Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Gloria MACAPAGAL-ARROYO (since 20 January
2001); note - president is both chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Gloria MACAPAGAL-ARROYO (since 20
January 2001); note - president is both chief of state and head of
government
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president with consent of
Commission of Appointments
elections: president and vice president (Manuel "Noli" DE CASTRO)
elected on separate tickets by popular vote for a single six-year
term; election last held 10 May 2004 (next to be held in May 2010)
election results: results of the election - Gloria MACAPAGAL-ARROYO
elected president; percent of vote - Gloria MACAPAGAL-ARROYO 40%,
Fernando POE 37%, three others 23%
Legislative branch:
bicameral Congress or Kongreso consists of the Senate or Senado (24
seats - one-half elected every three years; members elected at large
by popular vote to serve six-year terms) and the House of
Representatives or Kapulungan Ng Mga Kinatawan (212 members
representing districts plus 24 sectoral party-list members; members
elected by popular vote to serve three-year terms; note - the
Constitution prohibits the House of Representatives from having more
than 250 members)
elections: Senate - last held 10 May 2004 (next to be held in May
2007); House of Representatives - elections last held 10 May 2004
(next to be held in May 2007)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - Lakas 30%, LP
13%, KNP 13%, independents 17%, others 27%; seats by party - Lakas
7, LP 3, KNP (coalition) 3, independents 4, others 6; note - there
are 23 rather than 24 sitting senators because one senator was
elected vice president; House of Representatives - percent of vote
by party - NA; seats by party - Lakas 93, NPC 53, LP 34, LDP 11,
others 20; party-listers 24 (2004)
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (15 justices are appointed by the president on the
recommendation of the Judicial and Bar Council and serve until 70
years of age); Court of Appeals; Sandigan-bayan (special court for
hearing corruption cases of government officials)
Political parties and leaders:
Kabalikat Ng Malayang Pilipino (Kampi) [Ronaldo PUNO]; Laban Ng
Demokratikong Pilipino (Struggle of Filipino Democrats) or LDP
[Edgardo ANGARA]; Lakas Ng Edsa (National Union of Christian
Democrats) or Lakas [Jose DE VENECIA]; Liberal Party or LP [Franklin
DRILON/Eli QUINTO]; Nacionalista [Manuel VILLAR]; National People's
Coalition or NPC [Frisco SAN JUAN]; PDP-Laban [Aquilino PIMENTEL];
People's Reform Party [Miriam Defensor SANTIAGO]; PROMDI [Emilio
OSMENA]; Pwersa Ng Masang Pilipino (Party of the Philippine Masses)
or PMP [Joseph ESTRADA]; Reporma [Renato DE VILLA]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
AKBAYAN [Reps. Etta ROSALES, Mario AGUJA, and Risa
HONTIVEROS-BARAQUIEL]; ALAGAD [Rep. Rodante MARROLITA]; ALIF [Rep.
Acmad TOMAWIS]; An Waray [Rep. Horencio NOEL]; Anak Mindanao [Mujiv
HATAMIN]; ANAKPAWIS [Reps. Crispin BELTRAN and Rafael MARIANO]; APEC
[Reps. Ernesto PABLO, Edgar VALDEZ]; Association of Philippine
Electric Cooperatives (APEC) [Reps. Edgar VALDEZ, Ernesto PABLO, and
Sunny Rose MADAMBA]; AVE [Rep. Eulogio MAGSAYSAY]; Bayan Muna [Reps.
Satur OCAMPO, Joel VIRADOR, and Teodoro CASINO, Jr.]; BUHAY [Reps.
Rene VELARDE and Hans Christian SENERES]; BUTIL [Rep. Benjamin
CRUZ]; CIBAC [Rep. Emmanuel Joel VILLANUEVA]; COOP-NATCO [Rep.
Guillermo CUA]; GABRIELA [Rep. Liza MAZA]; Partido Ng Manggagawa
[Rep. Renato MAGTUBO]; Veterans Federation of the Philippines [Rep.
Ernesto GIDAYA] (2006)
International organization participation:
APEC, APT, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, BIS, CP, EAS, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA,
IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC,
IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA,
MINUSTAH, NAM, OAS (observer), ONUB, OPCW, PIF (partner), UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UPU, WCL, WCO,
WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Willy C. GAA
chancery: 1600 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
telephone: [1] (202) 467-9300
FAX: [1] (202) 328-7614
consulate(s) general: Chicago, Honolulu, Los Angeles, New York, San
Francisco, San Jose (Northern Mariana Islands), Tamuning (Guam)
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Kristie A. Kenney embassy: 1201 Roxas Boulevard, Ermita 1000, Manila mailing address: PSC 500, FPO AP 96515-1000 telephone: [63] (2) 528-6300 FAX: [63] (2) 522-4361
Flag description:
two equal horizontal bands of blue (top; representing peace and
justice) and red (representing courage); a white equilateral
triangle based on the hoist side represents equality; the center of
the triangle displays a yellow sun with eight primary rays, each
representing one of the first eight provinces that sought
independence from Spain; each corner of the triangle contains a
small, yellow, five-pointed star representing the three major
geographical divisions of the country: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao;
the design of the flag dates to 1897; in wartime the flag is flown
upside down with the red band at the top