PHILIPPINE POLITICS AND GOVERNANCE

SECOND QUARTER

ELECTIONS AND POLITICAL PARTIES

Competency 5: Analyze the nature of elections and political parties in the Philippines

Election -a device of filling an office through choices made by a designated body of people (electorate)
- Commission on Election (COMELEC) is in-charge of the election in the Philippines
Functions of Elections
*Mechanism for leadership selection *Instrument for evaluating and changing government
*Instrument for rule legitimation *Guide to political strategy
*Agent for political socialization

Political Party
-Includes all the numerous political organizations that call themselves by the name political party
-Refers only those organizations that contest in free or non-free elections
-A group of people that is organized by the purpose of winning government power by electoral or other means
-Is defined by law as referring to an organized group by citizens advocating an ideology or platform, principles and
policies
Types of Political Party
1. National Party -Constituency is spread over the geographical territory of at least a majority of the regions
2. Regional Party -Constituency is spread over a geographical territory of at least a majority of the cities and province
comprising a region
3. Sectoral Party -Not defined by geographical consideration
-Refers to an organized group of citizens belonging to labor, peasant, fisherfolk, urban poor
Functions of Political Parties
 Mobilize the voters during elections
 Organize public opinion on issues that affect the general public
 Act a conduit between the voters and the government
 Reinforce a sense of identity or belongingness
 Act as an agent of political socialization and political recruitment for the future office holders
 Conquest of power or share in the exercise of power by placing their representatives in government position
primarily through elections

Electoral Systems -are the set of rules and procedures that govern the conduct of elections
Types of Electoral Systems in the Philippines
1. Candidate-based voting
- Voters choose from among the personalities not parties
- Used in choosing president, vice-president, district representatives, and local government officials like
governor, mayor and barangay captain
2. Party-based voting
- Voters choose from among the parties
- Used in choosing party-list
3. Plurality electoral formula
- The candidate who gets the most number of votes is proclaimed winner
- Used in choosing president, vice-president, district representatives, and local government officials like governor,
mayor and barangay captain.
4. Categorical Ballot Structure
-The number of candidates that the voter can choose is based on the specified number.
-Used in choosing president, vice-president, district representatives, party-list and local government officials
like governor, mayor and barangay captain.
-Like in voting for a president, the electorate can only choose one candidate. In the case of senators, the
electorate can only vote at most 12 senators.
5. Direct Election
-Winning candidates are elected directly by the registered voters
-Used in choosing president, vice-president, district representatives and local government officials like
governor, mayor and barangay captain.
6. Indirect voting
-In the case of party-list representative, the electorate does not vote for a specific name but choose a party.
The Party-list representative is proclaimed by the COMELEC from the list of names submitted and
according to their ranking in the said list.
6. Seats in proportion to the votes ( for the number of party-list representatives)
a. shall be ranked from highest to lowest based on the votes they garnered;
b. Receiving at least two percent of the total votes cast for the party-list system shall be entitled to one
seat;
c. Garnering more than two percent of the total votes shall be entitled to additional seats in proportion to
their total number of votes provided it will not exceed three seats.

PERFORMANCE TASK: VOTE FOR ME

Directions:
a. Assume the role of a candidate with the goal of winning the position of a Barangay Captain.
b. Make a CAMPAIGN POSTER with a CAMPAIGN SLOGAN to persuade voters to vote for you.
Note: Your campaign poster ( on a long bondpaper) must include your picture. It must be persuasive and
original with accurate and complete information of yourself.

SUMMATIVE TEST IN ELECTIONS AND POLITICAL PARTIES

Directions: Read and understand each question. Write the letter that corresponds to the correct answer on the
answer sheet provided on the last page

1. What type of political party whose constituency is spread over the geographical territory of at least a majority of the
regions?
A. regional B. national C. sectoral D. all of the above

2. Which election uses indirect voting?

A. Mayor B. Vice-president C. Party-list representative D. Senator

3. Which election DOES NOT use candidate-based voting?

A. President B. Party-list C. Mayor D. Senator

4. Which formal group decision- making allows the population to choose an individual to hold public office?.
A. Election B. Local Government Unit C. Municipalities D. Power

5. What organization seeks political power by electing people to office so its positions and philosophy become public
policy?.
A. Natural Rights B. Decentralization C. Election D. Political Party

6. Which position takes the entire Philippines as one electoral district?

A. Governor B. District Representative C. Phil. President D. Vice-Mayor

7. What refers to the set of rules and procedures that govern the conduct of election?
A. Initiative B. Referendum C. Electoral System D. Political System

8. What is the primary goal of all political parties for winning an election?
A. To help those who are in need C. To share in the exercise of power
B. To become popular D. all of the above

9. How many seat/s In the House of Representatives is/are to be given to a sectoral party that receives 2% of the
total party –list votes? .
A. 1 seat B. 3 seats C. 6 seats D. 9 seats

10. What is the minimum age of a Phil. citizen to exercise the right of suffrage during national and local election?
A. 10 years old B. 15 years old C. 17 years old D. 18 years old
 CIVIL SOCITIES AND SOCIAL MOVEMENTS

Competency 6: Explain the concept, roles, and contributions of civil society societies and social movements to
Philippine democracy

