CHAPTER III

Officials and Offices Common to All Municipalities

ARTICLE I

The Municipal Mayor

SECTION 444. The Chief Executive: Powers, Duties, Functions and Compensation. – (a) The
municipal mayor, as the chief executive of the municipal government, shall exercise such powers
and performs 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 municipality and its inhabitants pursuant to Section 16 of this Code, the municipal mayor
shall:

(1) Exercise general supervision and control over all programs, projects, services, and activities of
the municipal government, and in this connection, shall:

(i) Determine the guidelines of municipal policies and be responsible to the sangguniang bayan for
the program of government;

(ii) Direct the formulation of the municipal development plan, with the assistance of the municipal
development council, and upon approval thereof by the sangguniang bayan, implement the same;

(iii) At the opening of the regular session of the sangguniang bayan for every calendar year and,
as may be deemed necessary, present the program of government and propose policies and projects
for the consideration of the sangguniang bayan as the general welfare of the inhabitants and the
needs of the municipal government may require;

(iv) Initiate and propose legislative measures to the sangguniang bayan and, from time to time as
the situation may require, 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 municipal 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) Upon authorization by the sangguniang bayan, represent the municipality in all its business
transactions and sign on its behalf all bonds, contracts, and obligations, and such other documents
made 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, according to law or ordinance, the time, manner and place of payment of salaries
or wages of the officials and employees of the municipality;

(ix) Allocate and assign office space to municipal and other officials and employees who, by law
or ordinance, are entitled to such space in the municipal hall and other buildings owned or leased
by the municipal government;

(x) Ensure that all executive officials and employees of the municipality 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 municipality 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 municipality and in aid of his executive powers and authority, require all national officials
and employees stationed in or assigned to the municipality 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 within seventy-
two (72) hours after their issuance: Provided, That municipalities of Metropolitan Manila Area
and that of any metropolitan political subdivision shall furnish copies of said executive orders to
the metropolitan authority council chairman and to the Office of the President;

(xiii) Visit component barangays of the municipality at least once every six (6) months to deepen
his understanding of problems and conditions therein, listen and give appropriate counsel to local
officials and inhabitants, inform the component barangay officials and inhabitants of general laws
and ordinances which especially concern them, and otherwise conduct visits and inspections to the
end that the governance of the municipality will improve the quality of life of the inhabitants;

(xiv) Act on leave applications of officials and employees appointed by him and the commutation
of the monetary value of leave credits according to law;

(xv) Authorize official trips outside of the municipality of municipal officials and employees for
a period not exceeding thirty (30) days;

(xvi) Call upon any national official or employee stationed in or assigned to the municipality to
advise him on matters affecting the municipality and to make recommendations thereon, or to
coordinate in the formulation and implementation of plans, programs and projects, and when
appropriate, initiate an administrative or judicial action against a national government official or
employee who may have committed an offense in the performance of his official duties while
stationed in or assigned to the local government unit concerned;

(xvii) Subject to availability of funds, authorize payment of medical care, necessary transportation,
subsistence, hospital or medical fees of municipal officials and employees who are injured while
in the performance of their official duties and functions;

(xviii) Solemnize marriages, any provision of law to the contrary notwithstanding;

(xx) Submit to the provincial governor the following reports: an annual report containing a
summary of all matters pertaining to the management, administration and development of the
municipality and all information and data relative to its political, social and economic conditions;
and supplemental reports when unexpected events and situations arise at any time during the year,
particularly when man-made or natural disasters or calamities affect the general welfare of the
municipality, province, region or country. Mayors of municipalities of the Metropolitan Manila
Area and other metropolitan political subdivisions shall submit said reports to their respective
metropolitan council chairmen and to the Office of the President;

(2) Enforce all laws and ordinances relative to the governance of the municipality and the exercise
of its corporate powers provided for under Section 22 of this Code, implement all approved
policies, programs, projects, services and activities of the municipality and, in addition to the
foregoing, shall:

(i) Ensure that the acts of the municipality’s component barangays and of its officials and
employees are within the scope of their prescribed powers, functions, duties and responsibilities;

(ii) Call conventions, conferences, seminars or meetings of any elective and appointive officials
of the municipality, including provincial officials and national officials and employees stationed
in or assigned to the municipality at such time and place and on such subject as he may deem
important for the promotion of the general welfare of the local government unit and its inhabitants;

(iii) Issue such executive orders as are necessary for the proper enforcement and execution of laws
and ordinances;

(iv) Be entitled to carry the necessary firearm within his territorial jurisdiction;

(v) Act as the deputized representative of the National Police Commission, formulate the peace
and order plan of the municipality and upon its approval, implement the same and exercise general
and operational control and supervision over the local police forces in the municipality in
accordance with R.A. No 6975;

(vi) Call upon the appropriate law enforcement agencies to suppress disorder, riot, lawless
violence, rebellion or sedition or to apprehend violators of the law when public interest so requires
and the municipal police forces are inadequate to cope with the situation or the violators;

(3) Initiate and maximize the generation of resources and revenues, and apply the same to the
implementation of development plans, program objectives and priorities as provided for under
Section 18 of this Code, particularly those resources and revenues programmed for agro-industrial
development and country-wide growth and progress, and relative thereto, shall:
(i) Require each head of an office or department to prepare and submit an estimate of
appropriations for the ensuing calendar year, in accordance with the budget preparation process
under Title Five, Book II of this Code;

(ii) Prepare and submit to the sanggunian for approval the executive and supplemental budgets of
the municipality for the ensuing calendar year in the manner provided for under Title Five, Book
II of this Code;

(iii) Ensure that all taxes and other revenues of the municipality are collected, and that municipal
funds are applied in accordance with law or ordinance to the payment of expenses and settlement
of obligations of the municipality;

(iv) Issue licenses and permits and suspend or revoke the same for any violation of the conditions
upon which said licenses or permits had been issued, pursuant to law or ordinance;

(v) Issue permits, without need of approval therefor from any national agency, for the holding of
activities for any charitable or welfare purpose, excluding prohibited games of chance or shows
contrary to law, public policy and public morals;

(vi) Require owners of illegally constructed houses, buildings or other structures to obtain the
necessary permit, subject to such fines and penalties as may be imposed by law or ordinance, or to
make necessary changes in the construction of the same when said construction violates any law
or ordinance, or to order the demolition or removal of said house, building or structure within the
period prescribed by law or ordinance;

(vii) Adopt adequate measures to safeguard and conserve land, mineral, marine, forest, and other
resources of the municipality;

(viii) Provide efficient and effective property and supply management in the municipality; and
protect the funds, credits, rights and other properties of the municipality; and

(ix) Institute or cause to be instituted administrative or judicial proceedings for violation of

(4) Ensure the delivery of basic services and the provision of adequate facilities as provided for
under Section 17 of this Code and, in addition thereto, shall:

(i) Ensure that the construction and repair of roads and highways funded by the National
Government shall be, as far as practicable, carried out in a spatially contiguous manner and in
coordination with the construction and repair of the roads and bridges of the municipality and the
province; and

(ii) Coordinate the implementation of technical services rendered by national and provincial
offices, including public works and infrastructure programs in the municipality; and
(5) Exercise such other powers and perform such other duties and functions as may be prescribed
by law or ordinance.

(c) During his incumbency, the municipal mayor shall hold office in the municipal hall.

(d) The municipal mayor shall receive a minimum monthly compensation corresponding to Salary
Grade twenty-seven (27) as prescribed under R.A. No. 6758 and the implementing guidelines
issued pursuant thereto.