I.

LESSON 2: POLITICAL SET-UP IN THE PHILIPPINES 1

II. INTRODUCTION

The Philippines had gained independence in the “ashes of victory.” Intense fighting,
especially around Manila in the last days of the Japanese retreat (February–March
1945), had nearly destroyed the capital. The economy generally was in disarray.
Rehabilitation aid was obviously needed, and President Roxas was willing to accept
some onerous conditions placed implicitly and explicitly by the U.S. Congress. The Bell
Act in the United States extended free trade with the Philippines for 8 years, to be
followed by 20 years of gradually increasing tariffs. The United States demanded and
received a 99-year lease on a number of Philippine military and naval bases in which
U.S. authorities had virtual territorial rights. And finally, as a specific requirement for
release of U.S. war-damage payments, the Philippines had to amend its constitution to
give U.S. citizens equal rights with Filipinos in the exploitation of natural
resources—the so-called Parity Amendment.

The changing character of Philippine–U.S. relations was a major theme in Philippine

history for the first several decades after the war. The trend was toward weakening of
the link, achieved partly by diversifying Philippine external ties and partly by more
articulate anti-American feeling. Economic nationalism, though first directed against
the local Chinese community’s dominance of retail trade, by the 1950s was focused on
the special status of American business firms.

Even in times of growth, there has been inequitable distribution of wealth. A large percentage
of the nation' s wealth remains concentrated in the hands of a few families in the highest
income group. Economic development has also favored some regions more than others over
the years and is reflected in the present economic status of these areas. The economic and
social policies of past administrations have been biased toward Metropolitan Manila for
geo-political reasons--its fine harbor and role as the seat of government and the center of
commerce and industry--resulting in rapid development of that region. An overspill of
economic development was observed later in the neighboring provinces. Rural-to-urban
migration was a response to unbalanced development and perceivedeconomic opportunities
in urban centers. This continued influx of migrants has exerted pressure on the urban
resources and environment.
III. LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the end of the lesson, students should be able to;

● Describe the environmental condition of the country at the time of the Spanish, American,
Japanese rule in the Philippines
● Identify the importance of the accomplishment of the different administration in the
Philippine government
● Promote the importance of civic responsibility

IV. LESSON PROPER

The (Third) Republic of the Philippines

The Third Republic of the Philippines was inaugurated on July 4, 1946. It marked the
culmination of the peaceful campaign for Philippine Independence—the two landmarks of
which were the enactment of the Jones Law in 1916 (in which the U.S. Congress pledged
independence for the Philippines once Filipinos have proven their capability for self-
government) and the Philippine Independence Act of 1934 (popularly known as Tydings-
McDuffie) which put in place a ten-year transition period during which the Philippines had
Commonwealth status. The Third Republic also marked the recognition by the global
community of nations, of the nationhood of the Philippines—a process that began when the
Commonwealth of the Philippines joined the Anti-Axis Alliance known as the United Nations
on June 14, 1942, receiving recognition as an Allied nation even before independence. At
independence the military ties with the United States were as strong as the economic ones.
Filipino troops fought against communist forces in Korea, and noncombatant engineers
augmented U.S. forces in the Vietnam War. Crucial to U.S. military action in Vietnam were
bases in the Philippines. The Military Bases Agreement was the greatest single cause of
friction in relations between the United States and the Philippines. Beginning in 1965,
however, a series of agreements between the two countries reduced the size and number of
the U.S. bases and shortened base leases. In 1979 formal jurisdiction over the base areas
passed to the Philippine government; and the constitution of 1987 formalized the process by
which the bases agreement could be extended beyond the expiration in 1991 of base leases.
Extension of the agreement was ultimately rejected by the Philippine Senate, however, and
U.S. forces were pulled from the Philippine bases in 1992.

