At stake in this election:

• 12 seats in the Senate (Senado)

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: President Gloria MACAPAGAL-ARROYO *
• Head of Government: President Gloria MACAPAGAL-ARROYO
• Assembly: Philippines has a bicameral Congress (Kongreso) consisting of the Senate (Senado) with 24 seats and the House of Representatives (Kapulungan Ng Mga Kinatawan) with 240 seats.

* The president is both chief of state and head of government.

Description of electoral system:

• The President is elected by popular vote to serve a 6-year term.
• In the Senate (Senado) 24 members are elected by popular vote to serve 6-year terms*. In the House of Representatives (Kapulungan Ng Mga Kinatawan) 240 members are elected by popular vote to serve 3-year terms.**

* One-half of the members are elected every three years.

** As a result of the May 2007 election, the House of Representatives has 240 seats, including 219 members representing districts and 21 sectoral paty-list members representing special minorities elected on the basis of one seat for every 2% of the total vote but limited to three seats.

Main parties in the electoral race:

• Party: National Union of Christian Democrats (or Lakas) (Lakas-NUCD-CMD)
  • Leader: Jose DE VENECIA
  • Seats won in this Senate election: 1
  • Seats won in last Senate election: 0
  • Seats won in this House of Representatives election: 89
  • Seats won in last House of Representatives election: 0
• Party: National People's Coalition (NPC)
  • Leader: Frisco SAN JUAN
  • Seats won in this Senate election: 2
  • Seats won in last Senate election: 0
  • Seats won in this House of Representatives election: 28
  • Seats won in last House of Representatives election: 0
• Party: Liberal Party (LP)
  • Leader: Franklin DRILON
  • Seats won in this Senate election: 2
  • Seats won in last Senate election: 0
  • Seats won in this House of Representatives election: 23
  • Seats won in last House of Representatives election: 0
• Party: Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP)
  • Leader: Edgardo ANGARA
  • Seats won in this Senate election: 1
  • Seats won in last Senate election: 0
  • Seats won in this House of Representatives election: 3
  • Seats won in last House of Representatives election: 0
• Party: Nationalist Party (NP)
  • Leader: Manuel VILLAR
  • Seats won in this Senate election: 2
  • Seats won in last Senate election: 0
  • Seats won in this House of Representatives election: 10
  • Seats won in last House of Representatives election: 0
• Party: Party of the Philippine Masses (PMP)
  • Leader: Joseph ESTRADA
  • Seats won in this Senate election: 0
  • Seats won in last Senate election: 0
  • Seats won in this House of Representatives election: 3
  • Seats won in last House of Representatives election: 0
• Party: Kabalikat Ng Malayang Pilipino (KAMPI)
  • Leader: Ronaldo PUNO
  • Seats won in this Senate election: 1
  • Seats won in last Senate election: 0
  • Seats won in this House of Representatives election: 45
  • Seats won in last House of Representatives election: 0
• Party: Pilipino Democratic Party (PDP-Laban)
  • Leader: Aquilino PIMENTEL
  • Seats won in this Senate election: 0
  • Seats won in last Senate election: 0
  • Seats won in this House of Representatives election: 4
  • Seats won in last House of Representatives election: 0
• Party: United Opposition (UNO)
  • Leader: Jejomar BINAY
  • Seats won in this Senate election: 0
  • Seats won in last Senate election: 0
  • Seats won in this House of Representatives election: 4
  • Seats won in last House of Representatives election: 0
• Party: Partido Demokratiko Sosyalista Ng Pilipinas (PDSP)
  • Leader: Norberto GONZALES
  • Seats won in this Senate election: 0
  • Seats won in last Senate election: 0
  • Seats won in this House of Representatives election: 1
  • Seats won in last House of Representatives election: 0
• Party: Kilusang Bagong Lipunan / (KBL)
  • Leader: Ferdinand MARCOS, Jr.
  • Seats won in this Senate election: 0
  • Seats won in last Senate election: 0
  • Seats won in this House of Representatives election: 1
  • Seats won in last House of Representatives election: 0

Population and number of registered voters:

• Population: 88,965,508 (2007)
• Registered Voters: 45,453,236 (2007)

Gender Data:

·         Female Population: 44,141,701 (2007)

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

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

·         Gender Quota: No (there are some political parties that have adopted voluntary gender quotas)

·         Female candidates in this election: Yes

·         Number of Female Parliamentarians: 49 (House of Representatives); 1 (Senate) following the 2001 elections)

·         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: 13,344,826 (est.)