Civil Society
 The voluntary, rule-abiding, politically active sector of society, autonomous from the state
 Encompasses masses of citizens engaged in public protest, social movements, and NGOs acting in the public
sphere
 Excludes the household, profit-making enterprises, political parties, and groups striving to gain control of the
state through armed rebellion
 A complex product of the country’s colonial past and the history of political struggles before and after World
War II
Four sectors in the Philippine Civil Society
1. Various churches with the Catholic Church as pre-eminent
o Commands an impressive material infrastructure
( network of parishes, lay activitsts, educational institutions, media outlet)
o Example: EDSA uprising against Marcos
2. Mass Media enterprises
o Includes print, radio, and television
o Represent diverse economic and political interest
o Practitioners have exercised a level of autonomy from controlling interests
3. Community of People’s Organizations (POs) and developmental Nongovernmental Organizations(NGOs)
o Rooted in a long tradition of popular militancy and resurgent nationalism
o Represent various class, gender, ethnic and sectoral interests
• People’s Organizations(POs)
 Local non-profit, membership based associations that organize and mobilize members in support of
collective welfare goals
• Nongovernmental Organizations (NGOs)
 Act as intermediate agencies and institutions that typically operate with a full-time staff complement and
provide a wide range of services to primary organizations, communities, and individuals
 Non-membership organization formed for providing welfare and development services to the poor
 Private, non-profit, legal, focused
 usually works with peoples’ organizations (POs)
4. Cooperatives
 Association of persons who
o voluntarily joined together
o make “equitable contributions to the capital required
o patronize their products and services
o accept a fair share of the risks and benefits

Reasons for the Emergence of NGOs and POs

 fill the gap in the function of the government
 stimulating agent for community development
 create opportunities for the politically marginalized to become active participants in the socio-political
processes of society
Legal Framework of Civil Society
The 1987 Constitution of the Philippines
 Article II, Section 23:
“The State shall encourage non-governmental, community-based, or sector organizations that promote the welfare
of the nation.”
 Article XIII, Section 15:
“The State shall respect the role of independent people’s organizations to enable the people to pursue and protect,
within the democratic framework, their legitimate and collective interests and aspirations through peaceful and
lawful means. […
 Article XIII, Section 16:
“The right of the people and their organizations to effective and reasonable participation at all levels of social,
political and economic decision-making shall not be abridged. The State shall, by law facilitate the establishment of
adequate consultation mechanisms.”

Reasons for the proliferation of NGOs and Pos

1. Social Movements
 Collective challenges by people with common purpose and in solidarity in sustained interaction with elites,
opponents, and authorities
 Examples:
Student movements Movement to oppose relocation Human rights movements
Women’s movement Environmental Movement
2. Foreign Funding and Institutional Support from foreign organization
 Foreign assistance came from both church-related organizations and secular organizations
3. Policy of Pres. Corazon Aquino
 1987 Phil. Constitution provides for the recognition and encouragement of NGOs by the State
 Financial assistance and loans given to NGOs

Five areas of NGOs and POs participation in electoral processes

1. advocacy for electoral reforms
2. the raising of political consciousness
3. advancement of the people’s platform or agenda in elections
4. direct participation through the fielding of and campaigning for chosen candidates
5. post-election activities

Different roles of Civil Society Organizations in Democratizing politics and Governance

 As organizers: forming community & popular grassroots organization
 As advocates: mobilizing, articulating people’s interests, political demands, and institutional reforms
 As mediators: linking the powerful and disempowered strata of the society
 As deliverers: alternative mechanism for delivery of social services

PERFOMANCE TASK: MY CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATION

Directions: Choose one civil society organization in the Cebu from the internet. Write a summary of its history,
advocacy, and social services.

Name of Civil Society Organization:

Summary of its history, advocacy, and social services:
SUMMATIVE TEST ON CIVIL SOCIETY AND SOCIAL MOVEMENTS
Directions: Read and understand each question. Write the letter that corresponds to the correct answer on the
answer sheet provided on the last page

1. What role of civil society refers to the forming of community and popular grassroots organizations?
A. Advocates B. Deliverers C. Mediators D. Organizers

2. Who was the Phil. president who provided financial assistance and loans to NGOs?
A. Corazon Aquino B. Gloria Arroyo C. Fidel Ramos D. Joseph Estrada

3. Which of the following DOES NOT describe a civil society?

A. Rule abiding B. Politically active C. Dependent on the state D. All

4. What role of civil society is the linking the powerful and disempowered strata of the society?
A. Advocates B. Deliverers B. Mediators D. Organizers

5.What part of civil society includes print, radio, and television?

A. Mass media B. People’s Organization C .Cooperative D. Social Movements

6. Which is a characteristic of a cooperative?

I. Members make “equitable contributions to the capital required.
II. Members patronizes their products and services.
A. I only B. II only C. all D. none

7. Which statement is not true about civil society?

I. It includes groups striving to gain control of the state through armed rebellion
II. It comprises social movements.
A. I only B. II only C. all D. none

8.Which is an example of social movement?

I. women’s movements II. human rights movements
A. I only B. II only C. all D. none

9. Which is part of a civil society?

I. Catholic Church II. Born Again
A. I only B. II only C. all D. none

10. A school lacks computer units for the incoming school year. A non-government organization learns about the
shortage of computer units in this school. After verifying the real situation, the organization donates 30 brand new
computer units to the said school. What role of civil society is shown in the above situation?
A. Advocates B. Deliverers C. Mediators D. Organizers