Proceedings of the first Independence congress : held in the city of Manila, Philippine islands, February 22-26, 1930 / Published under the direction of Dean maximo M. Kalaw, executive secretary, University of the Philippines.

POLITICAL SECTION

99

some respects, however, its relation to the central government
is analogous to that of a state to the Federal Government.
The chief officials of the province are the provincial governor, the provincial treasurer and the members of the provincial board. The governor is the chief executive of the
province. He is elected by popular vote for a term of three
years except in the special provinces of Cotabato, Lanao, Sulu,
Mountain Province and Bukidnon wherein the provincial governor is appointed by the Governor-General with the advice
and consent of the Philippine Senate. In the remaining special
provinces of Agusan, Davao, Nueva Vizcaya and Zamboanga
the provincial governors are elected by popular vote as in the
regular provinces. The treasurer is the chief financial officer
of the province. The provincial board, which is a legislative
and administrative body, consists of three members including
the governor who acts as the chairman. In the regular provinces all the members of this body are elected by the direct
vote of the people. In the special provinces the provincial
treasurer, who holds his office by appointment, still retains his
membership in the board. The other member of the board
in the special provinces, called the "third member" is elected
by popular vote in the case of Agusan, Zamboanga, Davao
and Nueva Vizcaya and by the vice-presidents and councilors
of municipalities and municipal districts in the case of other
special provinces. In the special province of Sulu the treasurer
is also the secretary of the provincial board and his official
designation is "Secretary-Treasurer." The board exercises administrative supervision over the governments of the municipalities of the province and their officers; and in matters of
legislation it acts under express grants of powers. Other provincial officers, most of whom are under Insular control and
are appointed in both kinds of provinces, are the provincial
fiscal, who is the law officer of the province, the assessor, the
division superintendent of schools, the provincial auditor, the
provincial commander of Constabulary, the district engineer,
the district health officer, the clerk of court, the sheriff, the
warden of the provincial jail and the register of deeds. If a
province comprises a judicial district, it also has a judge of
first instance of its own.