PHILIPPINE POLITICS AND GOVERNANCE(3RD QUARTER)

LESSON 1: Introduction: The concepts of politics and governance

The meaning of politics

Politics (from Greek: Polis definition "affairs of the cities") is the process of making decisions that apply to
members of a group, it refers to achieving and exercising positions of governance — organized control over a
human community, particularly a state.

Politics - is the study or practice of the distribution of power and resources within a given community as well as
the interrelationship(s) between communities.

How politics can be studied

Political science- is the study of political ideas, events, actions, and institutions. It includes both understanding
and explaining the world of politics that is all around us.

Politics - is much more than simply voting in an election or working in government but also Reading or
listening to news, making donations to aid groups, or talking with friends and family about social issues and
values are a few of the many examples of political activity in our everyday lives.

The meaning of governance

Governance is all of the processes of governing, whether undertaken by a government, market or network,
whether over a family, tribe, formal or informal organization or territory and whether through the laws, norms,
power or language of an organized society.

Articulate definitions of politics

Political articulation - can be defined as the degree to which citizens and citizen groups can influence policy
through democratic institutions. Ex. social movements, electoral institutions and political parties.

The Value of politics

Types of values include;

ethical/moral values, doctrinal/ideological (religious, political) values, social values, and aesthetic values.

Differentiate governance from government

Governance is the act of governing or ruling. It is the set of rules and laws framed by the government that are
to be implemented through the representatives of the state. ...

Government – is commonly refer to the public sectors

LESSON 2: Political Ideologies
Different political ideologies

Anarchism

The belief that the best government is absolutely no government is known as anarchism. This ideology argues
that everything about governments is repressive and therefore must be abolished entirely. both government
and society—must be periodically destroyed in order to start anew. A related ideology known as nihilism
emphasizes that everything—Nihilists

Liberalism

In the early modern age of the Western world (beginning roughly in the early 1500s and running for about 200
years), a number of changes occurred that led to new ideologies: The European discovery of the Americas, the
rise of Protestantism, the beginnings of the free-market economy, and the early stages of the scientific
revolution fundamentally altered Europe. People began developing different ways of thinking to take account
of these changes.

Conservatism

Conservatism (also known as classical conservatism) began as a reaction against the liberal ideas taking hold
of Europe during the French Revolution in the late eighteenth century. This type of conservatism differs from
American conservatism. Edmund Burke, a British member of Parliament, observed the early stages of the
French Revolution with great distress and predicted the violence and terror that would ensue. His book,
Reflections on the Revolution in France (1790), is one of the founding texts of classical conservatism.

Socialism

Socialism arose as a response to the Industrial Revolution, which was the emergence of technologies such as
the steam engine and mass production. The Industrial Revolution started in England in the last years of the
eighteenth century and had spread to much of Europe and America by the end of the nineteenth century. It
caused major upheavals: In a very short time, many people were forced to abandon agricultural ways of life for
the modern mechanized world of factories.

Nationalism

Nationalism, a strong belief that one’s nation is great (and, usually, better than others), also arose during the
modern era. In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, nationalism emerged as a powerful force that caused
a number of revolutions. People began to identify with and take pride in their particular nation-state. The
French Revolution and the subsequent Napoleonic Wars helped spread nationalism throughout Europe because
many nations rallied together to defeat Napoleon.

Fascism

Fascism is a highly nationalist, militaristic, totalitarian political ideology in which one person has absolute
power. World War I was the key event that spawned fascism. The war was the first major war fought between
industrialized nations, which were armed with technology such as machine guns and chemical weapons. The
result was utter devastation. Millions died, entire countries collapsed, and those who survived were often
profoundly disillusioned. For many people, the war showed that modern ideas had failed and that a new way
was needed.

Differentiate the political ideologies

An ideology is a collection of ideas. Typically, each ideology contains certain ideas on what it considers to be
the best form of government (e.g. democracy or autocracy) and the best economic system (e.g. capitalism or
socialism).

In social studies - a political ideology is a certain set of ethical ideals, principles, doctrines, myths or symbols of
a social movement, institution, class or large group that explains how society should work, and offers some
political and cultural blueprint for a certain social order.

A political ideology largely concerns itself with how to allocate power and to what ends it should be used. Some
parties follow a certain ideology very closely, while others may take broad inspiration from a group of related
ideologies.The popularity of an ideology is in part due to the influence of moral entrepreneurs, who sometimes
act in their own interests. Political ideologies have two dimensions:

Goals: how society should be organized.

Methods: the most appropriate way to achieve this goal.

The Impact of political ideologies on the social and political life of Filipino
Here in the Philippines because we don't have just one political ideology the effect of it brings different set of
principles to each life of Filipinos.

The impact of political ideology in political life puts up set of different opinions and belief from group to
individual political party and through these the ideals of how a society should work varies on how the power
will allocate.

Political ideologies also affect one’s social life as everyone fight for their right of understanding as each opinion
contain certain ideas to provide recommendation for the betterment of one country.

In reality, political ideologies have little to almost no effect over Filipino’s social and political life. This reason is
due to the fact that existing political parties in the Philippines have either muddled or twisted different political
ideologies that they were supposed to be built on. Nevertheless, what currently drives Filipinos’ socio-political
life is populism.

LESSON 3: Power
 POWER is the ability to influence or outright control the behavior of people.
 Power can be seen as evil or unjust.
 Power is the ability of a person to influence another person or group to perform an act.

Nature
 Power can be defined in many ways. Most simply, it is the ability to get what you want, or as scholar
Kenneth Boulding said, power is "the ability to change the future." Some scholars make a distinction
between three kinds of power-- "power over," "power to" and "power with.
  "Power over" is the ability to dominate another person or group--as in "I have power over him. This
means, "I have the ability to make him do what I want him to do." Power-over usually comes from force
and threat. If the subordinate fails to do what he or she is asked to do, the dominant person will use
force to make the subordinate person comply.

 "Power to" is the ability to do something on one’s own--it refers to one’s abilities. Sources of this kind of
power are intellect, resources, knowledge, stamina, etc. These resources give some people the power
to accomplish things that others cannot.

