Philippine cities are meant for integration, not isolation

Have you ever heard about the "independent cities" model, which the Americans introduced to us in 1901 through dissolving the Manila province? If you look deeper into what that is, you might have stumbled upon what the "independent cities" model really is about, especially since July 1946. Contrary to what national legislation says about cities since the American period, Philippine cities desire more integration with the surrounding provinces. Hallmarks of such a desire include the fact that many residents of designated "independent cities" want their cities to remain the provincial capital. Large cities continue to influence neighboring provinces, which directly proves how unsuitable the "independent cities" model can be.

Separating cities is about political convenience

Beneath the veneer of "increased city autonomy," there is always a more cynical true motive for separating cities from provinces. That motive is mostly to silence the cities from provincial affairs. Within a province, as a city grows, it naturally becomes more influential over the years, finally reaching the point where the city can challenge the incumbent provincial government. In theory, that city could serve as a watchdog to ensure that the provincial government performs its powers and responsibilities with more propriety. However, in practice, the cities are asked to leave the provinces so that provincial political dynasties could rule without internal challengers.

Origin of independent cities

"Independent city" is a process in which a national or another regional government separates a populous human settlement from the surrounding larger locality. The "independent cities" concept that the Philippine government currently applies can be traced back to Virginia, United States. In fact, the state constitution of Virginia defines the city as an independent locality; in short, any city in Virginia is independent of any county. Virginia introduced the "independent cities" model with its 1870 constitution. In 1901, the United States introduced the Virginian model to the Philippines. Ultimately, the concept of "independent cities" started in what is now Germany, which in the European postclassical period (Middle Ages) was the Holy Roman Empire.

Return cities to provinces

We have to take note that "independent cities" are a highly specific issue and abolishing that concept doesn't warrant drafting an entirely new Philippine constitution. Only one section in the 1987 Philippine Constitution says that certain cities should not be in the provinces. To surefire the abolition of the "independent cities" model, the legislators could introduce a constitutional amendment that implies that all cities must belong to a province.