The nature and effectiveness of Filipino political institutions since independence has been a
special concern of the former colonial power that helped establish them. For Filipinos, those
institutions have determined the ability or inability to maintain domestic social order. Clumsy
repression of dissent and the fraudulent election of the country’s second president, Elpidio
Quirino, in 1949 set the stage for an intensification of the communist-led Hukbalahap (Huk)
Rebellion, which had begun in 1946. The rebellion also reflected a growing sense of social
injustice among tenant farmers, especially in central Luzon. Suppression of the rebellion five
years later, however, was attributable to American military aid as well as to the opening of the
political process to greater mass participation, particularly during the campaign of Ramon
Magsaysay, a uniquely charismatic figure in Filipino politics who was elected president in
1953. Magsaysay’s attempts at social and economic reform failed largely because of the
conservative outlook of the legislature and the bureaucracy. When Magsaysay died in a plane
crash in 1957, leadership of the country fell to his vice president, Carlos P. Garcia. During
Garcia’s presidential term and that of his reform-minded successor, Diosdado Macapagal
(1961–65), unrest was usually channeled through the electoral process and peaceful protest.
The third republic ended when the dictator, Ferdinand Marcos replaced by the first woman
president, Corazon Aquino.
Early and Post Dictatorship era
Ferdinand Marcos, was the alt president of the third republic. He is known today as the
dictator president of his era due to his militaristic approaches to run the government under
martial law.
Early years

❖ In 1965, Ferdinand Marcos won the presidential election and became the 10th
President of the Philippines. His first term was marked with increased industrialization
and the creation of solid infrastructures nationwide, such as the North Luzon
Expressway and the Maharlika Highway.
❖ His campaign platform included the renegotiation of major treaties with the United
States and trade with communist countries.
❖ These promises reflected a change in the self-concept of the country during the 1960s.

❖ The idea of the Philippines as an Asian outpost of Christianity was increasingly

supplanted by a desire to develop an Asian cultural identity.
❖ Artists, musicians, and writers began to look to pre-Spanish themes for inspiration.
More important was the trend toward seeking cultural identity through the national
language, Pilipino.
❖ In 1968, Senator Benigno S. Aquino Jr. warned that Marcos was on the road to
establishing "a garrison state" by "ballooning the armed forces budget", saddling the
defense establishment with "overstaying generals" and "militarizing our civilian
government offices". These were prescient comments in the light of events that would
happen in the following decade.
Marcos, who was approaching the end of his constitutionally delimited eight years in office,
had narrower goals: he pressed for the adoption of a parliamentary style of government, which
would allow him to remain in power. He feared that the new constitution would not come into
force before he lost the advantages of incumbency. At the same time, foreign investors,
predominantly American, felt increased pressure from economic nationalists in the legislature.
Second Term as the President of the Republic

❖ n 1969, Marcos ran for a second term (allowable under the 1935 constitution then in
effect) and won against 11 other candidates.
❖ Marcos' second term was marked by economic turmoil brought about by factors both
external and internal, a restless student body who demanded educational reforms, a
rising crime rate, and a growing Communist insurgency, among other things.
 ❖ At one point, student activists took over the Diliman campus of the University of the
Philippines and declared it a free commune, which lasted for a while before the
government dissolved it. Violent protesting continued over the next few years until the
declaration of martial law in 1972.
❖ In September 1972 Marcos declared martial law, claiming that it was the last defense
against the rising disorder caused by increasingly violent student demonstrations, the
alleged threats of communist insurgency by the new Communist Party of the
Philippines (CPP), and the Muslim separatist movement of the Moro National
Liberation Front (MNLF).
❖ Under martial law the regime was able to reduce violent urban crime, collect
unregistered firearms, and suppress communist insurgency in some areas.
❖ In January 1973 Marcos proclaimed the ratification of a new constitution based on the
parliamentary system, with himself as both president and prime minister. He did not,
however, convene the interim legislature that was called for in that document.
❖ On August 21, 1971, the Liberal Party held a campaign rally at the Plaza Miranda to
proclaim their Senatorial bets and their candidate for the Mayoralty of Manila. Two
grenades were reportedly tossed on stage, injuring almost everybody present. As a
result, Marcos suspended the writ of habeas corpus to arrest those behind the attack.
He rounded up a list of supposed suspects, Escabas, and other undesirables to
eliminate rivals in the Liberal Party.
Martial Law Period