 "Power with" is similar to "power to" in that it reflects ability, but "power with" is the ability to work
with others to get something done by cooperation. This is the power of consensus--the power of people
working together to solve a common problem

Dimensions
The first dimension of power fits in with the pluralist view and states that there is an open, transparent system,
while recognizing that political resources are not distributed evenly, they are also not completely centralized
with a small group of the elite. The real decision-making power, the power to vote on legislation, introduce
new bills rests with political actors. However they are influenced by a number of other factors such as their
constituents, lobbyists and pressure groups and I think that this view of power fails to highlight how the
political agenda can be controlled or manipulated. Power is often exercised in a much more subtle way that the
one dimensional view suggests.

Types
 Coercive Power- This kind of power involves the usage of threat to make people do what one desires. In
the organizational set up, it translates into threatening someone with transfer, firing, demotions etc. it
basically forces people to submit to one’s demand for the fear of losing something.
 Reward Power- As the name suggests, this type of power uses rewards, perks, new projects or training
opportunities, better roles and monetary benefits to influence people. However, an interesting aspect of
this type of power is that, it is not powerful enough in itself, as decisions related to rewards do not rest
solely with the person promising them, because in organizations, a lot of other people come into play
like senior managers and board.
 Legitimate Power- This power emanates from an official position held by someone, be it in an
organization, beurocracy or government etc. The duration of this power is short lived as a person can
use it only till the time he/she holds that position, as well as, the scope of the power is small as it is
strictly defined by the position held.
 Expert Power- This is a personal kind of power which owes its genesis to the skills and expertise
possessed by an individual, which is of higher quality and not easily available. In such a situation, the
person can exercise the power of knowledge to influence people. Since, it is very person specific and
skills can be enhanced with time; it has more credibility and respect.
 Referent Power- This is a power wielded by celebrities and film stars as they have huge following
amongst masses who like them, identify with them and follow them. Hence, they exert lasting influence
on a large number of people for a large number of decisions; like from what car to buy to which
candidate to choose for a higher office in the country.
Consequences
The consequences of using coercive power?

No one likes to be threatened. Department members may do what the head wants if they are threatened
with political, social, financial – or even physical(!) – retribution if they do not, but coercion is also likely to
cause anger and alienation. As a consequence, even if department members appear to agree to a head's
demand, they may follow the letter but not the spirit of a new policy, refuse to enact it when no one is
watching them, sabotage it, and be less willing to accept the head's influence in the future.

LESSON 4: States, Nations, and Globalization

Globalization and nation-states are not in contradiction, since globalization is the present stage of capitalist
development, and the nation-state is the territorial political unit that organizes the space and population in the
capitalist system.

The State as different from the Nation as a political concept

A state may be defined as a politically organized body of people inhabiting a defined geographical entity with
an organized legitimate government whilst a nation is a group of people with a common race, culture, religion
and historical experiences but who may not necessarily live together in a single territory.

Globalization as a context of relations among nation-states

Globalization also creates a sense of interdependence among nations, which could create an imbalance of
power among nations of differing economic strengths. The role of the nation-state in a global world is largely a
regulatory one as the chief factor in global interdependence.

Define nation and state

-a form of political organization in which a group of people who share the same history, traditions, or language
live in a particular area under one government

Differentiate nation from state

In political science, a "nation" refers to a group of people who feel bound into a single body by shared culture,
values, folkways, religion and/or language. A "state" just refers to a patch of land with a sovereign
government. States often coincide with nations (and are called "nation-states," but not always.

Explain meanings of globalization

Globalization (or globalization; see spelling differences) is the increasing interaction of people, states, or
countries through the growth of the international flow of money, ideas, and culture. Globalization is primarily
an economic process of integration that has social and cultural aspects. It involves goods and services, and the
economic resources of capital, technology, and data. The steam locomotive, steamship, jet engine, and
container ships are some of the advances in the means of transport while the rise of the telegraph and its
modern offspring, the Internet and mobile phones show development in telecommunications infrastructure. All
of these improvements we enjoy in the modern era have been major factors in globalization and have
generated further interdependence of economic and cultural activities.

Evaluate how globalization influences nation-states

Since the beginning of the 1990s, globalization has become a high frequency word in our daily life. Actually,
globalization is not a strange word since the sixteen-century and Europe as the original source of globalization.
It has some simple international trade at that time. People realize the importance of multinational
communication and trade; therefore make globalization become the main trend in today's world. In 21st
century, globalization has become more and more common in the whole world, no matter people,
organizations, or government, both can see the changes which globalization brings them. Globalization has
deeply influence people's life and working style, globalization make world integrity closely and makes people's
life become more and more convenient, it brings many benefits to people. Not only have deeply impact on
people's life, but also influence the nation-state more or less. It influences the nation-state's sovereignty
integrity, impact on their economic development and their national culture. Although it changes the nation-
state original condition, it still brings them some positive influence. It helps nation-state develop better and
better. Therefore, globalization both give them chances and challenges, restructuring politics, economic
penetration and communication between multinational culture and national culture. In this essay, the purpose
is to explain the relationship between the globalization and nation-state. Firstly, it will explain the academic
definition of globalization and nation-state, and state the process of globalization and the characters of nation-
state. Then, it will put forward the academic debate about the relationship between globalization and nation-
state and explain it briefly. Thirdly, it will discuss the globalization influences the nation-state through political,
economic and cultural aspects. Media globalization also brings benefits to nation-state because media is the
key linking bridge which connects the nation-state with other countries. Lastly, it will make a conclusion and
provide the opinion for this essay.
 Philippine democratic politics

LESSON 5: Historical Background of Philippine Democratic Politics

The history of the Philippines is believed to have begun with the arrival of the first humans[1][2][3] using rafts
or boats at least 67,000 years ago as the 2007 discovery of Callao Man suggested.[4] Negrito groups first
inhabited the isles. Groups of Austronesians later migrated to the islands.

