SECTION 4. Scope of Application.

- This Code
shall apply to all provinces, cities, municipalities,
Barangays, and other political subdivisions as
may be created by law, and, to the extent herein
provided, to officials, offices, or agencies of the
national government.
SECTION 5. Rules of Interpretation. - In the
interpretation of the provisions of this Code, the
following rules shall apply:
(a) Any provision on a power of a local
government unit shall be liberally
interpreted in its favor, and in case of
doubt, any question thereon shall be
resolved in favor of devolution of powers
and of the lower local government unit.
Any fair and reasonable doubt as to the
existence of the power shall be
interpreted in favor of the local
government unit concerned;
(b) In case of doubt, any tax ordinance or
revenue measure shall be construed
strictly against the local government unit
enacting it, and liberally in favor of the
taxpayer. Any tax exemption, incentive
or relief granted by any local
government unit pursuant to the
provisions of this Code shall be
construed strictly against the person
claiming it.
(c) The general welfare provisions in this
Code shall be liberally interpreted to
give more powers to local government
units in accelerating economic
development and upgrading the quality
of life for the people in the community;
(d) Rights and obligations existing on the
date of effectivity of this Code and
arising out of contracts or any other
source of presentation involving a local
government unit shall be governed by
the original terms and conditions of said
contracts or the law in force at the time
such rights were vested; and
(e) In the resolution of controversies arising
under this Code where no legal provision or
jurisprudence applies, resort may be had to the
customs and traditions in the place where the
controversies take place.

SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. - (a) It is
hereby declared the policy of the State that the
territorial and political subdivisions of the State
shall enjoy genuine and meaningful local
autonomy to enable them to attain their fullest
development as self-reliant communities and
make them more effective partners in the
attainment of national goals. Toward this end,
the State shall provide for a more responsive
and accountable local government structure
instituted through a system of decentralization
whereby local government units shall be given
more powers, authority, responsibilities, and
resources. The process of decentralization shall
proceed from the national government to the
local government units.
(b) It is also the policy of the State to ensure
the accountability of local government
units through the institution of effective
mechanisms of recall, initiative and
referendum.
(c) It is likewise the policy of the State to require
all national agencies and offices to conduct
periodic consultations with appropriate local
government units, non-governmental and
people's organizations, and other concerned
sectors of the community before any project or
program is implemented in their respective
jurisdictions.
Principle of Devolution

SECTION 17. Basic Services and Facilities.

(4) For a City:
(e) National agencies or offices concerned
shall devolve to local government units
the responsibility for the provision of
basic services and facilities enumerated
in this section within six (6) months after
the effectivity of this Code.

As used in this Code, the term "devolution" refers to
the act by which the national government confers
power and authority upon the various local
government units to perform specific functions and
responsibilities.
(i) The devolution contemplated in this
Code shall include the transfer to
local government units of the
records, equipment and other
assets and personnel of national
agencies and offices, corresponding
to the devolved powers, functions,
and responsibilities.

Personnel of said national agencies or offices
shall be absorbed by the local government units
to which they belong or in whose areas they are
assigned to the extent that it is administratively
viable as determined by the said oversight
committee: Provided, That the rights accorded to
such personnel pursuant to civil service law,
rules and regulations shall not be impaired:
Provided, Further, That regional directors who
are career executive service officers and other
officers of similar rank in the said regional offices
who cannot be absorbed by the local
government unit shall be retained by the national
government, without any diminution of rank,
salary or tenure.

CREATION AND ABOLITION OF MUNICIPAL
CORPS.
Requisites for creation of LGUs
Factors to Consider
SECTION 7. Creation and Conversion. - As a
general rule, the creation of a local
governmentunit 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 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).
Income
C. Creation of municipal corporation is a
legislative matter (Sec. 14, LGC)
SECTION 14. Beginning of Corporate Existence. -
When a new local government unit is created, its
corporate existence shall commence upon the
election and qualification of its chief executive
and a majority of the members of its
Sanggunian, unless some other time is fixed
therefor by the law or ordinance creating it.
D. Creation of autonomous regional bodies -
Sec. 1, Sec. 4, Sec. 13 & Sec. 14 Article X
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 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 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.
. Division and Merger (Sec. 8, LGC)
SECTION 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.
F. Abolition (Sec. 9, LGC)
SECTION 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
17 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.