❖ At 7:17 pm on September 23, 1972 President Ferdinand Marcos announced that he

had placed the entirety of the Philippines under martial law. This marked the beginning
of a 14-year period of one-man rule which would effectively last until Marcos was
exiled from the country.
❖ Opposition figures of the time, such as Lorenzo Tañada, Jose Diokno, and Jovito
Salonga, accused Marcos of exaggerating these threats, using them as a convenient
excuse to consolidate power and extend his tenure beyond the two presidential terms
allowed by the 1935 Constitution.
❖ The first wave of arrests under Marcos' declaration of martial law began with the arrest
of Senator Benigno Aquino Jr. late in the evening of September 22, during a late
meeting of the Joint Congressional Committee on Tariff Reforms at the Manila Hilton
Hotel. Aquino was one of Marcos' most prominent critics, and had exposed the plan to
proclaim martial law in a speech in the Philippine Senate the week before. Juan Ponce
Enrile would later acknowledge that the first wave of arrests focused on political figures
and journalists "in the initial stages, we must emasculate all the leaders in order to
control the situation.
❖ By the morning of September 23, 1972, martial law forces had successfully
implemented a media lockdown, with only outlets associated with Marcos crony
Roberto Benedicto allowed to operate. The declaration shut down 7 television stations,
16 national daily newspapers, 11 weekly magazines, 66 community newspapers, and
292 radio stations; as well as public utilities such as Meralco, PLDT, and the three
then-existing Philippine Airlines.
 ❖ Many reported cases of human rights violation where spread-out across the country
and the world.
❖ Elections for an interim National Assembly were finally held in 1978. The
opposition—of which the primary group was led by the jailed former senator Benigno
S. Aquino, Jr.— produced such a bold and popular campaign that the official results,
which gave Marcos’s opposition virtually no seats, were widely believed to have been
illegally altered. In 1980 Aquino was allowed to go into exile in the United States, and
the following year, after announcing the suspension of martial law, Marcos won a
virtually uncontested election for a new six-year term.
❖ On January 17, 1981 Marcos issued Proclamation No. 2045, which formally lifted the
proclamation of martial law, but retained many of his powers.
❖ Amendment No.6 to the new 1973 constitution allowed him to continue making laws,
and the decrees issued during martial law were carried forward after the lifting of
Proclamation No. 1081.
❖ He also retained the right to suspend the writ of habeas corpus for "crimes related to
subversion, insurrection, rebellion, and also conspiracy to commit such crimes."
Human rights abuses continued.
❖ It was in 1986, Presidential elections see Marcos opposed by Aquino's widow
Corazon. Marcos declares himself the winner, but Aquino disputes result. Mass
protests, dubbed "people power", in Manila see military abandon Marcos, who flees to
Hawaii. New government says Marcos looted billions of dollars during his rule.
❖ Increasing unrest springing from the economic collapse of the Philippines in the years
after the assassination of Senator Benigno Aquino in 1983 came to a head in February
1986, when the EDSA Revolution succeeded in unseating the Marcoses from
Malacañang palace.
❖ Fearful of a scenario in which Marcos' presence in the Philippines would lead to a civil
war, the Reagan administration flew Marcos and a party of about 80 individuals– the
extended Marcos family and a number of close associates – from the Philippines to
Hawaii despite Marcos' objections.
❖ Under Aquino, the Philippines would adopt a new constitution, ending the Fourth
Republic and ushering in the beginning of the Fifth Republic.
Return of the Democratic Government
The assassination of Benigno Aquino as he returned to Manila in August 1983 was generally
thought to have been the work of the military; it became the focal point of a renewed and more
heavily supported opposition to Marcos’s rule. By late 1985 Marcos, under mounting pressure
both inside and outside the Philippines, called a snap presidential election for February 1986.
Corazon C. Aquino, Benigno’s widow, became the candidate of a coalition of opposition
parties. Marcos was declared the official winner, but strong public outcry over the election
