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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 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.
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