Philippines
4 Challenges Facing by the Country
Impunity and Rule of Law -weaker since Duterte’s election
• In a democracy, the rule of law (the idea that no one is above the law and that there are
legal consequences for illegal behaviour) is important.
• Extrajudicial killing of thousands of people (mostly drug-related) by police and vigilante
groups in the Philippines in last 2 years suggests there is a problem with impunity and
rule of law.
• Duterte has openly voiced his support of such killings that don’t follow the proper legal
process
Increasing Threats to the Independence of the Media and Civil Society
• A free, uncensored media is seen as important in a democracy.
• Duterte has publicly threatened journalists and civil society activists, creating an
environment in which makes it difficult for them to do their work.
• Recently, a Filipino news website, Rappler - critical of Duterte’s drug wars - had their
operating license revoked.
•
Oligarchic politics is practiced in the Philippines
Oligarchic politics -a form of government in which power is in the hands of a few persons or in
a dominant class or clique -otherwise referred to as government by the few.
178 family dynasties control the country’s political system.
Majority of the 292 congressional seats are held by dynastic politicians.
Political power and economic wealth are inter-related. 40 of the Philippines’ richest
families control 76 percent of the country’s gross domestic product.
Corruption
Government officials from the lowest level up to the President. they steal government
money that should go to healthcare, education, housing, infrastructure, etc
Imagine how many politicians deduct the funds for their self interest.
Even former presidents have plunder cases yet they’re not condemned for their
scandaluos and taking people’s money from taxes. They got even re elected as mayors
and congressmans.
The tax money pay is going to some politician’s expenses and not something like the
improvement of public schools.
Education
Promising quality of education is mostly expensive. Most Companies hire and interview
applicants from prestigious schools.
. Education in the Philippines needs to improve as children from rural and remote areas
hardly get proper education.
Poor laboratories, shortages of apparatuses, outdated books, and lack of competitiveness.
There are many more problems in education that need to be addressed.
Education should be one of the main focus. To help kids in remote areas get jobs to help
their parents and community to rise, to lessen drug and poverty problem.
Lack of agricultural reform and national industrialization
without these we will not attain food security and would not be able to establish proper
heavy industries
Lack of reliable, affordable, and quality social services
Healthcare remains expensive, public schools are overcapacity and the quality of
education leaves much to be wanted, mass transport remains shitty
Lack of opportunities/ Unemployment
Lack of affordable housing in job hotspots; lack of job hotspots in rural areas resulting in
Rural to Urban migration thus causing overpopulation in cities
Notice there are millions of Filipinos abroad (Overseas Filipino Workers -OFW).
Just to seek higher pay even though they get violated, molested, raped, and worse killed.
There are also millions of immigrants and illegal immigrants in the US just to seek a
“greener pasture”.
Poverty
most of the population live in poverty, without enough food to eat, clothes to wear, house
to live in, etc.; overpopulation
Overpopulated, because birth control method is not accepted by the Catholic Church;
corruption, there is corruption in most department of the government, and police force;
drug abuse, as you can hear in the news, almost every day, there are people being killed
because they are drug users or drug pushers.
A wide gap between the rich and the poor
Characteristics of the Country
Population: approximately 100 million
Capital: Manila
Major languages: Tagalog, English (both official). But dozens of other dialects spoken as
well.
Major religion: Roman Catholic
Ethnic groups: Tagalog, Bisayan, Higaynon and many other local groups.
Small Chinese population about 1%.
Economy: Services, Agriculture, Manufacturing.
Electronic parts, chemicals, food manufacturing, shipbuilding, textiles, fishing, petroleum
refinery, and business process outsourcing.
Diamond Typology
Country’s Political System:
Electoral Democracy
Multi-party – power regularly shifts from one party to another rather than staying with
one party indefinitely
3 branches of government function (Relatively) independently of each other
Has a (Relatively) Free Media
Judiciary is (Relatively) independent
Citizens have their civil liberties protected under the law
Citizens are able to elect their representatives through regular and (Relatively) fair
elections.
Democratic institutions and practices not as established or consistent as liberal
democracies.
Presidential System
The President is the executive.
He/she runs for election as an individual, rather than with a party.
2 separate elections, one for presidency and the other for members of the legislature.
President is head of state and commander-in-chief of the military.
Under the law can only serve one six-year term.
Powers of the President:
1. Oversees all federal govt. departments and offices
2. Can issue executive orders and/or administrative orders
3. Approves bills passed by legislature
4. Has veto powers over bills (which can only be overridden by a two-thirds majority
vote of the legislature.)
5. Appoints his/her cabinet appointments (but they need to be approved by the
Congressional Commission on Appointments)
Heavily influenced by American-style politics
Longest experience with democracy than any other nation in Asia.
Has a Bill of Rights similar to what America has
The legislature is very similar to the US.
Called Congress and has two chambers (bicameral)
- 24-member elected Senate represents the
whole country on national issues rather than local/regional issues
- 292-member House of Representatives ( represents electoral/geographical
districts and minority groups in the country)
The House of Representative election is every 3 years.
The Presidential and Senate election is every 6 years.
Historical Events of the Country Impacts till Today.
The country is heavily influenced by Spanish and American culture.
1. Was a Spanish colony for more than 300 hundred years (1542-1898)
Impact of Spanish colonisation? created a class of land-owning families who continue to
dominate country’s politics.
2. Later became a United States colony (1901-1935). Attained self-rule status in 1935.
Impact of American colonisation? The country’s political system is modeled after America.