results precipitated a revolt that by the end of the month had driven Marcos from power.
Aquino then assumed the presidency.
Euphoria over the ouster of Marcos proved to be short-lived, however. The new government
had inherited an enormous external debt, a severely depleted economy, and a growing threat
from Moro and communist insurgents. The Aquino administration also had to weather
considerable internal dissension, repeated coup attempts, and such natural disasters as a
major earthquake and the 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo. The resumption of active partisan
politics, moreover, was the beginning of the end of the coalition that had brought Aquino to
power. Pro- Aquino candidates had won a sweeping victory in the 1987 legislative elections,
but there was less support for her among those elected to provincial and local offices in early
1988. By the early 1990s the criticisms against her administration—i.e., charges of weak
leadership, corruption, and human rights abuses—had begun to stick.
90's early 00's Philippines
Timeline
1992 - Aquino's defence minister Fidel Ramos wins presidency. US closes Subic Bay Naval
Station.
1996 - Peace agreement reached with Muslim separatist group, Moro National Liberation
Front. Another group, Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), fights on.
1998 - Former film star Joseph Estrada elected president.
2000 November - Impeachment proceedings start against President Estrada on allegations of
corruption, betrayal of public trust, and violation of the constitution.
2001 January - Suspension of impeachment causes mass street protests. Military withdraws
support and President Estrada stands down. Vice-President Gloria Arroyo sworn in as
president.
2001 March - MILF declares ceasefire, says ready to hold talks with government.
2001 April - Joseph Estrada is charged with plundering more than $80m from state funds while
in office. Eventually found guilty and jailed for life. although he wins pardon.
2002 January - US and Filipino armies hold joint counter-terror exercises take place near
stronghold of Al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf group.
2002 October - Series of deadly bomb blasts on Manila bus and three locations in Zamboanga
city blamed on Islamist militants.
2003 February - Ceasefire between MILF and government breaks down. Planned talks called
off in May after rebel attack on Mindanao kills 30 people.
2003 July - Government signs another ceasefire with MILF ahead of planned talks in Malaysia.
2004 February - Peace talks between government and Maoist rebel New People's Army start
in Norway, but are called off by the rebels in August.
2004 June - Gloria Arroyo wins May's presidential elections.
2005 January - Heavy fighting between troops and MILF rebels breaks July 2003 ceasefire.
2007 November - Renegade soldiers make failed coup bid at luxury hotel in Manila after
breaking out of court where they were standing trial for failed 2003 mutiny.
2009 November - An attack on group of people travelling to file election nomination papers on
Mindanao leaves 57 dead. Victims' relatives blame the rival Ampatuan clan.
2010 June - Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino becomes president.
2010 August- Manila Hostage Crisis happened. 9 Hong Kong nationals died in a 11- hour
hostage crisis.
2012 May - Philippines and Chinese naval vessels confront one another off the Scarborough
Shoal reef in the South China Sea. Both countries claim the reef, which may have significant
reserves of oil and gas.
2013 November - Typhoon Haiyan sweeps across central areas of the country leaving
devastation and thousands of dead in its wake. A major international aid effort is organised to
help more than four million people affected.
2015 January - Forty-four police commandos are killed in clashes with Muslim rebels on the
southern island of Mindanao, the largest loss of life for the security forces in recent memory.
Political Subdivision
Article 10, Section 1 of the Constitution states that “The territorial and political subdivisions of
the Republic of the Philippines are the provinces, cities, municipalities, and barangays. There
shall be autonomous regions in Muslim Mindanao and the Cordilleras as hereinafter provided.”
List of Regions and Provinces in the Philippines
Ilocos Sur La Bat
NCR: National Capital
Region Union Pangasinan aan

