REPRES,
ha aN

RECEIVED D A
pare 25 AUG 2025

Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

TWENTIETH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL No. 3151

Introduced by HON. LINABELLE RUTH R. VILLARICA.
4" DISTRICT, BULACAN

AN ACT
TO REFORMAT CERTAIN FUNCTIONAL ASSIGNMENT OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT
UNITS BY AMENDING PERTINENT PROVISIONS IN REPUBLIC ACT No. 7160,
OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE OF 1991

EXPLANATORY NOTE

In implementing the principle of devolution of powers as enunciated in the Local
Government Code, the functions of local public goods and services and the level of the local
government units must be compatible. The delineation functions should be between the LGUs
and the National Government as well as among LGUs at different levels

Presently, however, there are functions devolved to the barangays and municipalities
which are outside the ambit of their jurisdictions since these are more national than local.
Although the goals and programs of health, for instance, may be implementable locally, it does
not contain the inherit incentives for its local application. There is a need to qualify what
functions should be left to the national government, what should be shared, and what should
be entirely devolved, based on the identified beneficiaries in the LGUs.

Support for the enactment of this proposed bill is earnestly requested.

Sti thera’

REP. LINABELLE RUTH R. VILLARICA.


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
Quezon City

TWENTIETH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL x03 131

Introduced by HON, LINABELLE RUTH R. VILLARICA’
4!" DISTRICT, BULACAN

AN ACT
TO REFORMAT CERTAIN FUNCTIONAL ASSIGNMENT OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT
UNITS BY AMENDING PERTINENT PROVISIONS IN REPUBLIC ACT No. 7160,
OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE OF 1991

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress
assembled:

SECTION 1. Declaration of Policy. — It is the policy of the State to give meaning and
significance to the principle of devolution of powers under Republic Act No.7160, otherwise
known as the “Local Government Code of 1991” by clarifying the specific functions that
should remain with the national government, those that should be shared, and those that should
be devolved to the local government units in its entirety.

SEC. 2. Section 3 (a) of R.A. No, 7160, otherwise known as the Local Government
Code of 1991, hereinafter referred to as the “Code”, is hereby amended to read as follows:

“Sec. 3. Operative Principles of Decentralization, ~The formation
and Implementation of policies and measures in local autonomy
shall be guided by the following operative principles:

(a) There shall be an effective allocation BETWEEN THE
NATIONAL GOVERNMENT AND among the different local
government units of their respective powers, functions,
responsibilities. and resources. INTO NATIONAL
GOVERNMENT, FULLY-DEVOLVED, AND SHARED
FUNCTIONS BASED ON THE SCOPE OF BENEFITS,
EFFECTS OR IMPACT ERNAL TO THE LOCAL
GOVERNMENT UNIT AND RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE
SETTING OF POLICIES AND STANDARD, PLANNING
AND PROGRAMMING, IMPLEMENTATION AND
EXECUTION. AND ORIGIN AND OWERSHIP OF THE
FUNDING SOURCE;

SEC. Section 17 of the same Code is hereby amended to read as follows:


“Sec. 17. Basic Services and Facilities. — (a) Local government units
shall endeavor to be self-reliant and shall continue exercising the
powers and discharging the duties and functions currently vested
upon them. They shall also discharge the functions and
responsibilities of national agencies and offices devolved to them
pursuant to this Code. Local government units shall likewise exercise
such other powers and discharge such other functions and
responsibilities as are necessary, appropriate, or incidental to efficient
and effective provisions of the basic service and facilities enumerated
herein.

