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 selfemployed 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!
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JESSICA Castillo
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RENZ Landicho
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Salcedo, Vi-jay
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Marquez, Mary Angel
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Untalan, Alexandria
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Lardizabal Neil
Gutierrez, Noriel
Mendoza, Tom Harris