CAR: Cordillera Region 2: Cagayan Bul

Administrative Region Valley
aca
Abra Batanes
n
Apayao Cagayan
Nu
Benguet Isabela
eva
Ifugao Nueva Vizcaya Quirino
Ecij
Kalinga Region 3: Central Luzon
a
Mountain Province Region Aurora
Pa
1: Ilocos Region Ilocos
mp
Norte
ang
a
Tarl
ac
Za
mb
ale
s
Region 4A:
CALABARZON
B
a
t
a
n
g
a
s
C
a
v
it
e
L
a
g
u
n
a
Q
u
e
z
o
n
Rizal Cebu Davao

Region 4B: MIMAROPA / Negros Oriental del Norte

Southwestern Tagalog Siquijor Davao
Marinduque Region 8: Eastern del Sur
Occidental Mindoro Visayas
Davao
Oriental Mindoro Biliran
Occident
Palawan Eastern Samar Leyte
al Davao
Romblon Northern Samar
Oriental
Region 5: Bicol Region Samar Southern Leyte
Region 12:
Albay Camarines Region 9: Zamboanga SOCCSKARGEN
Peninsula
Norte Camarines Cotaba
Zamboanga del Norte
Sur Catanduanes to
Zamboanga del Sur
Masbate Sorsogon Sarang
Zamboanga Sibugay
Region 6: Western ani
Visayas Region 10: Northern
South
Mindanao
Aklan Cotaba
Bukidnon Camiguin
Antique to
Lanao del Norte
Capiz Sultan
Misamis Occidental
Guimaras Kudara
Misamis Oriental
Iloilo t
Region 11: Davao
Negros Occidental Region Region 13: Caraga
Region 7: Central Davao de Oro Region Agusan del Norte
Visayas
Agusan
Bohol
del Sur
Dinagat
Islands
Surigao
del Norte
Surigao
del Sur
BARMM:
Bangsamoro
Autonomous
Region in
Muslim
Mindanao
Basil
an
Lana
o del
Sur
Magu
indan
ao
Sulu
Tawi-Tawi
List of Cities Classified into:
Highly Urbanized Cities- have a minimum population of 200,000 and an annual income of at
least fifty million Philippine pesos (₱50 M). Those cities that do not meet the above
requirements are the component cities.
⮚ Lapu-Lapu ⮚ Olongapo
⮚ Angeles
⮚ Las Piñas ⮚ Parañaque
⮚ Bacolod
⮚ Lucena ⮚ Pasay
⮚ Baguio
⮚ Makati ⮚ Pasig
⮚ Butuan
⮚ Malabon ⮚ Puerto Princesa
⮚ Cagayan de Oro
⮚ Mandaluyong ⮚ Quezon City
⮚ Caloocan
⮚ Mandaue ⮚ San Juan
⮚ Cebu City
⮚ Manila ⮚ Tacloban
⮚ Davao City
⮚ Marikina ⮚ Taguig
⮚ General Santos
⮚ Muntinlupa ⮚ Valenzuela
⮚ Iligan
⮚ Navotas ⮚ Zamboanga City
⮚ Iloilo City

Independent Component Cities- Their charters prohibit their voters from voting for elective
provincial officials and they are independent of the provinces where they are located.
⮚ Naga (Camarines Sur)
⮚ Cotabato City
⮚ Ormoc (Leyte)
⮚ Dagupan (Pangasinan)

Component Cities- are considered part of the province where they are located.
⮚ Balanga (Bataan) ⮚ Bayugan (Agusan
⮚ Alaminos
⮚ Batac (Ilocos del Sur)
(Pangasinan)
Norte) ⮚ Bislig (Surigao del
⮚ Antipolo (Rizal)
⮚ Batangas City Sur)
⮚ Bacoor (Cavite) ⮚ Biñan (Laguna)
(Batangas)
⮚ Bago (Negros ⮚ Bayawan (Negros
Occidental) Oriental)
⮚ Bais (Negros ⮚ Baybay (Leyte)
Oriental)
⮚ Bogo (Cebu) ⮚ Cauayan (Isabela)

⮚ Borongan (Eastern ⮚ Cavite

Samar)
City
⮚ Cabadbaran (Agusan del
(Cavite)
Norte)
⮚ Danao (Cebu)
⮚ Cabanatuan
(Nueva Ecija) ⮚ Dapitan
(Zamboan
⮚ Cabuyao (Laguna)
ga
⮚ Cadiz (Negros
del Norte)
Occidental)
⮚ Da
⮚ Calamba (Laguna)
sm
⮚ Calapan (Oriental ari
ñas
Mindoro)
(Ca
⮚ Calbayog (Samar) vite
)
⮚ Candon (Ilocos Sur)
⮚ Digos
⮚ Canlaon (Negros (Davao
Oriental) del Sur)
⮚ Carcar (Cebu) ⮚ Dipolog

⮚ Catbalogan (Zamboan
ga
(Samar)
del Norte)
⮚ Dumagu
ete
(Negros
Oriental)
⮚ El
Salvador
(Misamis
Oriental)
⮚ Escalante
(Negros
Occidental
)
 Leyte)
⮚ Gapan (Nueva ⮚ Mati (Davao
⮚ Mabalacat Oriental)
Ecija)
(Pampanga)
⮚ General Trias ⮚ Meycauayan
⮚ Malaybalay (Bulacan)
(Cavite)
(Bukidnon)
⮚ Gingoog (Misamis ⮚ Muñoz (Nueva Ecija)
⮚ Malolos (Bulacan)
Oriental) ⮚ Naga (Cebu)
⮚ Guihulngan ⮚ Marawi (Lanao del
⮚ Oroquieta
(Negros Oriental) Sur)
(Misamis
⮚ Himamaylan ⮚ Masbate City Occidental)
(Masbate)
(Negros ⮚ Ozamiz (Misamis
Occidental)
Occidental)
⮚ Ilagan (Isabela)
⮚ Pagadian (Zamboanga
⮚ Imus (Cavite) del Sur)

