Section 8Sec./Art. 8

The City Mayor. -

(a) The city mayor shall be the chief executive of the City. He shall be elected at large by the qualified voters of the City. No person shall be eligible for the position of city mayor unless, at the time of the election, he is at least twenty-one (21) years of age, an actual resident of the City of El Salvador for at least one year prior to his election and a qualified voter therein. He shall hold office for three years, unless sooner removed, and shall receive a minimum monthly compensation corresponding to Salary Grade Thirty (30) as prescribed under Republic Act No. 6758, otherwise known as the Salary Standardization Law and the implementing guidelines issued pursuant thereto.

The city mayor, as the chief executive of the city government, shall exercise such powers and perform such duties and functions as provided herein.

(b) For efficient, effective and economical governance, the purpose of which is the general welfare of the City and its inhabitants, the city mayor shall:

(1) Exercise those powers expressly granted to him by law, those necessarily implied therefrom, as well as powers necessary, appropriate or incidental for the efficient and effective governance of the City and those which are essential to the promotion of the general welfare:

(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 appointments are not otherwise provided for in this Act, as well as those he may be authorized by law to appoint;

(vi) Represent the City in all its business transactions and sign on its behalf all bonds, contracts and obligations, and such other documents upon the 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 the 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 for by law and this Act, 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 Office of the President and the Office of the Secretary of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) within seventy-two (72) hours after the issuance;

(xiii) Visit component barangays of the City at least once every six months to deepen his understanding of the problems and conditions, listen and give appropriate counsel to local officials and inhabitants of general laws and ordinances which especially concern them, and otherwise conduct visits and inspections to ensure that the governance of the City 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 their leave credits in accordance with law;

(xv) Authorize official trips of city officials and employees outside of the City for a period not exceeding thirty (30) days: Provided, That the trips abroad or for a longer period may be authorized in accordance with the Local Government Code of 1991;

(xvi) Call upon any national official or employee stationed in or assigned to the City to advise him on matters affecting the City and to make recommendations thereon; coordinate with said officials and employees 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 City;

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

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

(xix) Conduct an annual palarong panlungsod 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 provincial governor the following reports: an annual report containing a summary of all matters pertinent to the management, administration and development of the City 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 City;

(2) Enforce all laws and ordinances relative to the governance of the City and in the exercise of its appropriate corporate powers, as well as implement all approved policies, programs, projects, services and activities of the City and, in addition, shall:

(i) Ensure that the acts of the City's component barangays 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 or appointive officials of the City, including national officials and employees stationed in or assigned to the City, 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 for the faithful and appropriate enforcement and execution of laws and ordinances;

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

(v) Act as the deputized representative of the National Police Commission, formulate the peace and order plan of the City and, upon its approval, implement the same; and as such, exercise the general and operational control and supervision over the police forces in the City in accordance with Republic Act No. 6975, otherwise known as the Philippine National Police Law; and

(vi) Call upon the appropriate law enforcement agencies to suppress disorder, riot, lawless violence, rebellion or sedition, or apprehend violators of the law when public interest so requires and the city 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, particularly those resources and revenues programmed for agro-industrial development and countryside 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 enshrined under Republic Act No. 7160, otherwise known as the Local Government Code of 1991;

(ii) Prepare and submit to the sanggunian for approval the executive and supplemental budgets of the City for the ensuing calendar year in the manner provided for under the Local Government Code of 1991;

(iii) Ensure that all taxes and other revenues of the City are collected and that city funds are applied to the payment of expenses and the settlement of obligations of the City, 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 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, forest and other resources of the City;

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

(ix) Institute or cause to be instituted administrative or judicial proceedings for violation of ordinances in the collection of taxes, fees or charges, and for the recovery of funds and property; and cause the City 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 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 City; and

(ii) Coordinate the implementation of technical services, including public works and infrastructure programs, rendered by national offices; and

(5) Perform such other duties and functions and exercise such other powers as provided for under the Local Government Code of 1991, and those that are prescribed by law or ordinance.

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