A city is one of the units of local government in the Philippines. All Philippine cities are chartered cities, whose existence as corporate and administrative entities is governed by their own specific municipal charters in addition to the Local Government Code of 1991, which specifies their administrative structure and powers. As of July 8, 2023, there are 149 cities.
A municipality is a local government unit (LGU) in the Philippines. It is distinct from city, which is a different category of local government unit. Provinces of the Philippines are divided into cities and municipalities, which in turn, are divided into barangays – villages. As of September 7, 2019, there are 1,488 municipalities across the country.
The Philippines is divided into four levels of administrative divisions, with the lower three being defined in the Local Government Code of 1991 as local government units (LGUs). They are, from the highest to the lowest:
- Regions are mostly used to organize national services. Of the 17 regions, only one—the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao—has an elected government to which the central government has devolved competencies.
- Provinces, independent cities, and one independent municipality (Pateros)
- Component cities and municipalities within a province
- Barangays within a city or municipality
The legislative districts of Guimaras are the representations of the province of Guimaras in the various national legislatures of the Philippines. The province is currently represented in the lower house of the Congress of the Philippines through its lone congressional district.
The Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Pasig (PLP) is a local university run by the Pasig city government in the Philippines.
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 "lungsod" ("city"); "city council" is therefore often used as an equivalent term. Members of the city council are referred to as "kagawad"; while in Cebuano-speaking cities they are called "konsehal" (masc.) and "konsehala" (fem.), or "sehal".
A barangay councilor is an elected government official who is a member of the Sangguniang Barangay of a particular barangay. The barangay is the smallest political unit in the Philippines, and the council serves as the legislature of the barangay and is headed by the barangay captain or punong barangay.
Local colleges and universities (LCUs) are higher educational institutions that are being run by local government units in the Philippines.
The Government of Zamboanga City, also known as the Zamboanga City Government is the local government unit in-charge of the City of Zamboanga. It is a mayor-council form of government supervised directly by the President of the Philippines and the Secretary of the Interior and Local Government.
In the Philippines, local government is divided into three levels: provinces and independent cities, component cities and municipalities, and barangays, all of which are collectively known as local government units (LGUs). In some areas, above provinces and independent chartered cities are autonomous regions, such as the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. In towns and some cities they remit their revenue to national government and goes back in a form of IRA. Below barangays in some cities and municipalities are sitios and puroks. All of these, with the exception of sitios and puroks, elect their own executives and legislatures. Sitios and puroks are often but not necessarily led by an elected barangay councilor.
The League of Cities of the Philippines (LCP), also known simply as the League of Cities, is a formal organization of all cities in the Philippines. As of July 8, 2023, there are 149 cities which are part of the organization.
Katarungang Pambarangay, or the Barangay Justice System is a local justice system in the Philippines. It is operated by the smallest of the local government units, the barangay, and is overseen by the barangay captain, the highest elected official of the barangay and its executive. The barangay captain sits on the Lupon Tagapamayapa along with other barangay residents, which is the committee that decides disputes and other matters. They do not constitute a court as they do not have judicial powers.
The local chief executives are the elected officers of the local government units (LGUs) in the Philippines as provided for under Book III of Republic Act No. 7160 also known as the Local Government Code of 1991, they are as follows:
The mayor of Bacoor is the head of the executive branch of city government of Bacoor, a first-class urban component city in the province of Cavite, Philippines. Like all local government heads in the Philippines, the mayor is elected via popular vote, and may not be elected for a fourth consecutive term. In case of death, resignation or incapacity, the vice mayor becomes the mayor. Twenty-one individuals have held the position since it was first established in 1908 during the American colonial period.
The Philippine Councilors League is an official organization in the Philippines composed of all elected, appointed, and ex officio members of legislative councils in the cities and municipalities of the country.
The Dipolog City Council is Dipolog's Sangguniang Panlungsod or legislative body. The council has thirteen (13) members which is composed of ten (10) councilors, one (1) ex officio member elected from the ranks of barangay (neighborhood) chairmen, one (1) ex officio member elected from the ranks of Sangguniang Kabataan chairmen and one (1) presiding officer. The city's vice-mayor is the council's presiding officer, who is elected citywide.
Biliran's at-large congressional district is the sole congressional district of the Philippines in the province of Biliran. It was created ahead of the 1995 Philippine House of Representatives elections following its conversion into a regular province under the 1991 Local Government Code which was ratified in a 1992 plebiscite concurrent with that year's general election. Biliran had been a sub-province of Leyte since 1959 and was last represented as part of Leyte's 3rd district in the House of Representatives from 1987 to 1995 and earlier from 1961 to 1972, the multi-member Region VIII's at-large district in the Interim Batasang Pambansa from 1978 to 1984, and the multi-member Leyte's at-large district in the Regular Batasang Pambansa from 1984 to 1986. It is currently represented in the 19th Congress by Gerardo Espina Jr. of Lakas–CMD.
The Baguio City Council is Baguio's Sangguniang Panlungsod or legislative body. The council has 15 members which is composed of 12 councilors, one ex officio member elected from the ranks of barangay (neighborhood) chairmen, one ex officio member elected from the ranks of Sangguniang Kabataan chairmen and one presiding officer. The Vice-mayor of the city is the presiding officer of the council, who is elected citywide.
The Bacolod City Council is the legislature of Bacolod City, Philippines. The legislative body is composed of 14 councilors, with 12 councilors elected from Bacolod's at-large district and two elected from the ranks of barangay (neighborhood) chairmen and the Sangguniang Kabataan. The council's presiding officer is the vice-mayor, elected by the city at-large. The council creates laws and ordinances applicable within the jurisdiction of Bacolod City, although the Mayor of Bacolod can veto proposed bills, the council can override the veto with a two-thirds supermajority.
The Calamba City Council is Calamba's Sangguniang Panlungsod or legislative body. The council has 15 members which is composed of 12 councilors, one ex officio member elected from the ranks of barangay (village) chairmen, one ex officio member elected from the ranks of Sangguniang Kabataan chairmen and one presiding officer. The Vice-mayor of the city is the presiding officer of the council, who is elected citywide.