⮚ Iriga (Camarines ⮚ Palayan (Nueva Ecija)

Sur) ⮚ Panabo (Davao del

⮚ Isabela City Norte)
(Basilan) ⮚ Passi (Iloilo)
⮚ Kabankalan
⮚ Roxas City (Capiz)
(Negros
Occidental) ⮚ Sagay (Negros
⮚ Kidapawan Occidental)
(Cotabato) ⮚ Samal (Davao del Norte)
⮚ Koronadal (South ⮚ San Carlos
Cotabato) (Pangasinan)
⮚ La Carlota (Negros ⮚ San Carlos
Occidental) (Negros Occidental)
⮚ Lamitan (Basilan) ⮚ San Fernando (La Union)
⮚ Laoag (Ilocos ⮚ San Fernando
Norte) (Pampanga)
⮚ Legazpi (Albay) ⮚ San Jose (Nueva Ecija)
⮚ Ligao (Albay) ⮚ San Jose del
⮚ Lipa (Batangas) Monte (Bulacan)
⮚ San Pablo
⮚ Maasin (Southern
 (Laguna)
⮚ Santa ⮚ Talisay (Cebu)
⮚ San Pedro
⮚ Ta
(Laguna) Rosa
(Laguna) na
ua
⮚ Silay n
(B
(Negros at
Occidental an
) ga
s)
⮚ Sipalay
⮚ Tandag
(Negros (Surigao
Occidental del Sur)
)
⮚ Tangub
⮚ Sorsogon (Misamis
Occidental
City )
(Sorsogon
⮚ Tanjay
)
⮚ Surigao (Negros
Oriental)
City
⮚ Tarlac City (Tarlac)
(Surigao
del Norte) ⮚ Tayabas (Quezon)
⮚ Tabaco (Albay)
⮚ Toledo (Cebu)
⮚ Tabuk (Kalinga)
⮚ Trece
⮚ Tacurong
Martires
(Sultan (Cavite)
Kudarat) ⮚ Tug
⮚ Tagaytay (Cavite) ueg
ara
⮚ Tagbilaran (Bohol) o
(Ca
⮚ Tagum
gay
(Davao an)
del Norte)
⮚ Urda
⮚ Talisay
neta
(Pan
(Negros gasi
Occidental nan)
)
⮚ Va
le
nc
ia
(B
uk
id
no
n)
⮚ Victorias

(Negros
Occidental
)
⮚ Vigan (Ilocos Sur)
Constitutional Framework

⮚ The government of the Philippines is the national government of the Philippines.

⮚ Governed as unitary state under a presidential representative and democratic and a

constitutional republic where the President functions as both the head of state and the
head of government of the country within a pluriform multi-party system.
⮚ The government has three interdependent branches: the legislative branch, the
executive branch, and the judicial branch.
⮚ The powers of the branches are vested by the Constitution of the Philippines in the
following:
o Legislative power is vested in the two-chamber Congress of the
Philippines—the Senate is the upper chamber and the House of
Representatives is the lower chamber.
o Executive power is exercised by the government under the leadership of the
President.
o Judicial power is vested in the courts with the Supreme Court of the Philippines
as the highest judicial body.
The Local Government Unit
The local government unit was based on RA 7160 known as “Local Government Code of
1991”. As declared the act:

