PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT

SY: 2011-2012

THE GOVERNMENT

The Philippines is a democratic republic governed under a 1987

constitution. This constitution is modeled on the commonwealth

constitution of 1935 that set up a system of government similar to

that of the United States. It includes many restrictions on term

lengths and presidential powers as a way to safeguard against

authoritarian rule. All Philippine citizens age 18 or older may vote.

During the Marcos regime, the military was politicized and used to

sustain his power. This set a precedent of military influence that

has continued to be a destabilizing factor in Philippine

THE MALACAÑANG PALACE

THE EXECUTIVE

The head of state and chief executive of the Philippines is a president,

elected by popular vote to a nonrenewable six-year term. The vice

president, who is also directly elected, may serve no more than two

consecutive six-year terms. The president and vice president are elected

by separate ballot and may belong to different political parties. The

president nominates appointments for heads of government departments,

or ministries, to form a cabinet. The Commission on Appointments,

composed of 24 members of Congress, reviews and votes on the

nominations. The approved cabinet oversees the day-to-day functions of

government. The president has limited emergency powers and may place

the republic under martial law for no more than 60 days.

PRESIDENT BENIGNO COJUANGCO AQUINO III

THE LEGISLATURE

The Philippines has a bicameral (two-chamber) legislature called the

Congress of the Philippines. The upper house, or Senate, has 24

members who are directly elected to serve six-year terms. Senators are

limited to two consecutive terms. The lower house, or House of

Representatives, has a maximum of 260 members who serve three-year

terms; 208 representatives are directly elected and 52 are indirectly

elected from party-list nominees of indigenous minority groups. House

members are limited to three consecutive terms. A two-thirds vote of

Congress is required to overrule a presidential veto of proposed

legislation

THE JUDICIARY

The highest tribunal in the Philippines is the

Supreme Court, made up of a chief justice and 14

associate justices, all appointed by the country’s

president. The mandatory retirement age for

Supreme Court justices is 70. Other judicial bodies

include a court of appeals, courts of the first

instance, and municipal courts.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

For administrative purposes the Philippines is divided into regions,

provinces, and chartered cities. Regions include the National Capital

Region, encompassing the Manila metropolitan area; the Cordillera

Administrative Region, a semiautonomous region of upland tribal

groups in northern Luzon; and the Autonomous Region of Muslim

Mindanao (ARMM), encompassing four provinces in Mindanao. The

ARMM is a quasi self-governing region that was formed in 1989. It

has an elected legislative assembly and is headed by a governor with

limited executive powers. Provinces are headed by governors, and

chartered cities are headed by mayors.

CONTINUATION…

Philippine provinces are subdivided into cities and municipalities.

Unlike chartered cities, which are accountable to the national

government, cities and municipalities are responsible to the

government of the surrounding province. Each provincial city or

municipality is headed by an elected mayor.

The smallest unit of local government is the barangay. In rural areas

the barangay is a village, and in urban areas it is a neighborhood.

Each city or municipality contains numerous barangays, and there are

thousands of barangays in the Philippines. Each barangay is

administered by a chief executive and a community council, whose

members are elected by the residents of the barangay.

POLITICAL PARTIES

Political parties in the Philippines are extensions

of the key politicians who control them, rather

than institutions focused on particular ideologies

or political viewpoints. Political loyalties are given

to individuals, and rarely to the parties. Politicians

often switch party allegiances for personal gain or

regional advantage.

CONTINUATION….

Two opposing coalitions dominated the 2001 legislative and provincial

elections: the People Power Coalition and the Puwersa ng Masa (Power of

the Masses). The People Power Coalition of President Gloria Macapagal-

Arroyo included the Lakas ng EDSA (Power of EDSA)-National Union of

Christian Democrats (Lakas-NUCD), the Partido Para sa Demokratikong

Reporma (PDR), and two small parties. In 2000 these parties had joined in

what was known as the United Opposition against then-President Joseph

Estrada, who was subsequently forced from office. To contest the 2001

elections, Estrada and his supporters formed an opposition coalition, the

Puwersa ng Masa, comprising the Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP)

and Estrada’s party, the Partido ng Masang Pilipino (PMP).

HEALTH AND WELFARE

Pervasive poverty detracts from the overall health of the people of the

Philippines. Malnutrition is a continuing concern of health-care professionals

and the government, which provides some food assistance for young children

and new mothers. Most cities of the Philippines have modern health facilities,

but rural areas are generally underserved. Residents of rural areas have less

access to safe drinking water and sanitation. In 2004 the country had 1

physician for every 860 people. Many Filipinos also consult traditional healers

in times of illness. The average life expectancy in the Philippines is 68 years.

The government manages a social security system that includes post-

retirement health-care benefits, but most agricultural workers are not

included in the system because they tend to be self-employed or

underemployed.

DEFENSE

In 2004 the armed forces of the

Philippines included an army of

66,000 members, a navy of 24,000,

and an air force of 16,000. Military

service is voluntary. The Philippine

National Police (PNP) is divided

into regional units under a

provincial commander

- BY: GROUP VI -

THANKS FOR LISTENING!

HAVE A NICE DAY AHEAD!- JESSICA Castillo

- RENZ Landicho

- Salcedo, Vi-jay

- Marquez, Mary Angel

- Untalan, Alexandria

- Lardizabal Neil

- Gutierrez, Noriel

- Mendoza, Tom Harris