Scholars generally believe that these social groups eventually developed into various settlements or polities
with varying degrees of economic specialization, social stratification, and political organization.[5] Some of
these settlements (mostly those located on major river deltas) achieved such a scale of social complexity that
some scholars believe they should be considered early states.[6] This includes the predecessors of modern-day
population centers such as Maynila, Tondo, Pangasinan, Cebu, Panay, Bohol, Butuan, Cotabato, Lanao, and
Sulu[2] as well as some polities, such as Ma-i, whose possibly location are still the subject of debate among
scholars.[7]

These polities were either influenced by the Indian Hindu religion, language, culture, literature and philosophy
from India through many campaigns from India including the South-East Asia campaign of Rajendra Chola I,[8]
Islam from Arabia or were Sinified tributary states allied to China. These small maritime states flourished from
the 1st millennium.[9][10] These kingdoms traded with what are now called China, India, Japan, Thailand,
Vietnam, and Indonesia.[11] The remainder of the settlements were independent barangays allied with one of
the larger states.

The first recorded visit by Europeans is the arrival of Ferdinand Magellan. He sighted Samar Island on March
16, 1521 and landed the next day on Homonhon Island, now part of Guiuan, Eastern Samar.[12] Spanish
colonization began with the arrival of Miguel López de Legazpi's expedition on February 13, 1565 from Mexico.
He established the first permanent settlement in Cebu.[13] Much of the archipelago came under Spanish rule,
creating the first unified political structure known as the Philippines. Spanish colonial rule saw the introduction
of Christianity, the code of law and the oldest modern university in Asia. The Philippines was ruled under the
Mexico-based Viceroyalty of New Spain until Mexican independence. After which, the colony was directly
governed by Spain.

Spanish rule ended in 1898 with Spain's defeat in the Spanish–American War. The Philippines then became a
territory of the United States.
American rule was not uncontested. The Philippine Revolution had begun in August 1896 against Spain, and
after the defeat of Spain in the Battle of Manila Bay began again in earnest, culminating in the Philippine
Declaration of Independence and the establishment of the First Philippine Republic. The Philippine–American
War ensued, with extensive damage and death, and ultimately resulting in the defeat of the Philippine
Republic.[14][15][16][17]

The United States established the Insular Government to rule the Philippines.[18] In 1907, the elected
Philippine Assembly was convened as the lower house of a bicameral legislature and in 1916 the U.S. Federal
Government formally promised independence in the Jones Act.[18] The Philippine Commonwealth was
established in 1935, as a 10-year interim step prior to full independence.[19] Before independence, World War
II began and Japan occupied the Philippines.[20] After the end of the war, the Treaty of Manila established an
independent Philippine Republic.[21]

In 1972, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos imposed martial law. Following the assassination of Ninoy
Aquino, Marcos held snap elections in 1986 and subsequently fled the country during the People Power
Revolution which installed Cory Aquino as president and reestablished democracy.

The evolution of Philippine politics, government, and governance

The Pre-Spanish Government.
The early Filipinos had a government which they called “BALANGAY”. Rajah or Datu is called for those heads or
leader.

There are three social classes at that time namely: The Maharlika (Nobles), The Timawas (Freemen) and the
Apilin (Slaves).

Datu or Rajah came from the Maharlika (upper class)

Government in the Philippines under the Spanish rule.

Philippines was governed indirectly by the King of Spain through the Viceroy of Mexico.

Former colony of Spain gained her freedom in 1821 and ruled directly by Spain until 1898.

In theory, he was highest government official in the country, in practice though frailocracy “rule of the friars”

The Government During the American Regime.

Americans started the military rule in the Philippines on August 14, 1898.
President of US delegated his authority to the military governor who exercised all powers of the
government (as long as the war lasted) -executive, legislative and judiciary.
The Government Under the Japanese Occupation
Japanese military administration was Establish in Manila on January 3, 1942.
Philippine Executive Commission is the civil government established with Jorge B. Vargas as
Chairman.
Ultimate source of authority was the Japanese administrators. It was dissolved on August 17,
1945.

Appraise the influence of prior stages of Philippine political developments on contemporary

Philippine politics
Visavan Fmrire was established with a seat in Sumatra about the 7th century, and extended to the places now
known as Java, Sumatra, the Malay Peninsula, Borneo, Celebes, the Moluccas, and the Philippine Islands. At
the end of the 13th century a new empire called Madjapahit was founded in Java, which absorbed the Shri-
Visayan kingdom. At about the end of the 14th century, this new empire comprised all the territories controlled
by the Shri-Visayan empire as well as Siam, French Indo-China, Borneo and New Guinea. The culture which
predominated in these two empires was Hindu. The greatest pre-Spanish influence on the Philippines was,
therefore, the Hindu influence. Hindu culture had given the early Filipinos a system of writing, a mass of
religious ideas and practices, though not a well defined religion, and a general culture far superior to that of
the aborigines, the Negritos. It had taught them some mechanical and industrial art such as metal working}
but it had not greatly changed the structure of society, nor had it brought in ideas of a well-defined national
political organization. "At the time of the Spanish discovery"'() according to H. Otley Beyer 1not only were the
more civilized Filipinos using the Indian syllabaries for writing, but their native mythology, folk-lore and written
literature all had a distinct Indian cast. The same was true of their codes of laws and their names for all sorts of
political positions and procedure. The more cultured Philippine languages contain many Sanskrit words, and
the native art a noticeable sprinkling of Indian design< A strong Brahmanistic religious element was also
certainly introduced, though it seems to have affected chiefly a limited class, while the mass of the people still
clung to their more ancient pagan worship." Time and again scholars have affirmed that the Filipino people did
not gain as great material benefits from the Spanish occupation as they did spiritual ones.

LESSON 6: The Executive

The executive is the organ exercising authority in and holding responsibility for the governance of a state. The
executive executes and enforces law.

In political systems based on the principle of separation of powers, authority is distributed among several
branches (executive, legislative, judicial) — an attempt to prevent the concentration of power in the hands of a
small group of people. In such a system, the executive does not pass laws (the role of the legislature) or
interpret them (the role of the judiciary). Instead, the executive enforces the law as written by the legislature
and interpreted by the judiciary. The executive can be the source of certain types of law, such as a decree or
executive order. Executive bureaucracies are commonly the source of regulations.

