Local Government Code of 1991

(b) Cities which do not meet the above requirements shall be considered component cities of the province in which they are geographically located. If a component city is located within the boundaries of two (2) or more provinces, such city shall be considered a component of the province of which it used to be a municipality. (c) Qualified voters of highly urbanized cities shall remain excluded from voting for elective provincial officials. Unless otherwise provided in the Constitution or this Code, qualified voters of independent component cities shall be governed by their respective charters, as amended, on the participation of voters in provincial elections. Qualified voters of cities who acquired the right to vote for elective provincial officials prior to the classification of said cities as highly-urbanized after the ratification of the Constitution and before the effectivity of this Code, shall continue to exercise such right. SECTION 453. Duty to Declare Highly Urbanized Status. - It shall be the duty of the President to declare a city as highly urbanized within thirty (30) days after it shall have met the minimum requirements prescribed in the immediately preceding section, upon proper application therefor and ratification in a plebiscite by the qualified voters therein. CHAPTER 2. - City Officials in General SECTION 454. Officials of the City Government. - (a) There shall be in each city a mayor, a vice-mayor, sangguniang panlungsod members, a secretary to the sangguniang panlungsod, a city treasurer, a city assessor, a city accountant, a city budget officer, a city planning and development coordinator, a city engineer, a city health officer, a city civil registrar, a city administrator, a city legal officer, a city veterinarian, a city social welfare and development officer, and a city general services officer. (b) In addition thereto, the city mayor may appoint a city architect, a city information officer, a city agriculturist, a city population officer, a city environment and natural resources officer, and a city cooperatives officer. The appointment of a city population officer shall be optional in the city: Provided, however, That cities which have existing population offices shall continue to maintain such offices for a period of five (5) years from the date of the effectivity of this Code, after which said offices shall become optional. (c) The sangguniang panlungsod may: (1) Maintain existing offices not mentioned in subsections (a) and (b) hereof; (2) Create such other offices as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of the city government; or (3) Consolidate the functions of any office with those of another in the interest of efficiency and economy. (d) Unless otherwise provided herein, heads of departments and offices shall be appointed by the city mayor with the concurrence of the majority of all the sangguniang panlungsod members, subject to civil service law, rules and regulations. The sangguniang panlungsod shall act on the appointment within fifteen (15) days from the date of its submission, otherwise the same shall be deemed confirmed. (e) Elective and appointive city officials shall receive such compensation, allowances, and other emoluments as may be determined by law or ordinance, subject to the budgetary limitations on personal services prescribed under Title Five, Book II of this Code: Provided, That no increase in compensation of the mayor, vice-mayor and sangguniang panlungsod members shall take effect until after the expiration of the full term of the said local officials approving such increase. CHAPTER 3. - Officials and Offices Common to All Cities Article One. - The City Mayor SECTION 455. Chief Executive; Powers, Duties and Compensation. - (a) The city mayor, as chief executive of the city government, shall exercise such powers and perform such duties and functions as provided by this Code and other laws. (b) For efficient, effective and economical governance the purpose of which is the general welfare of the city and its inhabitants pursuant to Section 16 of this Code, the city mayor shall: (1) Exercise general supervision and control over all programs, projects, services, and activities of the city government, and in this connection, shall: (i) Determine the guidelines of city policies and be responsible to the sangguniang panlungsod for the program of government; (ii) Direct the formulation of the city development plan, with the assistance of the city development council, and upon approval thereof by the sangguniang panlungsod, implement the same; (iii) Present the program of government and propose policies and projects for the consideration of the sangguniang panlungsod at the opening of the regular session of the sangguniang panlungsod every calendar year and as often as may be deemed necessary as the general welfare of the inhabitants and the needs of the city government may require; (iv) Initiate and propose legislative measures to the sangguniang panlungsod and as often as may be deemed necessary, provide such information and data needed or requested by said sanggunian in the performance of its legislative functions; (v) Appoint all officials and employees whose salaries and wages are wholly or mainly paid out of city funds and whose appointments are not otherwise provided for in this Code, as well as those he may be authorized by law to appoint; (vi) Represent the city in all its business transactions and sign in its behalf all bonds, contracts, and obligations, and such other documents upon authority of the sangguniang panlungsod or pursuant to law or ordinance; (vii) Carry out such emergency measures as may be necessary during and in the aftermath of man-made and natural disasters and calamities; (viii) Determine the time, manner and place of payment of salaries or wages of the officials and employees of the city, in accordance with law or ordinance; (ix) Allocate and assign office space to city and other officials and employees who, by law or ordinance, are entitled to such space in the city hall and other buildings owned or leased by the city government; (x) Ensure that all executive officials and employees of the city faithfully discharge their duties and functions as provided by law and this Code, and cause to be instituted administrative or judicial proceedings against any official or employee of the city who may have committed an offense in the performance of his official duties; (xi) Examine the books, records and other documents of all offices, officials, agents or employees of the city and, in aid of his executive powers and authority, require all national officials and employees stationed in or assigned to the city to make available to him such books, records, and other documents in their custody, except those classified by law as confidential; (xii) Furnish copies of executive orders issued by him, to the provincial governor in the case of component city mayors, to the Office of the President in the case of highly-urbanized city mayors, and to their respective metropolitan council chairmen in the case of mayors of cities in the Metropolitan Manila Area and other metropolitan political subdivisions, within seventy-two (72) hours after their issuance;