If you still wonder why a number of political posters bannering such words as “Akbayan” “Amin (Anak Mindanao)” and “Bayan Muna” proliferate in the streets, chances are , you do not know what a party list system is and why you need to vote for a party this coming election.

What is a party list system?

A PARTY-LIST system is any system of proportional representation in which voters choose among parties rather than among candidates.

In the Philippines, voters have two votes for their congressional representatives. The first elects a district representative. The second elects a party-list representative. Twenty percent of the 260 seats in the House of Representatives are reserved for party-list. Every 2% of total party-list votes cast gets a seat in the House, with each party allowed only a maximum of three seats.

District representatives act on behalf of their own district. Party-list representatives, on the other hand, sit in the House for a party that is elected to Congress on the basis of its electoral platform and thus push their party’s programs. They are accountable to the party they represent and can be removed and replaced by it if they violate its principles or programs, as in the case of corruption. (The 1st part of this post is taken from cpcabrisbane.org)

Why vote for a Party?

The party-list method of voting provides the disadvantaged sections of the population access to the House of Representatives through their parties and grassroots organizations; an opportunity made difficult by the single member district method of voting.

  1. The party-list method provides a more favorable climate for developing a genuine multi-partysystem, given the opportunity for a number of grassroots organizations and parties to win seats in the House.
  2. The party-list method nurtures a better political environment for the flourishing of genuine, program-based political parties.
  3. The party-list system requires the elected officials of the party to be accountable to their parties and their constituencies. (The 2nd part of this post is taken from this site)