Autonomous Region

What is Autonomous Region?Sec 15. There shall be created Autonomous Regions in Muslim Mindanao and in the Cordilleras consisting of provinces, cities, municipalities, and geographical areas sharing common and distinctive historical and cultural heritage, economic and social structures, and other relevant characteristics within the framework of this constitution and the national sovereignity as well as territorial integrity of the Republic of the Philippines

The President and Autonomous RegionSec 16. The President shall exercise general supervision over Autonomous Regions to ensure that laws are faithfully executed.

Sec 20. Within its territorial jurisdicton and subject to the provisions of the Constitution and National Laws, the organic act of Autonomous Regions shall provide for Legislative Powers over: Administrative Organization; Creation of Sources of Revenues; Ancestral Domain and Natural Resources; Personal, Family, and Property Relations; Regional Urban and Rural Planning Developent; Economic, Social, and Tourism Development; Educational Policies; Preservation and Developmet of the Cultural Heritage; and Such other matters as may be authorized by law for the promotion of the general welfare of the people of the region.

Regions of the PhilippinesIn the Philippines, regions are administrative divisions that serve primarily to organize the provinces of the country for administrative convenience. Currently, the archipelagic republic of the Philippines is divided into 17 regions. Most government officers are established by region instead of individual provincial offices, usually in the city designated as the regional center.The regions themselves do not possess a separate local government, with the exception of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, which has an elected regional assembly and governor. The Cordillera Administrative Region was originally intended to be autonomous, but the failure of two plebiscites for its establishment reduced it to a regular administrative region.

ARMM vs. CARARMM (Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao) - is an autonomous region of the Philippines, located in the Mindanao Island Group of the Philippines, that is composed of five(5) Predominantly Muslim Provinces, namely: BASILAN, LANAO DEL SUR, MAGUINDANAO, SULU, and TAWI-TAWI. It is the only region that has its own government.CAR ( Cordillera Administrative Region) - It consists of the provinces of ABRA, BENGUET, IFUGAO, KALINGA, MOUNTAIN PROVINCE and APAYAO. Baguio is the regional center. The Cordillera region encompasses most of the areas within the Cordillera Central mountain range of Luzon, the largest range in the country.

ARMM Organizational Structure

ARMM Organizational Structure cont'n..EXECUTIVE

- The region is needed by a Regional Governor. - The Regional Governor and the Regional Vice Governor are elected directly like Regular Local Executives.- Regional ordinances are created by the Regional Assembly, composed of Assembly men, also elected by direct vote.

ARMM Organizational Structure cont'n..EXECUTIVE COUNCIL

- The Executive Council advises the Regional Governor on matters of governance of the Autonomous Region.- It is composed of the Regional Governor, 1 Regional Vice Governor, and 3 Deputy Regional Governors (each representing the Christians, the Muslims, and the Indigenous Cultural Communities.)

ARMM Organizational Structure cont'n..LEGISLATIVE

- The ARMM has a Unicameral Regional Legislative Assembly headed by a speaker.- It is composed of three(3) Congressional District; where 6 are from Lanao del Sur inscluding Marawi City, 6 from Maguindanao and Sulu, and 3 from Basilan and Tawi-tawi.

ARMM Powers and Basic PrinciplesRA 9054 provides that "ARMM shall remain an Integral and Inseperable part of the National Territory of the Republic." The President exercises general supervision over the Regional Governor. The Regional Government has the power to create its own sources of revenues and to levy taxes, fees, and charges, subject to constitutional provisions and the Provisions of RA 9054.

Public Officials of ARMMRegional GovernorRegional Vice GovernorDeputy Regional Governor, Muslim AffairsDeputy Regional Governor, Christian AffairsDeputy Regionla Governor, Indigenous Cultural CommunitiesExecutive SecretaryDeputy Executive SecretaryChieff of StaffCabinet SecretaryAttorney GeneralRegional Secretaries Heads of Offices

How were the ARMM Officials elected?The governor and vice governor are elected via first past the post system; they are elected separately and may come from different parties. Elections for the regional assembly are via plurality-at-large voting, with each assembly district (coextensive with legislative districts as used in House of Representatives elections) having three seats. A voter has can vote for up to the three candidates, with the candidates with the three highest total number of votes being elected.

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