Sectoral representation in the Philippines refers to the now abolished system of representation in the Batasang Pambansa, then the House of Representatives of the Philippines. This has been replaced with party-list representation in the House of Representatives of the Philippines.
Local legislatures were also mandated to have sectoral representatives, but only the election indigenous cultural minorities in some legislatures have seen daylight.
The Malolos Congress, Philippine Assembly, the National Assembly, and the House of Representatives, have been solely elected from electoral districts.
The 1973 constitution introduced the parliamentary system of government, in the form of the Batasang Pambansa. It also introduced sectoral representation, which was derived from fascist Italy. It was a plan by president Ferdinand Marcos to institute a corporatist system in which every sector would have a single organization approved and controlled by him, with elections derived from sectoral organizations that have separate and officially sanctioned voter lists. However, Filipino society was too fluid and democratic traditions too strong for Marcos to impost corporatism; he instead appointed legislators to represent sectors. [1]
After the ouster of Marcos in the People Power Revolution, President Corazon Aquino appointed a constitutional commission to draft a new constitution. In this commission, there was a strong support to add a party-list system in the new constitution. In transition, it was agreed to allow presidential appointment of up to 25 sectoral representatives for three legislative terms (that is, until 1998). The party-list system was first implemented during the 1998 elections. [1]
In the Batasang Pambansa, the distribution of seats were as follows: [2]
Sector | Allocation | Per parliament | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Luzon | Visayas | Mindanao | At-large | Total | IBP | RBP | |
Agricultural labor | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
Industrial labor | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 1 |
Youth | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
Total | 6 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 14 | 14 | 10 |
In Congress, the allocation was as follows: [3]
Sector | Allocation | Per Congress | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Total | 8th | 9th | 10th | |
Labor | 25 | 3 | 8 | 9 |
Peasants | 2 [lower-alpha 1] | 2 | 5 | |
Youth | 2 | 0 | 3 | |
Urban poor | 2 | 1 | 2 | |
indigenous cultural communities | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
Women | 1 [lower-alpha 2] | 1 | 2 | |
Youth | 2 | 2 | 3 | |
Veterans | 1 [lower-alpha 3] | 0 | 0 | |
Elderly | 1 [lower-alpha 3] | 0 | 0 | |
Disabled | 1 [lower-alpha 2] | 0 | 0 | |
Total | 25 | 16 | 15 | 25 |
The peasant sector covers the agricultural group, which includes all persons who personally and physically till the land as their principal occupation, agricultural tenants and lessees, rural workers and farm employees, owner-cultivators, settlers and small fishermen
Leg | Term of office | Seat A | Seat B | Seat C | Seat D | Seat E |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Seats created on February 7, 1978 as "agricultural labor". [2] | ||||||
IBP | June 12, 1978 – June 30, 1984 |
|
|
| N/A | |
RBP | June 30, 1984 – March 25, 1986 |
|
| — | ||
Term expired upon dissolution of parliament on March 25, 1986. Seats renamed on June 18, 1987 as "peasant". [3] | ||||||
8th | June 30, 1987 – June 30, 1992 |
|
| — | — | — |
9th | June 30, 1992 – June 30, 1995 |
|
| — | — | — |
10th | June 30, 1995 – June 30, 1998 |
|
|
| ||
Seats dissolved with the adoption of the party-list system on 1998. |
The sector of the disabled covers the physically and socially disabled.
# | Member | Term of office | Leg | Electoral history |
---|---|---|---|---|
Seat created on June 18, 1987 as "disabled". [3] | ||||
1 |
| June 30, 1987 – July 7, 1989 | 8th |
|
2 | Art Borjal | 1989 – June 30, 1992 | Appointed in 1989. | |
Seat dissolved with the adoption of the party-list system on 1998. |
# | Member | Term of office | Leg | Electoral history |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Daniel de Luna | June 30, 1987 – June 30, 1992 | 8th | Appointed in 1992. |
# | Member | Term of office | Leg | Electoral history |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Antonio Olegario Jr. | June 30, 1987 – June 30, 1992 | 8th | Appointed in 1992. |
The indigenous cultural communities sector covers all ethnic groups cultural communities.
# | Member | Term of office | Leg | Electoral history |
---|---|---|---|---|
Seat created on June 18, 1987 as "indigenous cultural communities". [3] | ||||
1 | Joseph Sibug | June 30, 1992 – June 30, 1995 | 9th |
|
2 | Ronald Adamat | June 30, 1995 – June 30, 1998 | 10th | Appointed in 1995. |
Seats dissolved with the adoption of the party-list system on 1998. |
The labor group refers to the industrial labor group, which includes all non-agricultural workers and employees.
