Philippine National Government

• The study notes cover Philippine National and Local Government.

National Government

• It governs the country and ensures the constituents are taken care of.
• It ensures the physical, economic, social, and cultural development of citizens.
• Positions include those in the Executive, Legislative and Judicial Branches.
• Ferdinand "Bongbong" R. Marcos is the current President of the Philippines.
• Sara Duterte-Carpio is the current Vice President of the Philippines.

The President

• The President is the highest official, controls all officials in the Executive Branch, and is the Commander-in-Chief.
• They can only serve a single term of 6 years.

The Vice President

• The Vice President alternates with the President to govern the country.
• They take the President’s place if the President cannot fulfill their duty.
• They can serve for 6 years and can be elected for a second term.

Qualifications for President and Vice President

• Must be a natural-born citizen of the Philippines.
• Must be a registered voter.
• Must be able to read and write.
• Must have resided in the Philippines for 10 years before election day.
• Must be 40 years old or more on election day.

The Senate (Upper House)

• 24 senators are elected by registered voters in national elections.
• Francis "Chiz" Escudero is the Senate President, leading the Senate.

Qualifications for Senate (Upper House)

• Must be a natural-born citizen of the Philippines.
• Must be a registered voter.
• Must be 35 years or older at the time of the election.
• Must be able to read and write.
• Must be a resident of the Philippines for no less than 1 year before election day.

The House of Representatives (Lower House)

• It consists of 250 members, unless otherwise determined by law.
• Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez is the House Speaker.

Qualifications for the House of Representatives (Lower House)

• Must be a natural-born citizen of the Philippines.
• Must be a registered voter in the district to be represented.
• Must be at least 25 years old on election day.
• Must be able to read and write.
• Must be a resident of the Philippines for no less than 1 year before election day.

Upper and Lower House Functions

• They make, repeal, or modify laws for the welfare of citizens.

Local Government

• Local government refers to the management of elected leaders within political units eg provinces, cities, municipalities, and barangays.

Provinces

• These are the largest local government units comprised of cities and municipalities.
• The Governor is the highest-ranking official and chief executive.
• The Governor controls all programs, projects, services, and activities in the province.
• The Vice Governor is the second-highest ranking official and replaces the Governor if the position is vacated.
• Gwendolyn Garcia is a Governor.
• Hilario Davide III is a Vice Governor.

Cities

• They are more progressive, have larger populations, and offer a high standard of living.

Municipalities

• They have a smaller population and less territory compared to cities.

Mayors

• Mayors are the highest-ranking official and chief executive in their locality.
• They implement laws and ordinances, and manage all projects, services, and activities in the city/municipality.

Vice Mayors

• They are the next highest-official in the city or municipality.
• They act as substitute for the Mayor if needed.

Barangays

• This is the smallest political unit in the Philippines.
• The term "barangay" comes from the Malay word "balangay", which means "sea vessel".
• Barangays were established to provide services directly to constituents.

Barangay Captains

• They are the highest-ranking official and chief executive in the barangay.
• They maintain peace and order.
• They implement all laws and ordinances.

Barangay Councilors

• They act as lawmakers.
• They maintain properties/infrastructure.
• They assist the Barangay Captain in duties and lead peacekeeping efforts.