The role of the Philippine President in relation to his/her powers

ARTICLE VII EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT
SECTION 1
The executive power shall be vested in the President of the Philippines.
SECTION 2
No person may be elected President unless he is a natural-born citizen of the Philippines, a
registered voter, able to read and write, at least forty years of age on the day of the election,
and a resident of the Philippines for at least ten years immediately preceding such election.
SECTION 3
There shall be a Vice President who shall have the same qualifications and term of office and
be elected with and in the same manner as the President. He may be removed from office in
the same manner as the President.
SECTION 4
The President and the V-Pres. shall be elected… for a term of six years. The President shall not
be eligible for any re-election. No person who has succeeded as President and has served as
such for more than four years shall be qualified for election to the same office at anytime. No
V-Pres. Shall serve for more than two consecutive terms. The Supreme court… shall be the sole
judge of all contests relating to the election of the Pres. and the V-Pres.
SECTION 8
In case of death, permanent disability, removal from the office or resignation of the President,
the V-Pres. shall become the President to serve the unexpired term.
In case of death, permanent disability, removal from the office or resignation of both the Pres.
and the V-Pres., the President of the senate, in the case of his inability, the Speaker of the
House of Representatives shall then act as Pres. until the Pres. or the V-Pres. shall have been
elected and qualified.
SECTION 9
Whenever there is vacancy in the office of the V-Pres. during the term for which he was elected,
the President shall nominate a Vice President from among the members of the senate and the
house of representatives who shall assume office upon confirmation by a majority vote of all
the Members of both Houses of the Congress, voting separately.
SECTION 10
The congress shall. After the vacancy in the offices of the President and the Vice President
occurs, convene. And enact a law calling for special election to elect a President and V-Pres.
SECTION 11
Whenever the President transmits to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House
of Representatives his written declaration that he is unable to discharge the powers and duties
of his office, and until he transmits to them a written declaration to the contrary, such powers
and duties shall be discharged by the Vice-President as Acting President.
S ECTION 12
In case of serious illness of the President, the public shall be informed of the state of his health.
The members of the Cabinet in charge of national security and foreign relations and the Chief
of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, shall not be denied access to the President
during such illness.
Section 13. The President, Vice-President, the Members of the Cabinet, and their deputies or
assistants shall not, unless otherwise provided in this Constitution, hold any other office or
employment during their tenure. They shall not, during said tenure, directly or indirectly,
practice any other profession, participate in any business, or be financially interested in any
contract with, or in any franchise, or special privilege granted by the Government or any
subdivision, agency, or instrumentality thereof, including government-owned or controlled
corporations or their subsidiaries. They shall strictly avoid conflict of interest in the conduct of
their office.

Explain the roles and powers of the Philippine president

1. Power of control over the executive branch

The President of the Philippines has the mandate of control over all the executive departments, bureaus, and
offices. This includes restructuring, reconfiguring, and appointments of their respective officials. The
Administrative Code also provides for the President to be responsible for the abovementioned offices’ strict
implementation of laws.

2. Power ordinance power

The President of the Philippines has the power to give executive issuances, which are means to streamline the
policy and programs of an administration. There are six issuances that the President may issue. They are the
following as defined in the Administrative Code of 1987:

3. Power over aliens

The President of the Philippines has certain powers over non-Filipinos in the Philippines. The powers he may
exercise over foreigners in the country are as follows:

The chief executive may have an alien in the Philippines deported from the country after due process.

The President may change the status of a foreigner, as prescribed by law, from a non-immigrant status to a
permanent resident status without necessity of visa.

The President may choose to overrule the Board of Commissioners of the Bureau of Immigration before their
decision becomes final and executory (after 30 days of the issuance of the decision). The Board of
Commissioners of the Bureau of Immigration has jurisdiction over all deportation cases.
 The president is also mandated by the Administrative Code of 1987 to exercise powers as recognized by the
generally accepted principles of international law.

4. Powers of eminent domain, escheat, land reservation and recovery of ill-gotten wealth

The President of the Philippines has the authority to exercise the power of eminent domain. The power of
eminent domains means the state has the power to seize or authorize the seizure of private property for public
use with just compensation. There are two constitutional provisions, however, that limit the exercise of such
power: Article III, Section 9 (1) of the Constitution provides that no person shall be deprived of his/her life,
liberty, or property without due process of law. Furthermore, Article III, Section 9 (2), provides that private
property shall not be taken for public use without just compensation.

Once the aforementioned conditions are met, the President may exercise the power of eminent domain which
are as follows:

Power of eminent domain — The President shall determine when it is necessary or advantageous to exercise
the power of eminent domain in behalf of the national government, and direct the solicitor general, whenever
he deems the action advisable, to institute expropriation proceedings in the proper court.

Power to direct escheat or reversion proceedings — The President shall direct the solicitor general to institute
escheat or reversion proceedings over all lands transferred or assigned to persons disqualified under the
constitution to acquire land.

Power to reserve lands of the public and private domain of the government —

(1) The president shall have the power to reserve for settlement or public use, and for specific public purposes,
any of the lands of the public domain, the use of which is not otherwise directed by law. The reserved land shall
thereafter remain subject to the specific public purpose indicated until otherwise provided by law or
proclamation.

(2) He shall also have the power to reserve from sale or other disposition and for specific public uses or
purposes, any land belonging to the private domain of the government, or any of the friar lands, the use of
which is not otherwise directed by law, and thereafter such land shall be used for the purposes specified by
such proclamation until otherwise provided by law.

Power over ill-gotten wealth — The President shall direct the solicitor general to institute proceedings to
recover properties unlawfully acquired by public officials or employees, from them or from their nominees or
transferees.

Within the period fixed in, or any extension thereof authorized by, the constitution, the President shall have the
authority to recover ill-gotten properties amassed by the leaders and supporters of the previous regime, and
protect the interest of the people through orders of sequestration or freezing of assets or accounts.

5. Power of appointment

The President may appoint officials of the Philippine government as provided by the constitution and laws of
the Philippines. Some of these appointments, however, may need the approval of the Committee on
Appointments (a committee composed of members from the House of Representatives and the Senate of the
Philippines).