Leg | Term of office | Seat A | Seat B | Seat C | Seat D | Seat E | Seat F | Seat G | Seat H | Seat I |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Seats created on February 7, 1978. [2] | ||||||||||
IBP | June 12, 1978 – June 30, 1984 |
|
|
|
| N/A | ||||
RBP | June 30, 1984 – March 25, 1986 | — | — | |||||||
Term expired upon dissolution of parliament on March 25, 1986. Seats renamed on June 18, 1987 as "labor". [3] | ||||||||||
8th | June 30, 1987 – June 30, 1992 |
|
|
| — | — | — | — | — | — |
9th | June 30, 1992 – June 30, 1995 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| — | |
10th | June 30, 1995 – June 30, 1998 |
|
|
| ||||||
Seats dissolved with the adoption of the party-list system on 1998. |
The urban poor sector includes the underprivileged and homeless citizens in urban areas.
Leg | Term of office | Seat A | Seat B |
---|---|---|---|
Seats created on June 18, 1987 as "urban poor". [3] | |||
8th | June 30, 1987 – June 30, 1992 |
|
|
9th | June 30, 1992 – June 30, 1995 |
| — |
10th | June 30, 1995 – June 30, 1998 |
| |
Seats dissolved with the adoption of the party-list system on 1998. |
The veterans sector embraces persons recognized as such veterans by the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
The elderly sector covers persons who are sixty-five years of age or over.
This was supposedly two separate sectors, but was represented by one person in the 8th Congress.
# | Member | Term of office | Leg | Electoral history |
---|---|---|---|---|
Seats created on June 18, 1987 as "veterans," and "elderly". [3] | ||||
1 | Dionisio Ojeda | June 30, 1992 – June 30, 1995 | 8th | Appointed in 1992. |
Seats dissolved with the adoption of the party-list system on 1998. |
The women sector shall cover all women.
Leg | Term of office | Seat A | Seat B |
---|---|---|---|
Seats created on June 18, 1987 as "women". [3] | |||
8th | June 30, 1987 – June 30, 1992 |
| — |
9th | June 30, 1992 – June 30, 1995 |
| — |
10th | June 30, 1995 – June 30, 1998 |
| |
Seats dissolved with the adoption of the party-list system on 1998. |
In the Batasang Pambansa, the youth representatives are between 18 and 25 years of age.
In Congress, the youth sector embraces persons not more than thirty-five years of age.
Leg | Term of office | Seat A | Seat B | Seat C | Seat D | Seat E | Seat F |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Seats created on February 7, 1978 as "youth". [2] | |||||||
IBP | June 12, 1978 – June 30, 1984 |
|
|
|
|
| |
RBP | June 30, 1984 – March 25, 1986 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Term expired upon dissolution of parliament on March 25, 1986. | |||||||
8th | June 30, 1987 – June 30, 1992 |
|
| — | — | — | — |
9th | June 30, 1992 – June 30, 1995 |
|
| — | — | — | — |
10th | June 30, 1995 – June 30, 1998 |
|
| — | — | — | |
Seats dissolved with the adoption of the party-list system on 1998. |
The Local Government Code of 1991 provided sectoral representation in local legislatures (Sangguniang Panlalawigan or provincial boards, Sangguniang Panlungsod or city councils, Sangguniang Bayan or municipal councils, and the Sangguniang Barangay or village councils). The Local Government Code allocated each sector in each legislature:
Sector | Total |
---|---|
Agricultural labor | 1 |
Industrial labor | |
Women | 1 |
Urban poor | 1 |
Indigenous cultural minorities | |
Disabled | |
Total | 3 |
However, the code states that the manner of election shall be in the manner as provided by law. Aside from the indigenous cultural minorities, no other law has been passed to facilitate the election of such sectoral representatives, and remains unfulfilled.
The Indigenous Peoples' Rights Act of 1997 mandates representation for indigenous peoples in local legislatures in places that they reside. The Indigenous Peoples Mandatory Representative (IPMR) has been elected in several legislatures through out the country. [4]
The Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) is meant to represent the youth in local legislatures. SK elections are on a separate electoral roll, and has been held in mostly in conjunction with barangay elections. A series of indirect elections from the barangay level to the provincial level allows for representation of the SK in local legislatures.
The Bangsamoro Organic Law provides sectoral representation in the Bangsamoro Parliament. Eight seats, or 10% the seats in parliament are allocated for these sectors: [5]
Sector | Total |
---|---|
Non-Moro indigenous peoples (i.e. lumads) | 2 |
Settler communities | 2 |
Women | 1 |
Youth | 1 |
Traditional leaders | 1 |
The ulama | 1 |
Total | 8 |
The Bangsamoro Transition Authority encouraged residents to run for these sectoral seats in the first elections in 2025, as they had noted that "these sectors usually hardly secure representation in the then-Regional Legislative Assembly" [5]
In the Philippines, regions are administrative divisions that primarily serve to coordinate planning and organize national government services across multiple local government units (LGUs). Most national government offices provide services through their regional branches instead of having direct provincial or city offices. Regional offices are usually but not necessarily located in the city designated as the regional center.
