GOVERNMENT

Following a people's revolution in 1986, the democratic form of government was reinstalled after decades of martial law. There are three equal branches of government: executive, judiciary, and a bicameral legislature

ADMINISTRATION
The president is advised by a cabinet compromising appointed ministers. Administratively, the country is divided into a National Capital Region (Metro Manila) and 13 regions, including the new Cordillera Autonomous Region and Muslim Mindanao Autonomous Region. These administrative regions compromise 73 provinces, each under the jurisdiction of a governor. Provinces are divided into municipalities (towns); there are 60 chartered cities.

Cities and municipalities are headed by a mayor and made up of barangays, which are essentially villages or urban districts. The country has more than 43,000 of them. The barangay is the basic political unit.

Every citizen is a member of a barangay assembly that meets to discuss national and local issues, a system that encourages grassroots by a barangay captain, six councilmen, a treasurer, and a secretary. These elected officials are responsible for law and order. They have intermediary role in linking people to higher authorities. The government also uses them to consult the people on important questions, and the election of mayors, governors, congressmen, senators, even the president.

The voting age is 18.

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