6. Power of general supervision over local governments

The President of the Philippines, as chief executive, has the mandate to supervise local governments in the
Philippines, despite their autonomous status as provided by Republic Act No. 7160 otherwise known as the
Local Government Code of 1991.

Traditionally, this is done by the Department of the Interior and Local Government, headed by a cabinet
secretary—an alter ego of the President.

Critique the Philippine presidents’ exercise of power

The exercise of power especially on implementing laws lies to the President where it was delegated to the
various departments it unders. In such cases, it determines the policy of an administration in the said matter
where each and every laws implemented as well as the policies the government wants to pursue therein gives
an insight where it determines the performance of the presidency in general.

During the Arroyo administration, it was known that the government at that time wanted to pursue a robust
macroeconomic measures wherein the succeeding Aquino administration adapted which it gives the
Philippines a bullish economic standpoint that is far more resilient than the other economies in Asia with the
exception of the 2008 Global Economic Crisis that gives a blow a little bit to the poverty incidence in the
country.

Now to the Aquino administration. Several of the programs from Arroyos are inherited by this administration
despite some political vendetta that led to Arroyo's imprisonment (which was freed later on). This was ranging
from macroeconomic policy, better peso value in currency exchanges and several military procurements like
the MRV/SSV program (Tarlac-class LPDs). The president contributed much to the military especially to the so-
called Revised AFP Modernization Program where FA-50PH were procured, additional C-130s were procured,
Del Pilar-class frigates were procured and so on.

We are now under the administration of Pres. Duterte which is keen on solving the drug problem as well as the
graft and corruption problem and federalism which was aim to distribute wealth across nations. The effects of
his exercise in power at present sends shockwaves across the country where his very loyal supporters will
proudly say that "change has come". Unto this, it was known that both 8888 and 911 are now used as hotlines
to report corruption, incompetence and emergency measures the way the President ran Davao City when he
was still the mayor.

In our point of view, all exhibited their powers to the two extremes where each and every administration
aforementioned has its ups and downs which determine their legacy in the improvement of the nation in
general. Of all the Presidents, President Arroyo gives the political will on the economy which was adapted by
President Aquino together with several modernization programs such as those in the AFP as well as battling
corruption. President Duterte meanwhile imposing his power on drug elimination which gives a significant
impact to the society where the so-called change was felt by the public as per own interpretation has its own
up and down sides. Overall, it signifies the powers of each president are to be implied to the policies they
create especially the ones they are promising in their respective election campaigns.

LESSON 7: The Legislative

The role and responsibilities of the Philippine Senate and the House of Representatives
According to the 1987 Constitution, legislative power shall be vested in the Congress of the Philippines, which
shall consist of a Senate and a House of Representatives.
Discuss the roles and responsibilities of the Philippine Senate and the House of
Representatives
The citizens of each state elect two Senators to serve 6 year’s terms. The Senate as a whole has many duties
and responsibilities. Some of these include writing and passing laws, approving many presidential
appointments, and ratifying treaties with other countries.

Assess the performance of the Philippine Congress

President Rodrigo Duterte, who enjoys overwhelming support in both houses of Congress, signed only 4 bills
into law before the first regular session of the 17th Congress adjourned.

This number isn't far from his predecessors' average in their first year in office – except that of former
president Fidel Ramos, who has a hefty record of 19 laws passed before he delivered his second State of the
Nation Address (SONA) in 1993.

Corazon Aquino did not have any signed bills during her first year in office in 1986 because she assumed power
via a people power revolution that dismantled the Marcos constitution. The 8th Congress held its first session
in 1987, over a year since Mrs Aquino was swept to power. It passed 34 bills that Aquino signed into law during
Congress' first year.

Maria Fe Mendoza, dean of the National College of Public Administration and Governance (NCPAG) of the
University of the Philippines, attributed Ramos' record number of laws passed in his first year to the creation of
the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC).

LEDAC is a consultative and advisory body that serves as a link between the President and Congress for policy-
making.

"FVR instituted the LEDAC, smarting from the 'mistakes' of Corazon Aquino and the past," said Mendoza. "He is
known to ask for full staff work and he may have demanded that to ensure all angles are covered."

"And maybe he worked his charm to the hilt," she added.

Less than a year before it adjourns and a new leadership is ushered in after the elections in May, Speaker
Feliciano Belmonte on Wednesday said that the House of Representatives in the 16th Congress has done a
good job of passing measures of national significance even if it passed fewer bills than in the previous
Congress.

"Hindi naman sa paramihan ‘yan no. Kung iisipin mo, kamukha nung batas na Philippine Competition Law na
pending for over 23 years in both chambers [of Congress], kami dito sa House ang nagpumilit na maipasa yun
because that is a very important bill,” Belmonte told reporters on Wednesday night.

Belmonte was referring to Republic Act 10667 or the Philippine Fair Competition Act, which the House
approved on third and final reading in May of this year. President Benigno Aquino III signed the bill into law on
July 21, 2015.

The law promotes free and fair competition in the fields of trade and industry, and other commercial and
economic activities. Itrohibiting acts of market monopolization such as price fixing and anti-competitive
mergers and acquisitions.
Belmonte also cited the 16th Congress’ passage in October of a bill that sought the creation of the Department
of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), which shall be the primary government entity to
promote and help develop the ICT sector.

He said that after years of pendency during past Congresses, the Senate in the 16th Congress finally chose to
adopt the House’s version of the bill and approved it on final reading.

The DICT bill is now waiting for Aquino's signature. Belmonte said he and Senate President Franklin Drilon
already convinced the President of the great benefits the measure would bring to the government.

“Remember we were in the verge of passing that in the 15th Congress. But at some point the President was
objecting to it.… At this time, we were able to convince the President, informally si Senate President Drilon,
that the added cost will not be that great but the benefits to the country will be tremendous in the BPO
business,” Belmonte said.

While several landmark measures were so far approved by the House under the 16th Congress, which runs
from July 22, 2013 to July 25, 2016, records revealed that fewer bills were so far enacted into law compared to
under the 15th Congress, which ran from July 20 2010 to July 20 2013.

