Country profile
Philippines
Republika ng Pilipinas
Asia · South-eastern Asia
PH · PHL
- Capital
- Manila
- Population
- 114,123,600
- Area
- 342,353 km²
- Democracy index
- 55
- Regime type
- Hybrid Regime
Events
Ballots from Philippines
The latest elections, referendums, and opinion polls from Philippines. Community totals are not official results.
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Classification
Democracy profile
The score and regime label are assigned by Porto Voto using our in-house democracy index and classification framework, not ratings from governments or external agencies.
Democracy index
55/100
Regime type
Hybrid Regime
The political landscape in the Philippines remains characterized by a high degree of personalization, where dynastic power structures and patron-client relationships continue to exert significant influence over national governance. While the nation maintains a constitutional framework with regular elections, the integrity of political competition is often compromised by the systemic weaponization of legal processes against dissenting voices, including activists, journalists, and political rivals. Judicial independence faces persistent challenges as executive and legislative actors frequently influence appointments and case outcomes to suit political imperatives. Public discourse is heavily moderated by digital disinformation campaigns that distort the information environment, and while civil society remains vocal, the space for dissent is constrained by the threat of state harassment and the persistent culture of impunity for human rights violations. These factors, combined with deep-seated institutional corruption, result in a system where democratic mechanisms exist alongside pervasive informal controls that impede genuine political accountability.
Last evaluation:
How we classify regimes →World Factbook
Country background
A concise introduction to Philippines, together with notes on how power and law are organized, to put local ballots in context.
The Philippine Islands became a Spanish colony during the 16th century; they were ceded to the US in 1898 following the Spanish-American War. Led by Emilio AGUINALDO, the Filipinos conducted an insurgency against US rule from 1899-1902, although some fighting continued in outlying islands as late as 1913. In 1935, the Philippines became a self-governing commonwealth.
Manuel QUEZON was elected president and was tasked with preparing the country for independence after a 10-year transition. The islands fell under Japanese occupation during World War II, and US forces and Filipinos fought together during 1944-45 to regain control. On 4 July 1946 the Republic of the Philippines attained its independence.
Twenty-one years of authoritarian rule under Ferdinand MARCOS ended in 1986, when a "people power" movement in Manila ("EDSA 1") forced him into exile and installed Corazon AQUINO as president. Several coup attempts hampered her presidency, and progress on political stability and economic development faltered until Fidel RAMOS was elected president in 1992. The US closed its last military bases on the islands the same year.
Joseph ESTRADA was elected president in 1998. His vice-president, Gloria MACAPAGAL-ARROYO, succeded him in 2001 after ESTRADA's stormy impeachment trial on corruption charges broke down and another "people power" movement ("EDSA 2") demanded his resignation. MACAPAGAL-ARROYO was elected president in 2004.
Corruption allegations marred her presidency, but the Philippine economy was one of the few to avoid contraction after the 2008 global financial crisis. Benigno AQUINO III was elected as president in 2010, followed by Rodrigo DUTERTE in 2016. During his term, DUTERTE pursued a controversial drug war that garnered international criticism for alleged human rights abuses.
Ferdinand MARCOS, Jr. was elected president in 2022 with the largest popular vote in a presidential election since his father's ouster. For decades, the country has been challenged by armed ethnic separatists, communist rebels, and Islamic terrorist groups, particularly in the southern islands and remote areas of Luzon.