Philippine National Government

Philippine National and Local Government

• The Philippine government is divided into national and local levels.

National Government

• An institution that rules a country.
• It is established and maintained to ensure the welfare of the constituents.
• It ensures the physical, economic, social, and cultural development of the citizens.
• Positions within the national government include those in the:
  • Executive Branch
  • Legislative Branch
  • Judicial Branch
• The Executive Branch includes
  • President
  • Vice President
  • Cabinet Members
• The Legislative Branch includes:
  • Senators
  • House of Representatives
• The Judicial Branch includes:
  • Chief Justice
  • 14 Justices
• 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 highest official of the Philippine Government.
• The President has control over all officials and employees under the executive branch.
• The President is the Commander-in-Chief, with full control over all members of the military in times of peace or war.
• The President has a term of office of 6 years and cannot be re-elected after their term.

The Vice President

• The Vice President alternates with the president in governing the country.
• The Vice President takes the place of the president if the president can no longer fulfill their duty.
• Term of office is 6 years and may be elected again 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 at least 10 years before election day.
• Must be 40 years old or older on election day.

The Senate

• Referred to as the "Upper House".
• Composed of 24 senators elected by registered voters in national elections.
• Francis "Chiz" Escudero leads the Senate as the Senate President.

Qualifications for Senate (Upper House)

• Must be a natural-born citizen of the Philippines.
• Must be a registered voter.
• Must be at least 35 years old at the time of election.
• Must be able to read and write.
• Must be a resident of the Philippines for at least 1 year immediately preceding the election day.

The House of Representatives

• Referred to as the "Lower House".
• It is composed of 250 members unless otherwise fixed by law.
• Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez leads the House as the Speaker of the House.

Qualifications for House of Representatives (Lower House)

• Natural-born citizen of the Philippines.
• A registered voter in the district they shall be elected.
• At least 25 years old on the day of the election.
• Able to read and write.
• Resident of the Philippines for a period of not less than 1 year immediately preceding the election day.

Functions of Upper and Lower Houses

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

Local Government

• Refers to the management of elected officials from different political units in the Philippines.
• These units include the province, city, municipality, and barangay.
• The province is headed by a Governor and Vice Governor.
• The city is headed by a City Mayor.
• The municipality is headed by a Municipal Mayor.
• The barangay is headed by a Barangay Captain and Barangay Councilors.

Provinces

• Largest local government unit.
• Comprised of cities and municipalities.
• Gwendolyn Garcia is a Governor.
• Hilario Davide III is a Vice Governor.

Governor

• Highest-ranking official in the province and the chief executive.
• Controls all programs, projects, services, and activities concerning the province.

Vice Governor

• Second-highest ranking official in the province.
• Replaces the governor if the position is vacated.

Cities

• More progressive with large populations.
• Have a high standard of living.

Municipalities

• Smaller population compared to cities.
• Have a small territory.

Mayor

• Highest-ranking official and chief executive in their locality (city/municipality).
• Implements all laws and ordinances.
• Manages all projects, services, and activities in the city/municipality.

Vice Mayor

• Next highest official in the city or municipality.
• Serves as a substitute for the mayor if needed.

Barangays

• Smallest political unit in the Philippines.
• Comes from the Malay word "balangay," meaning "sea vessel."
• Established to provide services directly to constituents.

Barangay Captain

• Highest-ranking official in the barangay and chief executive.
• Maintains peace and order.
• Implements all laws and ordinances.

Barangay Councilors

• Act as the lawmakers of the barangay.
• Maintain barangay properties and infrastructure.
• Assist the Barangay Captain in duties and leads in peacekeeping.