Based on the data gathered by the House of Representatives’ Research Center, the House has filed a total of
6,334 bills but only nine percent or 575 of them were approved on Third and final reading.

The data further showed that out of the number of bills passed by both chambers, only 66 or one percent were
enacted into law by the President. Only 50 are considered national measures while the rest were just local in
scope.

Appraise the impact of Congress’s performance on Philippine development

By concept, each and every laws made by the Congress that are approved by the legislative sets an impact to
the society in general wherein it sets to dictate the way things run as well as operate in which it will adhere the
welfare of the people prescribed by the constitution. It ranges from business laws to tax revisions as well as
new sets of guidelines on various aspects of life to the General Appropriations Act.

Taking this PDF file of the Philippine Senate, the Philippine Congress lay economic policies in which it affects
the country as a whole. Considerably, this 2010 report shows the strengths and weaknesses of the economy in
which it paved the way for appropriate actions that makes the Philippine Economy output improved since 2010
onwards (See: Philippine Development Plan 2011-2016) to the present where numerous sources predicted that
by 2050, the Philippines will belong to the top 20 greatest economies of the world alongside Vietnam and
South Korea. Meanwhile, House Bills such as these given by the congress is just an example of the things that
affects economic growth where in this case, it affects the real estate market where the said law is stipulate to
set limits and standardized values given thereof.

Speaking of which, the legislative like the executive also played the key role for the economic progress where
the two work hand in hand to achieve the goals of a better nation having an improved economy which the
masses will benefit where there are more cash in their hands.

LESSON 8: The Judiciary

The role and responsibilities of the Philippine Judiciary
The administrative functions of the Court pertain to the supervision and control over the Philippine judiciary
and its employees, as well as over members of the Philippine bar. ... The judicial power is vested in “one
Supreme Court and in such lower courts as may be established by law.”

Identify the roles and responsibilities of the Philippine Judiciary

POWERS AND DUTIES OF COURTS AND JUDICIAL OFFICERS

Rule 135

SECTION 1. Courts always open; justice to be promptly and impartially administered. - Courts of justice shall
always be open, except on legal holidays, for the filing of any pleadings, motion or other papers, for the trial of
cases, hearing of motions, and for the issuance of orders or rendition of judgments. Justice shall be impartially
administered without unnecessary delay.chanrobles virtualawlibrary

SEC. 2. Publicity of proceedings and records. – The sitting of every court of justice shall be public, but any
court may, in its discretion, exclude the public when the evidence to be adduced is of such nature as to require
their exclusion in the interest of morality or decency. The records of every court of justice shall be public
records and shall be available for the inspection of any interested person, at all proper business hours, under
the supervision of the clerk having custody of such records, unless the court shall, in any special case, have
forbidden their publicity, in the interest of morality or decency. chan robles virtual law library

SEC. 3. Process of superior courts enforced throughout the Philippines. - Process issued from a superior
court in which a case is pending to bring in a defendant, or for the arrest of any accused person, or to execute
any order or judgment of the court, may be enforced in any part of the Philippines.

SEC. 4. Process of inferior courts. - The process of inferior courts shall be enforceable within the province
where the municipality or city lies. It shall not be served outside the boundaries of the province in which they
are comprised except with the approval of the judge of the Regional Trial Court of said province, and only in
the following cases:chanroblesvirtuallawlibrary

(a) When an order fo the delivery of personal property lying outside the province is to be complied with;

(b) When an attachment of real or personal property lying outside the province is to be made; chan robles
virtual law library

(c) When the action is against two or more defendants residing in different provinces; and

(d) When the place where the case has been brought is that specified in a contract in writing between the
parties, or is the place of the execution of such contract as appears therefrom. chan robles virtual law library

Writs of execution issued by inferior courts may be enforced in any part of the Philippines without any
previous approval of the judge of first instance.chanrobles virtualawlibrary

Criminal process may be issued by a justice of the peace or other inferior court, to be served outside his
province, when the district judge, or in his absence the provincial fiscal, shall certify that in his opinion the
interests of justices require such service. chan robles virtual law library

SEC. 5. Inherent powers of courts. - Every court shall have power:chanroblesvirtuallawlibrary

(a) To preserve and enforce order in its immediate presence;

 (b) To enforce order in proceedings before a person or persons empowered to conduct a judicial
investigation under its authority;

(c) To compel obedience to its judgments, orders and processes, and to the lawful order of judge out of
court, in a case pending therein;

(d) To control, in furtherance of justice, the conduct of its ministerial officers, and of all other persons in
any manner connected with a case before it, in every manner appertaining thereto;

(e) To compel the attendance of persons to testify in a case pending therein;

(f) To administer or cause to be administered oaths in a case pending therein, and in all other cases where
it may be necessary in the exercise of its powers; chan robles virtual law library

(g) To amend and control its process and orders so as to make them comformable to law and justice;

(h) To authorize copy of a lost or destroyed pleading or other paper to be filed and used instead of the
original, and to restore, and supply deficiencies in its records and proceedings.

SEC. 6. Means to carry jurisdiction into effect. - When by law, jurisdiction is conferred on a court or judicial
officer, all auxiliary writs, processes and other means necessary to carry it into effect may be employed by such
court or officer; and if the procedure to be followed in the exercise of such jurisdiction is not specifically
pointed out by law or by these rules, any suitable process or mode of proceeding may be adopted which
appears conformable to the spirit of said law or rules.chanrobles virtualawlibrary

SEC. 7. Trial and hearings; orders in chambers. - All trial upon the merits shall be conducted in open court and
so far as convenient in a regular court room. All other acts or proceedings may be done or conducted by a
judge in chambers, without the attendance of the clerk or other court officials. chan robles virtual law library

SEC. 8. Interlocutory orders out of province. - A judge of Regional Trial Court shall have power to hear and
determine, when within the district though without his province, any intelocutory motion or issue after due and
reasonable notice to the parties. On the filing of a petition for the writ of habeas corpus or for release upon
bail or reduction of bail in any Regional Trial Court, the hearing may be had at any place in the judicial district
which the judge shall deem convenient.

