Here are the Things You Need to Know About the President, Vice President, Senators, and Party-List Groups of the Philippines

You know that the president, vice president, senators, and party-list are some of the highest positions in the Philippine government, right? But, alam mo rin ba kung ano ang ginagawa nila? If yes, then good for you. But if not, then that’s fine because we’re here to help you learn more about them.

We’ll give you a quick rundown on what roles the president, vice president, senators, and party-list groups play in the government. Let’s start.

President of the Philippines

The highest position in the Philippine government can only be filled by a person directly voted for by the masses. The term of the President-elect will begin at noon on June 30 and will last for six years. They are only going to serve a single term and will no longer be eligible for reelection. 

Here are the qualifications needed to run as a president:

• At least 40 years of age by the day of the election
• Must be a natural-born Filipino
• A registered voter
• Has the capability to read and write
• Must be a resident of the Philippines for 10 years before elections

Those are requirements needed for anyone who wishes to run for the highest position in the country. Now, we’ll move on to some of the most crucial responsibilities that the President of the Philippines must deal with.

• Sit as the head of the National Security Council
• Assume the position of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines in times of war
• Has the capability to produce executive issuances such as administrative orders, executive orders, memorandum orders, memorandum circulars, proclamations, and general or special orders
• Decides on whether to accept or veto the bills that have been passed by Congress.
• Oversee all local governments
• Has the power to appoint officials of the national government as long as they follow what's indicated by the law and constitution. (Although candidates for certain positions will first have to be approved by the Commission of Appointments before they can begin their work
• Secure foreign loans for the projects in the country as long as it is approved by the Monetary Board

Vice President of the Philippines

The second-highest position in the Philippine government can only be filled by a person voted for by the people. The vice president's term will start at noon on June 30 and should last for the next six years, similar to the President's. However, they will be allowed to run for reelection one more time.

The qualifications for anyone who wants to run for the position of the vice president are as follows:

• Should be a registered voter
• A natural-born Filipino
• Able to read and write
• Must be a resident of the Philippines for at least 10 years before the election
• At least 40 years of age by the day of the election

Yes, the qualifications for the two highest positions in the country are the same. But, there are a lot of differences in the things that they do. Take a look at the responsibilities of the vice president of our country below:

• Must take on the role of the president if the current leader resigns, suffers from a severe health condition that would render them incapable of working, or die
• Fill a position on the cabinet should the president offer them one
• Become a part of the National Security Council as they will serve as an executive committee member

Senators of the Philippines

Under the legislative branch is the Senate, which houses the 24 senators voted for by the people. Their term will start on June 30 after election day and will last for the next six years. All senators are also eligible to run for two more consecutive terms after their first one ends.

Listed below are the qualifications needed to become a senator:

• Should be a registered voter
• Must be a natural-born Filipino
• Can read and write
• Should be at least 35 years of age by the day of the election
• Must have resided in the Philippines two years before the election date

Here are some of the most important responsibilities given to the 24 senators of the Philippines:

• They have the power to overturn or extend martial law
• Produce bills and different types of resolutions that can address the issues of the nation
• Discuss and decide on impeachment cases
• Accept or deny the president’s amnesty
• Hold debates with committees during plenary sessions
• Allows the president to use ‘special powers’ to implement necessary policies
• Recommend modifications to the constitution via constitutional convention or constituent assembly

Party List Groups in the Philippines

Party-list representatives will be allowed up to three seats in the congress should they gather enough votes from the people.  A ‘winning’ party-list will be able to secure a seat if they can get at least 2% of the total national votes cast, with an additional one to two seats depending on their total number of votes. (The number of seats given will be decided after following a pre-determined formula.)

Each party-list could serve three consecutive 3-year terms. Here are some of the qualifications that the group and the party-nominee must meet:

*For the party-list

• The party-list’s main goal should be addressing concerns of sectors such as urban poor, fisherfolk, overseas workers, jeepney drivers, youth, women, PWDs, indigenous communities, and others.
• Members of the group must have similar physical qualities, field of work, and interests.
• Should not be a religious sector or associated with one
• The group should be 'Filipino' as it is not owned by any foreign group. It should also not receive any support from foreign organizations, government, and private foundations.
• All group members should follow/believe the same type of politics.
• The group's advocacy should not incite violence or unlawfulness.
• Should be able to follow laws and regulations related to the elections.

* For the nominee

• Should be a registered voter
• Must be a natural-born Filipino
• Can read and write
• The nominee should have been a member of the group for at least 90 days
• Have been a resident of the Philippines for one year before the elections
• Should be nominated by the party
• Must be at least 25 years of age before the day of the election (if the nominee is representing a youth group, they should not be older than 30 years old)

These are the qualifications required for groups running to secure seats in the house of congress. Now let's take a look at what their function is in the government:  

• Party-lists have the same responsibilities as congressmen/congresswomen. The main difference is that the bills and resolutions party-list groups make should benefit the sectors they represent.

The President, Vice President, Senators, and Party-List groups are some of the highest positions in the Philippine government. We hope this article helps you understand their roles a little better. Now, are you in the mood to read more blogs that can help make your student life easier? If so, check out CourseFinder’s articles section because we have other posts that will surely pique your interest.