Colegio de San Juan de Letran

Intramuros, Manila
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Political and Legal Studies Program

MIDTERM EXAM IN LAS 212 (INTRODUCTION TO PHILIPPINE POLITICS AND GOVERNANCE)

2nd Sem, AY 2021-2022

Rationale
This introductory political science course dissects how politics and governance are being
theorized and practiced in the Philippines. Using the multidisciplinary tools of political theory, political
dynamics, public administration, Philippine law, and political economy, students of this course must be
able to intersectionally analyze political, economic, and social issues in the country through
comprehensive essays showcasing their theoretical and practical knowledge of politics and governance
in the Philippines.

Exam Type
Comprehensive Essay

Instructions
1. Each student must answer the questions below as comprehensively as possible using the
theoretical and conceptual foundations learned in class.
2. Answers in all the questions must NOT exceed 3,000 words IN TOTAL.
3. The exam may only be answered during the class period (For PL1A: Thursday, 6:30PM-8:30PM |
For PL1B, Friday, 6:30PM-8:30PM). Students must submit their answers via the class’s Google
Classroom on or before 8:30PM. Late submissions shall not be accepted unless the student
justifies his/her failure to submit on time. Merits of justifications shall be decided by the course
professor.
4. If a student will not be able to take the exam on the designated date and time due to justifiable
reasons, he/she must inform the course professor and the Dean’s Office as soon as possible.

Paper Format
 File Type: .doc or .docx (not PDF)
 Number of words: Not exceeding 3,000 words for the entire exam.
 Spacing: Double spaced
 Font: Arial
 Font Size: 12
 Margin: 1” all sides

Rubrics and Grading

The essays will be graded based from the Writing Rubric below as well as the numerical values
per adjectival rating:
High Proficiency: 10 points
Proficiency: 8 points
Some Proficiency: 6 points
No/Limited Proficiency: 4 points
Perfect Score: 50 points

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Midterm Exam Questions

1. After issues with country borders, mass testing, and declarations of community quarantine
levels, vaccination rates became the new issue that both national and local governments must
deal with. Various state actors are coming together to ensure that vaccination is prioritized as a
way to curb the effects of COVID-19. From the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of
Emerging Infectious Diseases Resolutions, City Mayors, Department of Health and Local Health
Boards to the civil society, barangays, and nongovernment organizations, each institution has
their own methods to ensure vaccine access and compliance of the public. Sometimes, due to
the number of institutions involved, policy overlaps are observed in the Philippines when it
comes to vaccination concerns. Following the behavior of national and local political actors
guided by the structure of government and its culture, where should efforts start: the local
government or the national government? Defend your answer.

2. Since the Pre-Hispanic period in Philippine history, the elites had seized political, economic, and
societal power that made their class thrive. This elite class changes only in name and
membership but not in motivation and structure. For years, these elites have dominated
opportunities in politics and economics opportunities, making people from the grassroots
powerless in the political arena. This, however, does not mean that resistance is absent from the
fabric of our history and culture. There are various movements, both violent and peaceful, that
continues to threaten the hold of these elites in Philippine politics and governance. If resistance
is born from the same circumstances as the elites in the Philippines, what factor/s are missing
in our politics
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 and society that makes the latter still powerful even in the present times? Explain using a specific
historical/political scenario.

3. Checks and balances is the power of each branch of government to insulate themselves from
excessive influences from the two other branches. This is manifested in various ways—veto
power, rule adjudication, control on appointments and impeachments, and many others. Yet
despite this mechanism, those with ill intentions may still weaponize each branch to serve their
personal purpose. This led to the idea of a change in government structure or a total overhaul of
the current political system to dilute the system of clientelism in government service. Viewing
this issue using the lens of Philippine government and politics, what government structure or
type is the most fit to still ensure that checks and balances is still being respected? Explain the
pros and the cons of the chosen government structure/type to substantiate your answer.