SEC. 9. Signing judgments out of province. - Whenever a judge appointed or assigned in any province or
branch of a Regional Trial Court in a province shall leave the province by transfer or assignment to another
court of equal jurisdiction, or by expiration of his temporary assignment, without having decided a case totally
heard by him and which was argued or an opportunity given for argument to the parties or their counsel, it
shall be lawful for him to prepare and sign his decision in said case anywhere within the Philippines. He shall
send the same by registered mail to the clerk of the court where the case was heard or argued to be filed
therein as of the date when the same was received by the clerk, in the same manner as if he had been present
in court to direct the filing of the judgment. If a case has been only in part, the Supreme Court, upon petition of
any of the parties to the case and the recommendation of respective district judge, may also authorize the
judge who has partly heard the case, if no other judge had heard the case in part, to continue hearing and to
decide said case notwithstanding his transfer or appointment to another court of equal jurisdiction. chanrobles
virtual law library

Discuss how the Judiciary exercises political neutrality and fairness

By nature, the judiciary is a fair and just system where its decisions are based on the grounds as stipulated by
the law that instills neutrality and fairness rather than to the judgement of the legislative or the executive
where by law, the President installs his set of Chief and Associate Justices in the Supreme Court.

In this PDF file entitled "Perspectives on Judicial Independence in the Philippine Politico-Ethical Nomos" gives
an insight on both the fairness and unfairness of the justice system in the country. Accordingly, the judiciary's
basic guide for doing its decision is the constitution where in this discussion promotes neutrality and fairness. In
such cases, the credibility of the judiciary was once hampered by the ouster of the Chief Justice Renato Corona
last 2012 due to the so-called anomalies in the justice system under his tenure. That in which puts the very
judicial exercise at risk where things simply just politicized up back then. On the bright side though, the Priority
Disbursement Assistance fund or simply Pork Barrel was instigated by Corona's successor Chief Justice Maria
Lourdes Sereno wherein several Senators at that time were imprisoned for having such funds used in other
purposes not allowed by the Government in which it sowed corruption (Source: 1 & 2). Meanwhile, there is
some sort of a "Code of Judicial Conduct" where a law practitioner shall observe at all times in which it is to
observe professionalism and to retain credibility on the judiciary under the perspective of neutrality and
fairness.

In summary, neutrality and fairness is not always observed where several practitioners are somewhat unaware
or aware that a bias is already made that hamper the result of a given case or a rule that sometimes runs
contrary to the sentiments of the people. In such case though, the code of judicial conduct assures the
limitations of those in the judiciary that observing it assures full credibility of the system.

Evaluate the performance of the Philippine Judiciary as a dispenser of justice and a protector
of constitutional safeguards to freedom
In this question, it will be based once again to this the same PDF file as is in number three. In this case, several
ups and downs are already discussed in the previous question wherein it will be further emphasized here in
order to suit up the things we discussed here.

In this case, if we are to based the judiciary from 1 to 10 on the basis on its job as a dispenser of justice and a
protector of constitutional safeguard to freedom, their performance will fell somewhere between 6 or 7. It is
because that in terms of justice earned, some of them are still seeking for justice where it comes with a saying
"Justice Delayed is Justice Denied." Take the 2009 Maguindanao Massacre as a perfect example for this matter
where until now, the case is still on-going with the uncertainty as when it will be end. The good side meanwhile
is that Associate Justice Carpio is keen on the campaign on the Philippine Sovereignty to its territory on the
West Philippine Sea where he emphasizes the constitution that it safeguards the freedom of the Filipinos to
exploit the West Philippine Sea and its resources especially for the fishermen who have their lives relying on it.

Overall, there is much to be done to the system itself that the ideals for just, neutral and fair justice is for
everyone that those who commit crimes are worthy to pay their prices that they shall pay for damages, spend
time in prison or if approved, subject to death penalty.

LESSON 9: Decentralization and Local Governance

9.1 Local Governance in the context of the 1991 Local Government Code (LGC) of the
Philippines and National-Local Government dynamics
SECTION 1. Title. – This Act shall be known and cited as the “Local Government Code of 1991”.

SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. – (a) It is hereby declared the policy of the State that the territorial and
political subdivisions of the State shall enjoy genuine and meaningful local autonomy to enable them to attain
their fullest development as self-reliant communities and make them more effective partners in the attainment
of national goals. Toward this end, the State shall provide for a more responsive and accountable local
government structure instituted through a system of decentralization whereby local government units shall be
given more powers, authority, responsibilities, and resources. The process of decentralization shall proceed
from the National Government to the local government units.

(b) It is also the policy of the State to ensure the accountability of local government units through the
institution of effective mechanisms of recall, initiative and referendum.

(c) It is likewise the policy of the State to require all national agencies and offices to conduct periodic
consultations with appropriate local government units, nongovernmental and people’s organizations, and
other concerned sectors of the community before any project or program is implemented in their respective
jurisdictions.

SECTION 3. Operative Principles of Decentralization. – The formulation and implementation of policies and
measures on local autonomy shall be guided by the following operative principles:

(a) There shall be an effective allocation among the different local government units of their respective powers,
functions, responsibilities, and resources;

(b) There shall be established in every local government unit an accountable, efficient, and dynamic
organizational structure and operating mechanism that will meet the priority needs and service requirements
of its communities;

(c) Subject to civil service law, rules and regulations, local officials and employees paid wholly or mainly from
local funds shall be appointed or removed, according to merit and fitness, by the appropriate appointing
authority;

(d) The vesting of duty, responsibility, and accountability in local government units shall be accompanied with
provision for reasonably adequate resources to discharge their powers and effectively carry out their functions;
hence, they shall have the power to create and broaden their own sources of revenue and the right to a just
share in national taxes and an equitable share in the proceeds of the utilization and development of the
national wealth within their respective areas;

(e) Provinces with respect to component cities and municipalities, and cities and municipalities with respect to
component barangays, shall ensure that the acts of their component units are within the scope of their
prescribed powers and functions;

(f) Local government units may group themselves, consolidate or coordinate their efforts, services, and
resources for purposes commonly beneficial to them;