The Congress of the Philippines is the legislature of the national government of the Philippines. It is bicameral, composed of an upper body, the Senate, and a lower body, the House of Representatives, although colloquially, the term "Congress" commonly refers to just the latter. The Senate meets at the GSIS Building in Pasay, while the House of Representatives meets at the Batasang Pambansa in Quezon City, which also hosts joint sessions.
The House of Representatives is the lower house of Congress, the bicameral legislature of the Philippines, with the Senate of the Philippines as the upper house. The lower house is commonly referred to as Congress, although the term collectively refers to both houses.
Elections in the Philippines are of several types. The president, vice-president, and the senators are elected for a six-year term, while the members of the House of Representatives, governors, vice-governors, members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, mayors, vice-mayors, members of the Sangguniang Panlungsod/members of the Sangguniang Bayan, barangay officials, and the members of the Sangguniang Kabataan are elected to serve for a three-year term.
The government of the Philippines has three interdependent branches: the legislative, executive, and judicial branches. The Philippines is governed as a unitary state under a presidential representative and democratic constitutional republic in which the president functions as both the head of state and the head of government of the country within a pluriform multi-party system.
The Philippines is divided into four levels of administrative divisions, with the lower three being defined in the Local Government Code of 1991 as local government units (LGUs). They are, from the highest to the lowest:
The legislative districts of Agusan del Norte are the representations of the province of Agusan del Norte in the various national legislatures of the Philippines. The province is currently represented in the lower house of the Congress of the Philippines through its first and second congressional districts.
The legislative districts of Aklan are the representations of the province of Aklan in the various national legislatures of the Philippines. The province is currently represented in the lower house of the Congress of the Philippines through its first and second congressional districts.
The legislative districts of Agusan del Sur are the representations of the province of Agusan del Sur in the various national legislatures of the Philippines. The province is currently represented in the lower house of the Congress of the Philippines through its first and second congressional districts.
The legislative districts of Caloocan are the representations of the highly urbanized city of Caloocan in the various national legislatures of the Philippines. The city is currently represented in the lower house of the Congress of the Philippines through its first, second, and third congressional districts.
The legislative districts of the Philippines are the divisions of the Philippines' provinces and cities for representation in the various legislative bodies. Congressional districts are for House of Representatives, while there are districts for Sangguniang Panlalawigan, and some Sangguniang Panlungsod. For purposes of representation, the Senate, most Sangguniang Panlungsod, Sangguniang Bayan, Sangguniang Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan are all elected at-large, although there were districts for the Senate from 1916 to 1935.
The 1979 Sangguniang Pampook elections were held for the 2 Regional Legislative Assemblies or Sangguniang Pampook on 7 May 1979, in the former Region IX and Region XII. Both were former Philippine Autonomous Regions located in areas of the Mindanao islands group in the southern Philippines.
Sangguniang Panlalawigan, commonly known as the Provincial Board, are the legislatures in Philippine provinces. They are the legislative branches of the provinces, and their powers and responsibilities are defined by the Local Government Code of 1991. Along with the provincial governor, the executive branch of the province, they form the province's government.
The Sangguniang Bayan is the local legislative branch of the municipal governments in the Philippines. It is responsible for passing ordinances and resolutions for the administration of a municipality. Its powers are defined by the Local Government Code, passed by Congress in 1991.
In the Philippines, local government is divided into three levels: provinces and independent cities, component cities and municipalities, and barangays, all of which are collectively known as local government units (LGUs). In some areas, above provinces and independent chartered cities are autonomous regions, such as the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. Some towns and cities remit their revenue to national government and is returned through the national government through a process called internal revenue allotment. Below barangays in some cities and municipalities are sitios and puroks. All of these, with the exception of sitios and puroks, elect their own executives and legislatures. Sitios and puroks are often but not necessarily led by an elected barangay councilor.
The Zamboanga City Council is Zamboanga City's Sangguniang Panlungsod or local legislature.
Local elections in the Philippines were held on May 13, 2019. This was conducted together with the 2019 general election for national positions. All elected positions above the barangay (village) level were disputed. The following positions were disputed:
Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE) in the Philippines were held on October 30, 2023. The elected barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan officials already and legally began their terms earlier at noon on January 1, 2023, and thus took office as soon as they were proclaimed to have won their respective positions. The barangay is the smallest administrative division in the country.
The governor of South Cotabato, is the chief executive of the provincial government of South Cotabato.