondary institutions; and, with the approval of the Department of Education and subject to existing laws on tuition fees, fix reasonable tuition fees and other school charges in educational institutions supported by the provincial government
**Establish a scholarship fund for the poor but deserving students in schools located within its jurisdiction or for students residing within the province
**Approve measures and adopt quarantine regulations to prevent the introduction and spread of diseases within its territorial jurisdiction
**Provide for the care of "needy and disadvantaged persons, particularly children and youth below eighteen (18) years of age"
***Establish and support the operation of centers and facilities for them and facilitate efforts to promote the welfare of families below the poverty threshold, the disadvantaged, and the exploited
**Establish and provide the maintenance and improvement of jails and detention centers, institute a sound jail management program, and appropriate funds for the subsistence of detainees and convicted prisoners in the province
**Establish a provincial council whose purpose is the promotion of culture and the arts, coordinate with government agencies and non-governmental organizations and appropriate funds for the support and development of the same
**Establish a provincial council for the elderly which shall formulate policies and adopt measures mutually beneficial to the elderly and to the province, and appropriate funds and provide incentives for NGOs to support the programs and projects of the elderly
*''"Exercise such other powers and perform such other duties and functions as may be prescribed by law or ordinance"''
Composition
The Sangguniang Panlalawigan is composed of regularly elected members, ''ex officio'' members, and members representing reserved seats for certain sectors. The provincial vice-governor serves as its presiding officer, who does not vote except in cases to break a tie.
Regularly elected members are elected from Sangguniang Panlalawigan districts. The total number of SP members to be elected within the province, and the number within each SP district, varies depending on several factors, including the province's income class and the population count within districts.
''Ex officio
An ''ex officio'' member is a member of a body (notably a board, committee, council) who is part of it by virtue of holding another office. The term '' ex officio'' is Latin, meaning literally 'from the office', and the sense intended is 'by right ...
'' members in the Sanggunian include:
* the president of the provincial chapter of the Liga ng mga Barangay
The Liga ng mga Barangay sa Pilipinas (League of Barangays in the Philippines) and the Asosasyon ng mga Kapitan ng Barangay (Association of Barangay Captains) or ABC are formal organizations of all the barangays in the Philippines. Presently, al ...
* the president of the provincial federation of Youth Councils ( Sangguniang Kabataan)
* the president of the provincial federation of the Philippine Councilors League
The Philippine Councilors League – or more simply the PCL – is a formal organization of all the municipal and city councilors in the Philippines.
Last February 27, 2020, the outgoing national board declared a failure of elections after the au ...
(Sangguniang Panlungsod
The Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) is the local legislative body of a city governments in the Philippines. The name of the legislative body comes from the Tagalog words "''sanggunian''" ("council") – ultimately from the rootword "''sangguni''" ...
and Sangguniang Bayan members from component cities and municipalities)
Reserved seats in the Sanggunian include:
* the Indigenous People Mandatory Representation (IPMR) is pursuant to the Republic Act 8371, or the Indigenous Peoples' Rights Act of 1997
The Indigenous People's Rights Act of 1997 (IPRA), officially designated as Republic Act No. 8371, is a Philippine law that recognizes and promotes the rights of indigenous cultural communities and indigenous peoples in the Philippines.
History ...
, which calls for the mandatory representation of IPs which is formally certified by the concerned National Commission on Indigenous People (NCIP) regional director, upon recommendation of the provincial or community service center head and shall serve for a period of three years from the date of assumption to office and can be re-endorsed for another term as long as he or she would not serve for more than three consecutive terms.
The Local Government Code of 1991 also provides for the election of 3 "sectoral representatives," which are supposed to come from:
* women's sector
* agricultural or industrial sector
* other sectors, including the disabled, the urban poor, or indigenous cultural communities
Although several attempts have been made in the past to provide for the election of these sectoral representatives, the lack of a more concrete enabling law upon which the manner of election of these sectoral representatives can be legally based continues to prevent this feature of local governments from being fully realized.[Local Sectoral Representation: A Legal Analysis](_blank)
Allocation and apportionment of regularly elected members
The number of regular Sanggunian members is based on the income of the province as classified by the Department of Finance. The Commission on Elections issues resolutions allocating the number of regular members of the Sanggunian a province may elect should a province's income classification change. First-class and second-class provinces are entitled to 10 regularly elected members, 8 for third- and fourth-class provinces and 6 for fifth- and sixth-class provinces. Exceptions to the rule are provinces which are divided into more than five congressional districts
Congressional districts, also known as electoral districts and legislative districts, electorates, or wards in other nations, are divisions of a larger administrative region that represent the population of a region in the larger congressional bod ...
