Section 12Sec./Art. 12

The Provincial Governor. -(a) The provincial governor, as the chief executive of the provincial government shall exercise such powers and perform such duties and functions as provided under the Local Government Code of 1991, as amended, and other laws.

(b) For efficient, effective and economical governance, the purpose of which is the general welfare of the province and its inhabitants pursuant to Section 16 of the Local Government Code of 1991, as amended, the provincial governor shall:

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

(i) Determine the guidelines of provincial policies and be responsible to thesangguniang panlalawiganfor the program of government;

(ii) Direct the formulation of the provincial development plan, with the assistance of the provincial development council and, upon approval thereof by thesangguniang panlalawigan,implement the same;

(iii) Present the program of govenrment and propose policies and projects for the consideration of thesangguniang panlalawiganat the opening of the regular session of thesangguniang panlalawiganevery calendar year and as often as may be deemed necessary as the general welfare of the inhabitants and the needs of the provincial government may require;

(iv) Initiate and propose legislative measures to thesangguniang panlalawiganand, as often as may be deemed necessary, provide such information and data needed or requested in the performance of its legislative functions;

(v) Appoint all officials and employees whose salaries and wages are wholly or mainly paid out of provincial funds and whose appointments are not otherwise provided for in this Act, as well as those that the provincial governor may be authorized by law to appoint;

(vi) Represent the province in all its business transactions, and sign in its behalf all bonds, contracts and obligations, and such other documents upon the authority of thesangguniang panlalawiganor 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 provincial officials and employees, in accordance with law or ordinances;

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

(x) Ensure all executive officials and employees of the province faithfully discharge their duties and functions as provided for by law and the Local Government Code of 1991, as amended, and cause to be instituted administrative or judicial proceedings against any official or employee of the province who may have committed an offense in the performance of official duties;

(xi) Examine the books, records and other documents of all offices,officials, agents or employees of the province and, in aid of executive powers and authority, require all national officials and employees stationed in the province to make available such books, records and other documents in their custody, except those classified by law as confidential;

(xii) Furnish copies of executive orders issued by the governor to the Office of the President within seventy-two (72) hours after their issuance;

(xiii) Visit component cities and municipalities of the province at least once every six (6) months to deepen the governor's understanding of problems and conditions, listen and give appropriate counsel to local officials and inhabitants; inform the officials and inhabitants of component cities and municipalities of general laws and ordinace which especially concern them, and otherwise conduct visits and inspections to ensure that the governance of the province will improve the quality of life of the inhabitants;

(xiv) Act on leave application of officials and employees and the commutation of the monetary value of their leave credits in accordance with law'

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

(xvi) Call upon any national official or employee stationed in or assigned to the province to advise on matters affecting the province and to make recommendations thereon; coordinate with the official or employee 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 official duties while stationed in or assigned to the province;

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

(xviii) Represent the province in inter-provincial or regional sports councils or committees, and coordinate the efforts of component cities or municipalities in the regional or nationalpalaroor sports development activities;

(xix) Conduct an annualpalarong panlalawigan,which shall feature traditional sports and disciplines included in national and international games in coordination with the Department of Education (DepEd); and

(xx) Submit to the Office of the President the following reports: an annual report containing a summary of all matters pertinent to the management, administration and development of the province 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 province, the region or the country in general;

(2) Enforce all laws and ordinances relative to the governance of the province and the exercise of the appropriate corporate powers provided under Section 22 of the Local Government Code of 1991, as amended; implement all approved policies, programs, projects, services and activities of the province; and, in addition to the foregoing shall:

(i) Ensure that the acts of the component cities and municipalities of the province and of its officials and employees are within the scope of their prescribed powers, duties and functions;

(ii) Call conventions, conferences, seminars or meetings of elective and appointive officials of the province and its component cities and municipalities, including national officials and employees stationed in or assigned to the province, at such time and place and on such subject as may be deemed important for the promotion of the general welfare of the province and its inhabitants;

(iii) Issue such executive orders for the faithful and appropriate enforcement and execution of laws and ordinances;

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

(v) In coordination with the mayors of component cities and municipalities and the National Police Commission, formulate the peace and order plan of the province and upon its approval, implement the same in accordance with Republic Act No. 6975, as amended, otherwise known as the "Department of the Interior and Local Government Code of 1990"; and

(vi) Call upon the appropriate national 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 when the police forces of the component city or municipality where the disorder or violation is happening 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, programs objectives and priorities as provided under Section 18 of the Local Government Code of 1991, as amended, particularly those resources and revenues programmed for agro-industrial development and countrywide growth and progress, 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 V, Book II of the Local Government Code of 1991, as amended;

(ii) Prepare and submit to thesangguniang panlalawiganfor approval the executive and supplemental budgets of the province for the ensuing calendar year in the manner provided under Title V, Book II of the Local Government Code of 1991, as amended;

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

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

(v) Adopt adequate measures to safeguard and conserve land, mineral, marine, forest and other resources of the province, in coordination with the mayors of component cities or municipalities;

(vi) Provide efficient and effective property and supply management in the province; and safeguard the funds, accounts receivables, rights and other properties of the province; and

(vii) Institute or cause to be instituted administrative or judicial proceedings for violations of ordinances in the collection of taxes, fees or charges, and for the recovery of funds and property, and cause the province to be defended against all suits to ensure that its interests, resources and rights shall be adequately protected;

(4) Ensure the delivery of basic services and the provision of adequate facilities as provided under Section 17 of the Local Government Code of 1991, as amended 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 province and of its component cities and municipalities; and

(ii) Coordinate the implementation of technical services by national offices for the province and its component cities and municipalities, including public works and infrastructure programs of the provincial government and its component cities and municipalities; and

(5) Exercise such other powers and perform such other duties and functions as may be prescribed by law or ordinance.

The provincial governor shall receive a minimum monthly compensation as precribed under Republic Act No. 6758, otherwise known as the "Compensation and Position Classification Act of 1989", as amended, and the implementing guidelines issued pursuant thereto.