What concepts have you learned from the reading material that we apply and use in

the Philippine Political System? Enumerate and Elaborate on your answers.

To begin, the first concept I came across in the reading material is the concept of
governance. Governance is multifaceted; it can be defined as the process of
decision-making and the way decisions are implemented, dealing with the power in the
government and how that power should be exerted for the benefit of the entire nation. It
also includes the laws that must be structured, regulated, and held accountable. When
applying this concept to Philippine politics, it is easy to see how governance in the
country can be clearly observed. As stated in the 1987 Philippine Constitution, the
government of the Philippines is known to be a democratic republic where sovereignty
resides in the people. And yet, while effective governance requires exercising power in a
way that is accountable, transparent, efficient, and representative, this is not thoroughly
implemented in the Philippines. This is due to the seemingly never-ending cycle of
poverty that has occurred for centuries, conflicts between the upper-class and the working
class—something that can be traced back to Marxism—and corruption in the government
itself as perceived and experienced by the Filipino people.

Another concept stated was the concept of political ideologies, some of which
include anarchism, socialism, liberalism, and conservatism. While the Philippines
practices the political ideology of democracy – a government system by the people, of the
people, for the people, as famously stated by Abraham Lincoln – there are still several
other ideologies being practiced in the country. For instance, conservatism is observed in
regards to the country being a dominant Catholic nation. The views of the Filipino people
can be considered conservative when considering different issues, such as divorce and
abortion. Liberalism is also observed through the Liberal Party of the Philippines,
founded by Manuel Roxas in 1946. However, the history of liberalism in the Philippines
goes back even before the Liberal Party was established. National heroes such as Andres
Bonifacio and José Rizal were liberals as well, fighting back against Spanish colonialism
and viewing it as violating the rights of the Filipino people. Nonetheless, the country still
remains a democratic one with representative democracy being observed presently.

Section 3 of the reading module enumerates the types of government, such as

colonialism, democracy, dictatorship, communism, and republicanism. As mentioned
prior, the Philippines currently has a democratic republican government, showcasing how
democracy and republicanism are put into practice as the latter can also be full
democracies where presidents are elected and opposition parties are present. This is the
case in the Philippines. Nevertheless, before the present government was established,
colonialism, dictatorship, and even communism were once present in the country. Even to
this day, there is an ongoing conflict between the Communist Party of the Philippines and
the government, with the former seeking to overthrow the latter in favor of a new state
led by the working class and abolishing American influence from the Philippines once
and for all.

Meanwhile, colonialism can be defined as a system of government where one

country has control over the people of another country; in the Philippines, this is what
occurred during the Spanish Occupation. Dictatorship, defined as a system of government
where one person has complete authority, was once present as well, from the time of
Emilio Aguinaldo during 1898, when he proclaimed a dictatorial government with
himself appointed as its head, to the time when the Philippines was under Martial Law.
While a dictator can be seen as benevolent, taking control in times of crisis, often they
rule in cruel and violent ways. This was observed through the aforementioned Martial
Law, which officially ended on January 17, 1981.

As a country that has been colonized in the past, the concepts of nationalism and
decolonization can be seen in the Philippines as well. Nationalism, an ideology that
emphasizes loyalty, devotion, and love for a nation or nation-state, was first introduced to
combat colonialism in the Philippines. During the 1800s, Filipino nationalism began with
a surge of patriotic feelings and nationalistic ideals as a consequence of more than three
centuries of Spanish rule. Furthermore, the aftermath of World War II resulted in the
United States granting full independence to the Philippines. While it is true that the
changed political conditions of colonized countries led to conflicts after the "common
enemy" was removed, nationalism is undoubtedly needed for Philippine democratic
development. Nation building is one of the most important aspects of political
development in newly formed states, such as the Philippines. A sense of national unity
within and a confident national identity when looking outward are required for
democratic development. 

As stated prior, the United States freed its largest colony, the Philippines, in 1946.
This leads me to the next subtopic: international relations in Philippine politics.
International relations are needed in every economy, as no state can survive on its own
without contact with other countries and organizations. In the Philippine context, one of
the oldest relationships the country has is with its former colonizer. Based on strong
historical and cultural linkages, shared democratic values, and common interests,
US-Philippine relations offer economic cooperation, security, and defense. Moreover, the
United States is among the Philippines’ top three trading partners, and bilateral defense
treaties remain the foundation of the defense relationship, enabling critical US military
support, presence, and interoperability with the Philippines. Singapore is another country
that has diplomatic relations with the Philippines. Officially established in May 1969,
Singapore is a treasured partner of the Philippines as well as a fellow ASEAN
(Association of Southeast Asian Nations) founding member. With the bilateral relations
these two countries have, several key areas such as trade and investment, security and
defense cooperation, cultural exchanges, and people-to-people relations have been
improved and strengthened. International relations and organizations that the Philippines
have are what help provide the country with stronger relationships with other nations,
trade opportunities, and ultimately, a more powerful voice in international affairs.

In connection with the international relations and organizations the Philippines

have founded and become involved in to improve the state of the nation, foreign aid must
also be taken into consideration. Foreign aid is given to mostly third-world countries by
more developed countries for humanitarian, political, developmental, and security
reasons. The United States, Australia, Japan, Korea, the World Bank, and the Asian
Development Bank (ADB) have been some of the few major nations that continue to
provide aid to the Philippines. Ideally, this is used to strengthen democratic principles,
advance world peace and security, and enhance public health and education. While the
Philippines has been on the receiving end of foreign aid numerous times, the government
also had the chance to give foreign aid as well. For instance, the Philippines agreed to
offer help to Papua New Guinea in 2018, which was struggling with the drop in oil prices
worldwide at that time. Overall, foreign aid can help strengthen Philippine political ties
with other countries while simultaneously improving the lives of the people receiving
such aid. An example of this can be seen during the time of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The United States, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID),
invested more than Php1 billion ($22.6 million) to the Philippines' fight against the
COVID outbreak. The effects of the virus have been addressed by a number of USAID's
ongoing development programs, spanning the health, economic development,
governance, education, and environment sectors.
Sources:

Liberal Party of the Philippines : CALD

David Wurfel: Nationalism, Development And Democracy: Foundations Of

Philippine Foreign Policy

July 4, 1946: The Philippines Gained Independence from the United States | The
National WWII Museum | New Orleans

The United States-Philippines Relationship.

Overview of Philippines-Singapore Relations

United States COVID-19 Assistance to the Philippines | Philippines | U.S. Agency

for International Development

Economic and Political Challenges in the Philippines - Carnegie Endowment for

International Peace