. Each Sangguniang Panlalawigan district in the provinces of Batangas
Batangas, officially the Province of Batangas ( tl, Lalawigan ng Batangas ), is a province in the Philippines located in the Calabarzon region on Luzon. Its capital is the city of Batangas, and is bordered by the provinces of Cavite and La ...
, Cavite
Cavite, officially the Province of Cavite ( tl, Lalawigan ng Kabite; Chavacano: ''Provincia de Cavite''), is a province in the Philippines located in the Calabarzon region in Luzon. Located on the southern shores of Manila Bay and southwest ...
, Cebu
Cebu (; ceb, Sugbo), officially the Province of Cebu ( ceb, Lalawigan sa Sugbo; tl, Lalawigan ng Cebu; hil, Kapuroan sang Sugbo), is a province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region, and consists of a main island and 167 ...
, Negros Occidental and Pangasinan
Pangasinan, officially the Province of Pangasinan ( pag, Luyag/Probinsia na Pangasinan, ; ilo, Probinsia ti Pangasinan; tl, Lalawigan ng Pangasinan), is a coastal province in the Philippines located in the Ilocos Region of Luzon. Its capit ...
elect two members to the Sanggunian, resulting in a total number of 16 regularly elected SP members in Cavite, 14 in Cebu, and 12 in the three other provinces.
The Commission on Elections apportions the number of Sanggunian members among the SP districts into which the province is divided. As much as possible, the members are equally divided among the legislative districts. If such equal division is impossible the remaining numbers are assigned to the districts with a bigger population count than the others. The COMELEC likewise factors out the population of independent cities
An independent city or independent town is a city or town that does not form part of another general-purpose local government entity (such as a province).
Historical precursors
In the Holy Roman Empire, and to a degree in its successor states ...
which do not elect provincial officials in determining the apportionment of the Sanggunian members among the districts. Provinces comprising a single congressional district are divided into two sanggunian districts by the COMELEC for purposes of electing SP members.
A majority of Sangguniang Panlalawigan districts are contiguous to existing congressional districts
Congressional districts, also known as electoral districts and legislative districts, electorates, or wards in other nations, are divisions of a larger administrative region that represent the population of a region in the larger congressional bod ...
. The exceptions are the following:
* Provinces which comprise a lone congressional district are divided into two Sanggunian districts by the COMELEC.
* Independent cities which are not allowed to participate in provincial politics are factored out of the congressional districts that contain them: Angeles from Pampanga—1st, Butuan from Agusan del Norte—1st, Cotabato City from Maguindanao—1st, Dagupan
Dagupan, officially the City of Dagupan ( pag, Siyudad na Dagupan, ilo, Siudad ti Dagupan, fil, Lungsod ng Dagupan), is a 2nd class independent component city in the Ilocos Region, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a populatio ...
from Pangasinan—4th, Naga
Naga or NAGA may refer to:
Mythology
* Nāga, a serpentine deity or race in Hindu, Buddhist and Jain traditions
* Naga Kingdom, in the epic ''Mahabharata''
* Phaya Naga, mythical creatures believed to live in the Laotian stretch of the Mekong Riv ...
from Camarines Sur—3rd, Ormoc from 4th
Fourth or the fourth may refer to:
* the ordinal form of the number 4
* ''Fourth'' (album), by Soft Machine, 1971
* Fourth (angle), an ancient astronomical subdivision
* Fourth (music), a musical interval
* ''The Fourth'' (1972 film), a Sovie ...
