The executive branch carries out and enforces laws.

It includes mainly the

president, vice president, and the Cabinet. 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 such
that according to the Article 7, Section 16, of the Philippine Constitution, the President
may appoint anyone to executive departments with the consent of the Commission on
Appointments. Names of individuals nominated to cabinet posts are submitted to the
Commission on Appointments for their consideration. The departments under the
executive branch of the government are as follows:

o Office of the President

o Office of the Vice President
o Department of Agrarian Reform
o Department of Agriculture
o Department of Budget and Management
o Department of Education
o Department of Energy
o Department of Environment and Natural Resources
o Department of Finance
o Department of Foreign Affairs
o Department of Health
o Department of the Interior and Local Government
o Department of Justice
o Department of Labor and Employment
o Department of National Defense
o Department of Public Works and Highways
 Department of Science and Technology
 Department of Social Welfare and Development
 Department of Tourism
 Department of Trade and Industry
  Department of Transportation and Communication

Cabinet secretaries act as the alter ego of the President executing, with his
authority, the power of the Office of the President in their respective departments and
without a college degree, a Presidents may find it hard to manage Department of
Foreign Affairs; Department of Health; Department of Justice; Department of Education;
and Department of Science and Technology. Reason is that, although the Philippine
governments appoint secretaries without specific portfolios, cabinet secretaries are
often expected to be experts in their field; the technical qualifications needed to become
a cabinet secretary may include formal education or may be based on work in related
fields in the private sector or in government service; Although the president has the
power to appoint cabinet secretaries who are expert in the field of foreign study,
medicine, law, education and science and technology, the cabinet secretaries are the
embodiment of the President and without a degree it will certainly be impossible for
him/her/them to manage these departments into its fullest extent.

While it seems to be impossible for a citizen without college degree to run for
presidency, the qualifications for an individual aspiring to become the President of the
Philippines outlined in Article VII, Section 2 of the 1987 Constitution does not hinder one
to do so. According to the constitution, an individual may become President provided he
meets the following criteria:

1. Natural born Filipino;

2. A registered voter;
3. Must be able to read and write;
4. 40 years of age at the day of the election; and
5. Must have resided in the Philippines ten years before the election is held.

Good leadership does not always tagged with education; it can never determine
a President’s efficiency in leading its people. As long as you have vision for the country,
leading by example, by demonstrating integrity and empowering your countrymen, you
can lead the country even better than those who had a high college degree.
 On a recent news uploaded in the website of PHILSTAR, January 2020, it was
reported that The House of Representatives is pursuing the shift to a federal form of
government that was proposed by the consultative committee headed by retired chief
justice Reynato Puno and earlier approved by President Duterte and the previous
Congress.

Below are the reformed provisions details for the following positions:

o ARTICLE VII, SECTION 3:

No person shall be elected Senator unless he is a natural-born citizen of
the Philippines and, on the day of the election, at least thirty-five (35) years of
age, holder of a college degree or its equivalent, a registered voter, and
domiciled in the Federated Region where he or she is to be elected for not
less than two years immediately preceding the day of the election.

o ARTICLE VII, SECTION 6:

No person shall be a Member of the House of Representatives unless he
is a natural-born citizen of the Philippines, at least twenty-five (25) years of
age on the day of the election, and holder of a college degree or its
equivalent. Except for one elected through the proportional representation
system, he must be a registered voter and domiciled in the district where he is
to be elected for a period of not less than one (1) year immediately preceding
the day of the election.

o ARTICLE VIII, SECTION 2:

No person may be elected President unless he is a natural-born citizen of
the Philippines, a registered voter, holder of a college degree or its equivalent
and on the day of the election, at least forty (40) years of age, and domiciled
in the Philippines for at least ten (10) years immediately preceding such
election.
o ARTICLE VIII, SECTION 3:
There shall be a Vice President who shall have the same qualifications
and term of office as the President.

o ARTICLE X - C, SECTION 1:
There shall be a Federal Commission on Elections composed of a
Chairperson and six (6) Commissioners, two (2) from Luzon, two (2) from
Visayas, and two (2) from Mindanao one of whom shall represent the
Bangsamoro, who shall be natural-born citizens of the Philippines, at least
thirty-five (35) years of age at the time of their appointment, holders of a
college degree, and must not have been candidates for any elective position
in the immediately preceding election. One (1) should be a member of the
Philippine bar and should have been engaged in the practice of law for at
least ten (10) years.

o ARTICLE X - E, SECTION 1:
There shall be a Federal Commission on Human Rights composed of a
Chairperson and four (4) Commissioners who must be natural-born citizens of
the Philippines, at least thirty-five (35) years of age at the time of their
appointment, holders of a college degree or its equivalent, and must not have
been candidates for any elective position in the immediately preceding
election.

o ARTICLE XI, SECTION X:

No person may be a member of the Regional Assembly unless he is a
natural born citizen, a registered voter, a holder of a college degree or its
 equivalent, at least twenty five (25) years of age on the day of the election,
and domiciled in the Federated Region for at least five (5) years immediately
preceding the election.

A lawmaker disagreed with a provision under the proposed draft constitution in

the House of Representatives that requires the president, vice president, and Congress
members to have a college degree. “‘Wag naman sana nating ipagkait ang mangarap
sa ating mga kababayan na hindi pinalad na makapag-aral dahil sa kahirapan,” said
Vergara, who was interpellating the sponsor, Zamboanga Sibugay 1st District
Representative Wilter Wee Palma II. “I hope they are still able to dream of serving
others as a representative, senator, vice president, and president, because what we are
looking for in a leader – more than being smart – is honesty, humility, love of country,
and the desire to serve without asking for anything in return,” added Vergara in Filipino.
The legislator then added that in 2010 only 10% of Filipinos had college degrees.
Vergara said this number increased to 36% this year. She also pointed out that the free
tuition law has only been recently implemented. “Thus, requiring college degrees would
disenfranchise almost 64% of our voters; narrow the pool of qualified people simply
because they don’t have a college degree. And there’s no scientific evidence that a
college graduate would perform better a leader than one who isn’t,” said Vergara. The
neophyte congresswoman said “none” of the classes she took in college were relevant
to her job in Congress. “The trainings that helped me serve my constituents better have
nothing to do with my college educational attainment. Rather, perseverance, the
recognition of my strengths and weaknesses, knowledge about the needs of my
constituents, and making informed and sound choices when voting and making bills –
these are the things that I rely on mostly, none of which I learned in college,” said
Vergara.

College degree as a qualification for those who aspire to lead the country is anti-
poor and the fact that the minorities were the one who are aware of what our
governments are lacking in regards with their governance then I will no longer be
surprised if justice and rights will only be served for those who are not even close to
silver lining. Democracy is for all and everyone has the potential to serve our country
into success. If we are truly concern that leaders without college degree would not be
able to lead us well, then what is the reason why those who are in the position would
not focus on enhancing our education system, rather than reforming the law, which
does not exhibit any wrong? If the government is for the poor then I see no wrong for a
poor to be in the government.