Law and Justice System

The constitution of 1987, which reestablished the independence of the judiciary after the
Marcos regime, provides for a Supreme Court with a chief justice and 14 associate justices.
Supreme Court justices are appointed by the president from a list submitted by the
Judicial and Bar Council and serve until they reach the age of 70.
Lower courts include the Court of Appeals; regional, metropolitan, and municipal trial
courts; and special courts, including the Court of Tax Appeals, Shariʿa (Sharīʿah) district and
circuit courts of Islamic law, and the Sandiganbayan, a court for trying cases of corruption.
Pacification Committees (Lupon Tagapamayapa)-local committees of citizens that have
been organized to effect extrajudicial settlement of minor cases between barangay residents
in order to reduce the load of the lower courts. In each lupon (committee) there is a
Conciliation Body (Pangkat Tagapagkasundo), the main function of which is to bring opposing
parties together and effect amicable settlement of differences. The committee cannot impose
punishment, but otherwise its decisions are binding.
Security
The Department of National Defense is divided into three services:
 ❖ Philippine Army- organize, train, equip, deploy and sustain ground forces in the
conduct of support to operations to “win the peace” in order to help the Filipino nation
create an environment conducive for sustainable development and just and lasting
peace.
❖ Philippine Air force- To organize, train, equip, maintain and provide forces in order to
conduct prompt and sustained air operations to accomplish the AFP mission.
❖ Philippine Navy- organizes, trains, deploys, and maintains forces for the prompt and
sustained naval and maritime operations in support of the United Commands in the
accomplishment of the AFP mission.

Health
The DOH (Department of Health) maintains general, specialized, and research hospitals in
urban centers throughout the country. There are also government-operated regional health
centers and rural units, as well as private hospitals.
Education
Education in the Philippines is provided by public and private schools, colleges, universities,
and technical and vocational institutions in the country. Funding for public education comes
from the national government.

❖ With the "trifocalization" of the educational system in the country, three government
agencies handle each level of education.
❖ At the basic education level, the Department of Education (DepEd) sets overall
educational standards and mandates standardized tests for the K–12 basic education
system, although private schools are generally free to determine their own curriculum
in accordance with existing laws and Department regulations.
❖ On the other hand, at the higher education level, the Commission on Higher Education
(CHED) supervises and regulates colleges and universities.
❖ Meanwhile, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA)
regulates and accredits technical and vocational education programs and institutions in
the country.

Mandate:
formulates, implements, and coordinates policies, plans,
programs and projects in the areas of formal and non-formal
basic education. It supervises all elementary and secondary
education institutions, including alternative learning systems,
both public and private; and provides for the establishment
and
Department of maintenance of a complete, adequate, and integrated system
Education of basic education relevant to the goals of national
development.
Mandate:
promote quality higher education and to ensure accessibility to
those who may not be able to afford it.

Commission on
Higher
Education
Mandate
The TESDA shall primarily be responsible for formulating
continuing, coordinated and fully integrated technical
education and skills development policies, plans and
programs

Technical Education
and Skills
Development
Authority
V. SUMMARY OF THE LESSON

Filipinos elect their president. The president is the head of state and
the commander-in-chief of the armed forces and serves a six-year
term.
The Philippines is a republic with a presidential form of government
wherein power is equally divided among its three branches: executive,
legislative, and judicial. The government seeks to act in the best
interests of its citizens through this system of check and balance.

The Philippines is a democratic and republican State. Sovereignty

resides in the people and all government authority emanated from
them.
One basic corollary in a presidential system of government is the
principle of separation of powers wherein legislation belongs to
Congress, execution to the Executive, and settlement of legal
controversies to the Judiciary.

Legislative branch. Gavel and Block.

The Legislative branch is authorized to make laws, alter, and repeal
them through the power vested in the Philippine Congress. This
institution is divided into the Senate and the House of Representatives.

The Legislative Branch enacts legislation, confirms or rejects

Presidential appointments, and has the authority to declare war. This
branch includes Congress (the Senate and House of Representatives)
and several agencies that provide support services to Congress.

The Senate is composed of 24 Senators who are elected at large by

the qualified voters of the Philippines.

The House of Representatives is composed of about 250 members

elected from legislative districts in the provinces, cities, and
municipalities, and representatives elected through a party-list system
of registered national, regional, and sectoral parties or organizations.

The party-list representatives shall constitute twenty per cent of the

total number of representatives including those under the party list. For
three consecutive terms after the ratification of this Constitution,
one-half of the seats allocated to party-list representatives shall be
filled, as provided by law, by selection or election from the labor,
peasant, urban poor, indigenous cultural communities, women, youth,
and such other sectors as may be provided by law, except the religious
sector.
VI. SUPLIMENTARY MATERIAL
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHEx1Yv7rPs