The Philippines is an archipelagic state in Southeast Asia, with 7,641 islands spanning more than 300,000 square kilometers of territory. It is divided into three island groups: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.
It proclaimed its independence from the Spanish Empire on June 12, 1898, following the culmination of the Philippine Revolution. It regained independence on July 4, 1946, with the establishment of the Third Philippine Republic, which subsists to this day.
The Philippines is a unitary presidential constitutional republic, with the President of the Philippines as both the head of state and the head of government.
The Philippines is a founding member of the United Nations, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the World Trade Organization and the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation.
GOVERNMENT
The Philippines has a presidential form of government wherein power is divided among three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial. The government seeks to act in the best interests of its citizens through this system of checks and balances.
The core principle in the presidential system is the separation of powers wherein legislation belongs to Congress, execution to the Executive, and the settlement of legal controversies to the Judiciary.
The Legislative branch has the power to make laws, and alter, or repeal them. This institution is divided into the Senate and the House of Representatives.
The Senate is composed of 24 Senators who are elected at large by the qualified voters of the country.
The House of Representatives is composed of 250 members elected from legislative districts in the provinces, cities, and municipalities, and representatives elected through a party-list system of registered national, regional, and sectoral parties or organizations.
The Executive branch is composed of the President and the Vice President who are elected by direct popular vote and serve a term of six years. The Constitution grants the President authority to appoint the members of his Cabinet who head the various departments.
The President is the head of state, leader of the national government, and Commander-in-Chief of all armed forces of the Philippines. The President serves a six-year term and cannot be re-elected.
If the President is unable to serve, the Vice President becomes President. He or she also serves a six-year term.
Cabinet members serve as assistants and advisors to the President. They are the heads of executive departments. Cabinet members are nominated by the President and must be confirmed by the Commission of Appointments.
The Judicial branch holds the power to settle controversies involving rights that are legally demandable and enforceable. It is made up of a Supreme Court and lower courts. The judicial branch interprets the meaning of laws, applies laws to individual cases, and decides if any enacted law violate the Constitution.
FOREIGN RELATIONS
The 1987 Philippine Constitution provides the following provisions which provide directions in the conduct of the country’s foreign policy:
Article II, Section 2: “The Philippines renounces war as an instrument of national policy, adopts the generally accepted principles of international law as part of the law of the land and adheres to the policy of peace, equality, justice.”
Article II, Section 7: “The State shall pursue an independent foreign policy. In its relations with other states the paramount consideration shall be national sovereignty, territorial integrity, national interest, and the right to self-determination.”
Republic Act No. 7157, otherwise known as "Philippine Foreign Service Act of 1991", mandates the Department of Foreign Affairs to implement the three pillars of the Philippine Foreign Policy, as follows:
1. Preservation and enhancement of national security
2. Promotion and attainment of economic security
3. Protection of the rights and promotion of the welfare and interest of Filipinos overseas.
The Philippines maintains embassies and consulates general in 62 countries around the world.