Philippines: Parliament, 9 May 2016

At stake in this election:

• 289 seats in the Kapulungan Ng Mga Kinatawan (House of Representatives)

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: President Benigno AQUINO (since 30 June 2010)
• Head of Government: President Benigno AQUINO (since 30 June 2010)
• Assembly: Philippines has a bicameral Kongreso (Congress) consisting of the Senado (Senate) with 24 seats and the Kapulungan Ng Mga Kinatawan (House of Representatives) with 289 seats.

Description of electoral system:

• In the House of Representatives, 230 members are directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 57 members representing minorities are directly elected by proportional representation vote. Members of the House of Representatives serve 3-year terms.

Last Election:

• Elections for the House of Representatives were last held on 13 May 2013. The Liberal Party won the most seats with 108, and overall, parties that supported President AQUINO fared well, making him the only president to have a majority in the House and the Senate since democracy was restored in 1986.

Main parties in the election:

• Liberal Party of the Philippines (LP)/Partido Liberal ng Pilipinas
  • Leader: Benigno AQUINO  
  • Seats won in last election: 108
• Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC)
  • Leader: Eduardo COJUANGCO, Jr.
  • Seats won in last election: 42
• National Unity Party (NUP)
  • Leader: Pablo P. GARCIA
  • Seats won in last election: 25
• Nacionalista Party (NP)/Partido Nasyonalista
  • Leader: Manuel VILLAR
  • Seats won in last election: 19
• Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD)
  • Leader: Gloria Macapagal ARROYO
  • Seats won in last election: 14
• United Nationalist Alliance (UNA)/Nagkakaisang Alyansang Makabansa
  • Leader: Toby TIANGCO
  • Seats won in last election: 8
• Struggle of Filipino Democrats (LDP)/Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino
  • Leader: Edgardo ANGARA
  • Seats won in last election: 2
• Philippine Democratic Party-People’s Power (PDB-Laban)/Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan
  • Leader: Rodrigo DUTERTE
  • Seats won in last election: N/A

Population and number of registered voters:

·         Population: 100,998,376 (July 2015 est.)

·         Registered Voters: 52,014,648 (2013)

Gender Data:

·         Female Population: 50,288,699 (July 2015 est.)

·         Is Philippines a signatory to CEDAW: Yes (15 July 1980)

·         Has Philippines ratified CEDAW: Yes (5 August 1981)

·         Gender Quota: No

·         Female candidates in this election: Yes

·         Number of Female Parliamentarians: 85 (27.16%)[1]

·         Human Development Index Position: 115 (2014)

·         Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: Medium (2014)

Disability Data:

·         Is Philippines a signatory to CRPD: Yes (25 September 2007)

·         Has Philippines ratified CRPD: Yes (15 April 2008)

·         Population with a disability: 15,149,756