THE PHILIPPINE CONSTITUTION

The constitution refers to the body of rules and maxims in

accordance with which the powers of sovereignty are exercised. The
Constitution of the Philippines may be defined as “that written
instrument by which the fundamental powers of the government are
established, united and defined and by which these powers are
distributed among the several departments or branches for their safe
and useful exercise for the benefit of the people”.

The Filipino Citizen: according to the 1987 Constitution are the

following:

1. Those who are citizens of the Philippine by the adoption of the

1987 Constitution (February 2, 1987)
2. Those whose fathers and mothers are citizens of the Philippines
3. Those born before January 17, 1973 (the adoption of the 1973
Philippine Constitution) of Filipino mothers who elect Philippine
Citizenship upon reaching the age of majority (18 years of age)
4. Those who are naturalized in accordance with the law

Duties and Obligations of Citizens: We have to understand that for

every right we are enjoying as enumerated in the Bill of Rights (Article
III) of the Philippine Constitution, there is a corresponding obligation.
There will be no chaos in our society if only everybody will perform his
or her duties and obligations. Hereunder are the important duties and
obligations of every citizen in a democratic society.

1. To be loyal to The Republic: it means that we have faith and

confidence in the Republic and love for and devotion to the
 country. We have to be proud of being Filipinos, respect our
customs, traditions, language and institutions.
2. To defend the State: considering the fact that our country is our
home, it is our prime duty to love and defend the state at all cost
regardless of our creed, religious belief and wisdom.
3. To contribute to the welfare and development of the State: We
are part of the State and we directly receive the benefits from the
government in the form of infrastructure, peace and order etc. In
return, how can we contribute to the development and welfare of
the State? We can do this in the form of paying our taxes willingly
and promptly, by maintaining peace and order, conserving natural
resources, the promotion of social justice by suggesting
supportive measures beneficial to the people as a whole, by
patronizing local products and by engaging in productive work.
4. To uphold the Constitution and obey the law: It is our prime
obligation to uphold the Constitution and obey the laws. If the
people will disregard them, our country will collapse and we will
not have peace and order.
5. To cooperate with duly constituted authorities: In every
organization, there is always a leader to manage the affairs of all
the constituents. If the members will not cooperate, we can never
expect to become successful in all the undertakings the
government would like to do for the good of the citizens.
6. To exercise the rights responsibly and with due regard for the
rights of others: No man is an island and we have to live with
others. In the exercise of our rights, we have to see to it that we
also respect the rights of other people. If we do this we can
expect harmonious relationship among members of the society.
 7. To engage in gainful work: It is stated in the Bible that if we want
to eat we have to work. It is our obligation as citizens of our
country to become productive by engaging in gainful work can
provide the basic needs of our family and ourselves as well
8. To register and vote: It is our prime duty as citizens of the
Philippines to register and vote. Suffrage is both a privilege and a
duty which every qualified citizen must perform.

The Preamble of the 1987 Philippine Constitution

We the sovereign Filipino people, imploring the aid of Almighty God

in order to build a just and humane society and establish a government
that shall embody our ideals and aspirations, promote the common
good, conserve and develop our patrimony and secure to ourselves and
our posterity the blessing of independence and democracy under the
rule of law and a regime of truth, justice, freedom, love, equality and
peace do ordain and promulgate this constitution.

The basic values of the Filipino people

The Filipino people possess certain values, shared perception on

what we hold dear, what we regard as important to us. These sixteen
values are established in the 1987 Philippine Constitution. These are
unity, patriotism, faith in the Almighty God, respect for life, respect
for law and Government, work, truth, justice, freedom, love, equality,
peace, promotion of the common good, concern for the environment
and order. These values of the Filipino people serve as the guiding
principles in our life as a nation and provide the underlying framework
for all the provisions of the Constitution,
 For an adult, his basic values can be seen in his outward
manifestations as well as decision making. There is always consistency
in what he thinks and feels and what he says. Every Filipino child needs
to be helped to form his own values consistent with basic Filipino
values if he is to grow into a citizen who is “maka Diyos”, “maka tao”,
“maka-bayan” and “maka-kalikasan”.

The basic building blocks

1. Unity: We want to be one as a people. We cherish oneness as co-

citizens of this country, as members of our family as co-workers in
an institution.
2. Patriotism: We want the best for our country. We want our
country to be respected and honored by the citizens and by the
whole world.
3. Faith in the Almighty God: We want to have God present in our
lives. We want to have a relationship of truth in him. We want to
ask for God’s help beyond what we ourselves can do.
4. Respect for life: We want all human life to be preserved, nurtured
and safeguarded.
5. Respect for law and government: We want the rule of law to be
upheld by all and at all times, that Government be accorded
respect and all laws to be complied with.
6. Truth: We want ourselves and others be true, that truth reign in
our land.
7. Justice: We want everyone be given what is due to him/her as a
human being and what governs all relationships is morally and
legally right.
8. Freedom: We want that each one of us be able to exercise our
freedom of will.
9. Love: We want that each of one of us desire love and be loved.
Love begets love. If lover reigns in our hearts, the harmonious
relationship of all the people will prevail.
10. Equality: We want that each one of us will have the
opportunity to be fully human and that no one be the victim of
prejudices of any kind, and that the interests of one not be
sacrificed against his will for the good of another.
11. Peace: We want to live in a serene and secure community
with a harmonious relationship with our neighbors. A place that is
tranquil could expect harmony among others and among
ourselves as well as with the environment.
12. Promotion of the common good: We want the Filipinos to
meet their basic minimum needs and to have opportunities to
develop and use our God-given potentials.
13. Concern for the family and the future generations: We want
what is best for our family and for every single member in the
present and future generations.
14. Concern for the environment: We want the environment to
be preserved and nurtured and for ourselves and others to be
good stewards of the environment.
15. Order: We want organization, system and predictability in all
aspects of our daily lives and our life as a nation.
16. Work: Everybody wants to have a job to support the basic
needs of the family.

End