(b) Such basic services and facilities include, but are not limited to,
the following:

(1) For a Barangay.
{G@ Agricultural support and services which include planting
materials distribution system and operation of farm produce
collection and buying stations;

(ii) Health and social welfare services which include
maintenance of barangay health center and day care center;]

[Gii)] () Services and facilities related to general hygiene and
sanitation, beautification, and solid waste collection;

[(iv)] (1) Maintenance of katarungang pambarangay:

{(v) Maintenance of barangay roads and bridges and water
supply system;]

[(vi)] (III) Infrastructure facilities such as multi-purpose hall,
multi-purpose pavement, plaza, sports center, and other similar
facilities;

[(vii)] (LV) Information and reading center; and
[(viii)] (V) Satellite or public market where viable;

2) For a Municipality:

(i) Extension and on-site research services and facilities
related to agriculture and fishery activities which
include dispersal of livestock and poultry,
fingerlings, and other seedling materials for
agriculture: palay, corn, and vegetables seed farms;
medicinal plant gardens; fruit tree, coconut and
other kinds seedling nurseries, demonstration farms,
quality control of copra and improvement and
development of focal distribution channels,
preferably through cooperatives; inter-barangay
irrigation system; water and soil resource utilization



(ii)

(ii)

(iv)

(vy)

(vi)

and conservation projects; and enforcement of
fishery laws in municipal waters including the
conservation of mangroves;

Pursuant to national policies and subject to
supervision, control and review of the DENR,
implementation of community-based forestry projects;
management and control of communal forest with an
area not exceeding fifty (50) square kilometers;
establishment of tree parks, greenbelts, and similar
forest development projects WHOSE
IMPLEMENTATION MAY BE SHARED WITH THE
PROVINCE AND/OR A NATIONAL
GOVERNMENT AGENCY:

Subject to the provisions of Title Five, Book | of this
Code, health services which include the
implementation of programs and projects on primary
health care, maternal and child care, and
communicable and non-communicable disease control
services, access to secondary and tertiary health
services: purchase of medicines, medical supplies, and
equipment needed to carry out the services herein
enumerated WHOSE IMPLEMENTATION MAY BE
SHARED WITH THE PROVINCE AND/OR A
NATIONAL GOVERNMENT AGENCY:

Social welfare services which include programs and
projects on child and youth welfare, family and
community welfare, women’s welfare, of the elderly
and disabled persons; community-based rehabilitation
programs for vagrants, beggars, street children,
scavengers, juvenile delinquents, and victims of drug
abuse; livelihood and others pro-poor projects;
nutrition services and family planning services;
Information services which include investments and
job placement information systems, tax and marketing
information systems, and maintenance of public
library:

Solid waste disposal system or environmental
management system and services or facilities related to
general hygiene and sanitation WHOSE
IMPLEMENTATION MAY BE SHARED WITH THE
PROVINCE OR THROUGH — INTER-LGU
COOPERATION;

XXX

(XIII) MAINTENANCE OF BARANGAY ROADS
AND BRIDGES AND WATER SUPPLY SYSTEM;
(XIV) HEALTH AND SOCIAL WELFARE
SERVICES WHICH INCLUDE MAINTENANCE OF



BARANGAY HEALTH CENTERS AND DAY-CARE
CENTERS; AND

(XV) AGRICULTURAL SUPPORT SERVICES
WHICH INCLUDE PLANTING MATERIALS
DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM AND OPERATION OF
FARM PRODUCE COLLECTION AND BUYING
STATIONS WHOSE IMPLEMENTATION MAY BE
SHARED WITH BARANGAY.

(3) For a Province:
XXX
(4) For a City:
XXX
(c) XXX
XXX

(f) The national government or the next higher level of local
government unit may provide or augment the basic services
and facilities assigned to a lower level of local government
unit when such services or facilities are not made available or,
if made available, are inadequate to meet the requirements of
its inhabitants BASED ON GUIDELINES ISSUED BY THE
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR AND LOCAL
GOVERNMENT.

(g) XXX
XXX

SEC. 3. Separability Clause. ~ If any part or provision of this
Act is declared unconstitutional or invalid, the other parts or provisions
hereof not affected thereby shall remain in full force and effect.

SEC. 4. Repealing Clause. — All laws, decrees, executive
orders, rules and regulations or other issuances or part thereof,
inconsistent with any provision of this Act are hereby repealed, amended
or modified accordingly.

SEC. 5. Effectivity. ~This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days
after its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general
circulation.

Approved.