Section 17. Basic Services and Facilities. —

1. Local government units shall endeavor to be self-reliant and shall continue exercising the powers and discharging the duties and functions currently vested upon them. They shall also discharge the functions and responsibilities of national agencies and offices devolved to them pursuant to this Code. Local government units shall likewise exercise such other powers and discharge such other functions and responsibilities as are necessary, appropriate, or incidental to efficient and effective provision of the basic services and facilities enumerated herein.

2. Such basic services and facilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

   1. For a Barangay:

      1. Agricultural support services which include planting materials distribution system and operation of farm produce collection and buying stations;

      2. Health and social welfare services which include maintenance of barangay health center and day-care center;

      3. Services and facilities related to general hygiene and sanitation, beautification, and solid waste collection;

      4. Maintenance of katarungang pambarangay;

      5. Maintenance of barangay roads and bridges and water supply systems;

      6. Infrastructure facilities such as multi-purpose hall, multi-purpose pavement, plaza, sports center, and other similar facilities;

      7. Information and reading center; and

      8. Satellite or public market, where viable;

   2. For a Municipality:

      1. Extension and on-site research services and facilities related to agriculture and fishery activities which include dispersal of livestock and poultry, fingerlings, and other seeding materials for aquaculture; palay, corn, and vegetable seed farms; medicinal plant gardens; fruit tree, coconut, and other kinds of seedling nurseries; demonstration farms; quality control of copra and improvement and development of local distribution channels, preferably through cooperatives; interbarangay irrigation systems; water and soil resource utilization and conservation projects; and enforcement of fishery laws in municipal waters including the conservation of mangroves;

      2. Pursuant to national policies and subject to supervision, control and review of the DENR, implementation of community-based forestry projects which include integrated social forestry programs and similar projects; management and control of communal forests with an area not exceeding fifty (50) square kilometers; establishment of tree parks, greenbelts, and similar forest development projects;

      3. Subject to the provisions of Title Five, Book I of this Code, health services which include the implementation of programs and projects on primary health care, maternal and child care, and communicable and non-communicable disease control services; access to secondary and tertiary health services; purchase of medicines, medical supplies, and equipment needed to carry out the services herein enumerated;

      4. Social welfare services which include programs and projects on child and youth welfare, family and community welfare, women's welfare, welfare of the elderly and disabled persons; community-based rehabilitation programs for vagrants, beggars, street children, scavengers, juvenile delinquents, and victims of drug abuse; livelihood and other pro-poor projects; nutrition services; and family planning services;

      5. Information services which include investments and job placement information systems, tax and marketing information systems, and maintenance of a public library;

      6. Solid waste disposal system or environmental management system and services or facilities related to general hygiene and sanitation;

      7. Municipal buildings, cultural centers, public parks including freedom parks, playgrounds, and other sports facilities and equipment, and other similar facilities;

      8. Infrastructure facilities intended primarily to service the needs of the residents of the municipality and which are funded out of municipal funds including, but not limited to, municipal roads and bridges; school buildings and other facilities for public elementary and secondary schools; clinics, health centers and other health facilities necessary to carry out health services; communal irrigation, small water impounding projects and other similar projects; fish ports; artesian wells, spring development, rainwater collectors and water supply systems; seawalls, dikes, drainage and sewerage, and flood control; traffic signals and road signs; and similar facilities;

      9. Public markets, slaughterhouses and other municipal enterprises;

      10. Public cemetery;

      11. Tourism facilities and other tourist attractions, including the acquisition of equipment, regulation and supervision of business concessions, and security services for such facilities; and

      12. Sites for police and fire stations and substations and municipal jail;

   3. For a Province:

      1. Agricultural extension and on-site research services and facilities which include the prevention and control of plant and animal pests and diseases; dairy farms, livestock markets, animal breeding stations, and artificial insemination centers; and assistance in the organization of farmers' and fishermen's cooperatives and other collective organizations, as well as the transfer of appropriate technology;

      2. Industrial research and development services, as well as the transfer of appropriate technology;

      3. Pursuant to national policies and subject to supervision, control and review of the DENR, enforcement of forestry laws limited to community-based forestry projects, pollution control law, small-scale mining law, and other laws on the protection of the environment; and mini-hydroelectric projects for local purposes;