(g) The capabilities of local government units, especially the municipalities and barangays, shall be enhanced
by providing them with opportunities to participate actively in the implementation of national programs and
projects;
(h) There shall be a continuing mechanism to enhance local autonomy not only by legislative enabling acts but
also by administrative and organizational reforms;

(i) Local government units shall share with the national government the responsibility in the management and
maintenance of ecological balance within their territorial jurisdiction, subject to the provisions of this Code and
national policies;

(j) Effective mechanisms for ensuring the accountability of local government units to their respective
constituents shall be strengthened in order to upgrade continually the quality of local leadership;

(k) The realization of local autonomy shall be facilitated through improved coordination of national
government policies and programs and extension of adequate technical and material assistance to less
developed and deserving local government units;

(l) The participation of the private sector in local governance, particularly in the delivery of basic services, shall
be encouraged to ensure the viability of local autonomy as an alternative strategy for sustainable
development; and

(m) The national government shall ensure that decentralization contributes to the continuing improvement of
the performance of local government units and the quality of community life.

SECTION 4. Scope of Application. – This Code shall apply to all provinces, cities, municipalities, barangays, and
other political subdivisions as may be created by law, and, to the extent herein provided, to officials, offices, or
agencies of the national government.

SECTION 5. Rules of Interpretation. – In the interpretation of the provisions of this Code, the following rules
shall apply:

(a) Any provision on a power of a local government unit shall be liberally interpreted in its favor, and in case of
doubt, any question thereon shall be resolved in favor of devolution of powers and of the lower local
government unit. Any fair and reasonable doubt as to the existence of the power shall be interpreted in favor
of the local government unit concerned;

(b) In case of doubt, any tax ordinance or revenue measure shall be construed strictly against the local
government unit enacting it, and liberally in favor of the taxpayer. Any tax exemption, incentive or relief
granted by any local government unit pursuant to the provisions of this Code shall be construed strictly against
the person claiming it.

(c) The general welfare provisions in this Code shall be liberally interpreted to give more powers to local
government units in accelerating economic development and upgrading the quality of life for the people in the
community

(d) Rights and obligations existing on the date of effectivity of this Code and arising out of contracts or any
other source of prestation involving a local government unit shall be governed by the original terms and
conditions of said contracts or the law in force at the time such rights were vested; and

(e) In the resolution of controversies arising under this Code where no legal provision or jurisprudence applies,
resort may be had to the customs and traditions in the place where the controversies take place.

To transfer LGUs into self-reliant communities and active partners in nation-building by giving them more
powers, authority, responsibilities and resources.
Hopes to achieve economic development the regional and local levels by giving more freedom in carrying out
their programs that are suitable for their areas.

1. Identify the different levels of the Philippine Local Government

Province- intermediate unit is providing supervision to the municipalities and component cities and under it and
performing services for the national government.

Cities and municipalities - basic unit of the local government delivering services for the people who lived
together in a community.

Barangay- sub-municipal unit, which provides for face to face interaction among the people.

The Provinces of the Philippines (Filipino: Mga Lalawigan ng Pilipinas) are the primary political and
administrative divisions of the Philippines. There are 81 provinces at present, further subdivided into
component cities and municipalities. The National Capital Region, as well as independent cities, are
independent of any provincial government. Each province is governed by an elected legislature called the
Sangguniang Panlalawigan and by an elected governor.

A city is one of the units of local government in the Philippines. All Philippine cities are chartered cities, whose
existence as corporate and administrative entities is governed by their own specific municipal charters in
addition to the Local Government Code of 1991, which specifies their administrative structure and powers. As
of December 12, 2015, there are 145 cities.

A municipality (Filipino: bayan/munisipalidad; Hiligaynon: banwa; Cebuano: lungsod/munisipyo; Pangasinan:

baley; Kapampangan: balen/balayan; Central Bicolano: banwaan; Waray: bungto; Ilokano: ili) is a local
government unit (LGU) in the Philippines. Municipalities are also usually called towns. They are distinct from
cities, which are a different category of local government unit. Provinces of the Philippines are divided into
cities and municipalities, which in turn, are divided into barangays, formerly barrios. As of March 31, 2017,
there are 1,489 municipalities across the country.[1]. It is also known for its archaic term town.

A barangay (/bɑːrɑːŋˈɡaɪ/ Brgy. or Bgy.; Filipino: baranggay, [baɾaŋˈɡaj]; also pronounced the same in
Spanish), formerly referred to as barrio, is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines and is the
native Filipino term for a village, district or ward. In metropolitan areas, the term often refers to an inner city
neighbourhood, a suburb or a suburban neighborhood.[1] The word barangay originated from balangay, a kind
of boat used by a group of Austronesian peoples when they migrated to the Philippines.

2. Explain the roles and functions of Local Government Unit

3. Examine how decentralization affects governance

4. Conduct an interview with barangay officials on community programs
5. Evaluate the performance of a local government unit

State-society interactions
LESSON 10: Elections and Political Parties

10.1 The nature of elections and political parties in the context of the Philippines

1. Describe the nature of elections and political parties in the Philippines

2. Identify the types of electoral systems
3. Assess the implications of the type of electoral systems on politics and governance
4. Analyze the nature of elections and political parties in the Philippines

LESSON 11: Civil Society and Social Movements

11.1 Political participation outside formal institutions

1. Discuss the concepts of civil society and social movements
2. Explain the contributions of civil society organizations and social
3. Evaluate the role of civil society organizations and social movements

Citizenship-in-practice

LESSON 12: Citizenship

12.1 The traditional and modern views of citizenship, i.e., the state-centric vs participatory
notions of citizenship

1. Explain citizenship
2. Assess the various avenues for citizen participation
3. Illustrate the value of citizenship
LESSON 13: Integration

13.1 How the concepts/ideas learned in class can be utilized in actual experiences

1. Identify issues related to political engagement and youth empowerment

2. Determine programs that address issues related to political engagement and youth
empowerment
3. Assess an existing program that addresses an issue related to political
engagement and youth empowerment
4. Conduct a research for a draft proposal on a project on political engagement and youth
empowerment