ABSTRACT
The Local Government Code of 1991 was one of the best legacies of the People Power Revolution of 1986 in the Philippines. As the country chose democracy as the path to development, the Code changed its largely decentralized structure and chose devolution as the road towards democratic local governance. But does devolution necessarily lead to democracy? In analyzing whether this connection indeed exists, I have viewed devolution as an increase in the power of elected local government units (LGUs) and democratization as enhancing popular power, advancing justice and equity, upholding the rule of law, and being accountable to the governed. In an earlier study, I found that the record is mixed (Cariño 2007).