      4. Subject to the provisions of Title Five, Book I of this Code, health services which include hospitals and other tertiary health services;

      5. Social welfare services which include programs and projects on rebel returnees and evacuees; relief operations; and population development services;

      6. Provincial buildings, provincial jails, freedom parks and other public assembly areas, and similar facilities;

      7. Infrastructure facilities intended to service the needs of the residents of the province and which are funded out of provincial funds including, but not limited to, provincial roads and bridges; inter-municipal waterworks, drainage and sewerage, flood control, and irrigation systems; reclamation projects; and similar facilities;

      8. Programs and projects for low-cost housing and other mass dwellings, except those funded by the Social Security System (SSS), Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), and the Home Development Mutual Fund (HDMF); Provided, That national funds for these programs and projects shall be equitably allocated among the regions in proportion to the ratio of the homeless to the population;

      9. Investment support services, including access to credit financing;

      10. Upgrading and modernization of tax information and collection services through the use of computer hardware and software and other means;

      11. Inter-municipal telecommunications services, subject to national policy guidelines; and

      12. Tourism development and promotion programs;

   4. For a City:

      All the services and facilities of the municipality and province, and in addition thereto, the following:

      1. Adequate communication and transportation facilities;

      2. Support for education, police and fire services and facilities;

3. Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (b) hereof, public works and infrastructure projects and other facilities, programs and services funded by the National Government under the annual General Appropriations Act, other special laws, pertinent executive orders, and those wholly or partially funded from foreign sources, are not covered under this section, except in those cases where the local government unit concerned is duly designated as the implementing agency for such projects, facilities, programs, and services.

4. The designs, plans, specifications, testing of materials, and the procurement of equipment and materials from both foreign and local sources necessary for the provision of the foregoing services and facilities shall be undertaken by the local government unit concerned, based on national policies, standards and guidelines.

5. National agencies or offices concerned shall devolve to local government units the responsibility for the provision of basic services and facilities enumerated in this section within six (6) months after the effectivity of this Code.

   As used in this Code, the term "devolution" refers to the act by which the National Government confers power and authority upon the various local government units to perform specific functions and responsibilities.

6. The National Government or the next higher level of local government unit may provide or augment the basic services and facilities assigned to a lower level of local government unit when such services or facilities are not made available or, if made available, are inadequate to meet the requirements of its inhabitants.

7. The basic services and facilities hereinabove enumerated shall be funded from the share of local government units in the proceeds of national taxes and other local revenues and funding support from the National Government, its instrumentalities and government-owned or -controlled corporations which are tasked by law to establish and maintain such services or facilities. Any fund or resource available for the use of local government units shall be first allocated for the provision of basic services or facilities enumerated in subsection (b) hereof before applying the same for other purposes, unless otherwise provided in this Code.

8. Regional offices of national agencies or offices whose functions are devolved to local government units as provided herein shall be phased out within one (1) year from the approval of this Code. Said national agencies and offices may establish such field units as may be necessary for monitoring purposes and providing technical assistance to local government units. The properties, equipment, and other assets of these regional offices shall be distributed to the local government units in the region in accordance with the rules and regulations issued by the Oversight Committee created under this Code.

9. The devolution contemplated in this Code shall include the transfer to local government units of the records, equipment, and other assets and personnel of national agencies and offices corresponding to the devolved powers, functions, and responsibilities.

   Personnel of said national agencies or offices shall be absorbed by the local government units to which they belong or in whose areas they are assigned to the extent that it is administratively viable as determined by the said oversight committee: Provided, That the rights accorded to such personnel pursuant to civil service law, rules and regulations shall not be impaired: Provided, further, That regional directors who are career executive service officers and other officers of similar rank in the said regional offices who cannot be absorbed by the local government unit shall be retained by the National Government, without any diminution of rank, salary or tenure.

10. To ensure the active participation of the private sector in local governance, local government units may, by ordinance, sell, lease, encumber, or otherwise dispose of public economic enterprises owned by them in their proprietary capacity.

Costs may also be charged for the delivery of basic services or facilities enumerated in this section.