LEAGUE OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS AND ELECTIVE OFFICIALS

FIVE LEAGUES
There are five leagues that are officially recognized by the Code, namely:
a) Liga ng mga Barangay
b) League of Municipalities
c) League of Cities
d) League of Provinces
e) League of Metropolitan Political Subdivision (i.e. Metropolitan Manila League
of Mayors)
PRIMARY PURPOSE OF THE LEAGUES
The main purpose of all these leagues are to ventilate, articulate and crystallize
issues affecting local government administration and to secure solutions thereto. In
the case of Liga ng mga Barangay, its president automatically becomes the
representative of the liga in the sanggunian of the next higher level local
government. For instance, the president of the Liga ng mga Barangay of a city or
municipality becomes automatically the ligas representative in the sanggunian of
the city or municipality.
LIGA CHAPTERS
The Liga ng mga Barangay shall have chapters at the municipal, city and provincial
and metropolitan political subdivision levels. The municipal and city chapters of the
liga are composed of the barangay representatives from the municipality or city
concerned. The presidents of the municipal and city chapters of the liga form the
provincial or metropolitan political subdivision chapters of the liga. The presidents of
the chapters of the liga in highly urbanized cities, provinces and the Metro Manila
Area and other metropolitan political subdivision constitute the National Liga ng
mga Barangay.
EX-OFFICIO SANGGUNIAN MEMBERS
The presidents of the liga at the municipal, city and provincial levels, automatically
becomes ex-officio members of the Sangguniang Bayan, Sangguniang Panlungsod
and Sangguniang Panlalawigan respectively. Their terms of office as ex-officio
members of the sanggunian are only for the duration of their incumbency as
presidents of the liga chapters, which in no case shall exceed the term of the
sanggunian concerned.
LIGA NG MGA BARANGAY
The Liga ng mga Barangay has one principal aim: to promote the development of
barangays and secure general welfare of their inhabitants. All other powers and
duties vested upon the liga are ancillary to this main purpose.
PUNONG BARANGAY REPRESENTS BARANGAY
The representative of any barangay in the liga is the punong barangay. If he is
absent or incapacitated, the Sangguniang Barangay member duly elected for the
purpose represents the barangay concerned.
ADDITIONAL OFFICERS

This allows the board of directors of the liga to create additional positions. In Viola
v. Alunan III, the validity of the Revised Implementing Rules and Guidelines for
General Elections of the Liga ng mga Barangay Officers was assailed as invalid
insofar as it provided for the creation of additional positions in the liga and its
chapters specifically for the election of first, second and third vice presidents and
for auditors.
LEAGUE OF MUNICIPALITIES
The League of municipalities has one general purpose: to promote the development
of municipalities and secure the general welfare of their inhabitants.
MAYOR REPRESENTS MUNICIPALITY
The mayor represents his municipality in the league. In his absence or incapacity of
the mayor, the vice mayor or a member of the sanggunian elected by it acts in his
stead.
Promotion of local autonomy
The League of Municipalities should take the power and the duty to promote local
autonomy seriously special with the attempts of certain conservative elements in
the Congress and the Executive Department to diffuse the thrust of the Code.
NGO Encouragement
The League should also encourage and promote NGO involvement in the
development of the municipalities. NGO support is crucial to the development of the
country. Without it, the pace of development will be much slower and development
will be much more difficult to attain.
PROVISIONS COMMON TO ALL LEAGUES
Trust Funds
Funds derived from fund-raising projects of the Leagues are trust dunds and can be
used only for the purpose for which they had been primarily raised.
Constitution and Bylaws
The various leagues are empowered to make their own constitution and bylaws to
govern their operations, subject however to the provisions of the Constitution, the
Code and other pertinent laws.
LEAGUE AND FEDERATION OF LOCAL ELECTIVE OFFICIALS
Subido Section
Intense lobbying by the Councilors League of the Philippines, then headed by Dean
Ponciano Subido, majority floor leader of the Manila City Council, led to this. Subido
was ably assisted by Quezon City Councilor Willy Altuna, chairman of the Philippine
Councilors League. Under this section, the president of the provincial federation of
sanggunian members of component cities and municipalities automatically
becomes an ex-officio member of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan. He shall serve as
such only during his presidency but in no case shall his term extend beyond that of
the Sangguniang Panlalawigan concerned.
LGU Funding Support

LGU may appropriate funds to support the leagues or federations organized