, Puerto Princesa
Puerto Princesa, officially the City of Puerto Princesa (Cuyonon: ''Siyudad i'ang Puerto Princesa''; fil, Lungsod ng Puerto Princesa), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the Mimaropa region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, ...
from Palawan—3rd, Santiago
Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile as well as one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is the center of Chile's most densely populated region, the Santiago Metropolitan Region, whose ...
from Isabela—4th, and Tacloban
Tacloban ( ; ), officially the City of Tacloban ( war, Syudad han Tacloban; fil, Lungsod ng Tacloban), is a first class highly urbanized city in the Eastern Visayas region of the Philippines. The city is autonomous from the province of Leyte, a ...
from Leyte—1st
* The 4th SP district of Bulacan
Bulacan, officially the Province of Bulacan ( tl, Lalawigan ng Bulacan), is a province in the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. Its capital is the city of Malolos. Bulacan was established on August 15, 1578, and part of the Metr ...
encompasses the entire 4th Congressional district of Bulacan plus the city of San Jose del Monte, which in 2004 started to elect its own congressional representative but was not separated by law to constitute its own Sangguniang Panlalawigan district.
* The 1st SP district of Laguna
Laguna (Italian and Spanish for lagoon) may refer to:
People
* Abe Laguna (born 1992), American DJ known as Ookay
* Andrés Laguna (1499–1559), Spanish physician, pharmacologist, and botanist
* Ana Laguna (born 1955), Spanish-Swedish ballet d ...
encompasses the entire 1st Congressional district of Laguna plus the city of Biñan
Biñan (), officially the City of Biñan ( fil, Lungsod ng Biñan), is a 1st class Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, component city in the Provinces of the Philippines, province of Laguna (province), Laguna, Philippines. According ...
, which in 2016 started to elect its own congressional representative but was not separated by law to constitute its own Sangguniang Panlalawigan district. In 2022, the city of Santa Rosa
Santa Rosa is the Italian, Portuguese and Spanish name for Saint Rose.
Santa Rosa may also refer to:
Places Argentina
*Santa Rosa, Mendoza, a city
* Santa Rosa, Tinogasta, Catamarca
* Santa Rosa, Valle Viejo, Catamarca
*Santa Rosa, La Pampa
* Sa ...
will start to elect its own congressional representative, but would not be separated by law to constitute its own Sangguniang Panlalawigan district. This left out San Pedro as the only remaining city in the 1st congressional district, but the 1st SP district still contains all three cities.
* The 2nd SP district of Laguna
Laguna (Italian and Spanish for lagoon) may refer to:
People
* Abe Laguna (born 1992), American DJ known as Ookay
* Andrés Laguna (1499–1559), Spanish physician, pharmacologist, and botanist
* Ana Laguna (born 1955), Spanish-Swedish ballet d ...
encompasses the entire 2nd Congressional district of Laguna plus the city of Calamba, which in 2019 started to elect its own congressional representative but was not separated by law to constitute its own Sangguniang Panlalawigan district.
* The 1st and 2nd
A second is the base unit of time in the International System of Units (SI).
Second, Seconds or 2nd may also refer to:
Mathematics
* 2 (number), as an ordinal (also written as ''2nd'' or ''2d'')
* Second of arc, an angular measurement unit ...
Congressional districts of Antipolo also serve ''de facto'' as SP districts of Rizal
Rizal, officially the Province of Rizal ( fil, Lalawigan ng Rizal), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Calabarzon region in Luzon. Its capital is the city of Antipolo. It is about east of Manila. The p ...
, with each being allocated one regular SP member.
List
The following is a table with the number of members elected from each SP district, showing the apportionment in place for the 2019 elections.
Historical provinces
The following provinces had elected Sangguniang Panlalawigan officials who served until the provinces became defunct, or until a new set of officials for the successor provinces had been elected in the next provincial elections:
*Kalinga-Apayao
Kalinga-Apayao () was a province of the Philippines in the Cordillera Administrative Region in the island of Luzon. It was formed, along with Benguet, Ifugao, and the new Mountain Province, from the earlier Mountain Province, with the passage of ...
*Shariff Kabunsuan
Shariff Kabunsuan was a short-lived province of the Philippines within the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) that existed from 2006 to 2008. Its designated seat of government was Datu Odin Sinsuat. Initially comprising ten municipalit ...
References
{{Sangguniang Panlalawigan
Local government in the Philippines
Legislatures of the Philippines
Tagalog words and phrases