1

NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
LAOAG CITY
COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
LAOAG CITY, ILOCOS NORTE, PHILIPPINES

A Detailed Lesson Plan

Topic: The Principle of Separation of Powers

The Teaching Profession

Submitted to:
DR. GERARDO GARCIA
Professor

Prepared by:
BEA BIANCA BALALIO
BSCS 4A

December 13, 2022

 2

NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
LAOAG CITY
COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
LAOAG CITY, ILOCOS NORTE, PHILIPPINES

I. LEARNING OBJECTIVES
At the end of the period, the students will be able to:
1) define the principle of separation of powers. (Cognitive)
2) classify how the separate powers of the 3 branches works in the government
structure.- (Motor)
3) values the principle of separation of powers in a state. (Affective)

II. SUBJECT MATTER

Topic: The Principle of Separation of Powers
Learning Resources
Reference/s:
Textbook- (Philippine Politics and Governance, Pawilen, R. A., 2017, REX Book
Store, pg 87)
Other Learning Resources:
Importance of Separation of Powers
Separation of powers (projectjurisprudence.com)
Materials:
Power point presentation
Video Presentation- https://youtu.be?_882Xztbh5Q
Teacher’s material- (1987 Philippine Constitution, Official Gazette)
Blackboard and chalk

III. PROCEDURE

TEACHER’S ACTIVITY STUDENT’S ACTIVITY

A. PRELIMINARY ACTIVITY
Before we start our class, let us pray first.
Jerin, please lead the prayer.
Good morning, Class! How are you today?
That is good to hear, I hope everyone is
well.
Jerin: Yes ma’am.
Let’s bow our head and pray. Heavenly
father, come be with us today, fill our
hearts with joy and fill our minds with
learning. Help everyone in this room
find peace, kindness and love and
equipped them with your wisdom and
knowledge. That’s all we ask in Jesus
name we pray, amen.
All: Good morning, Ma’am! We are fine
ma’am.

Now, let us check your attendance.

As I call your name, state your last name,
say present and thank you.
 3

NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
LAOAG CITY
COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
LAOAG CITY, ILOCOS NORTE, PHILIPPINES

Academia? Academia: Academia, present ma’am,

(and so on and so forth) thank you.
I’m glad everyone is present today.

Review
Before moving on, let us take a quick
review of what we have tackled last
meeting.

So, what did we discuss last meeting

Rosana: Ma’am we discussed about the
Rosana?
functions of the three branches of the
government.

So what are the three branches of the

government? Jude?
What about their functions?
Okay who among you knows what
composes these 3 branches? Any
volunteer? Yes Villanueva.
Very Good. Now let us proceed.
A. MOTIVATION
Okay let’s move on. Now, is there anyone
who can give me a single word or term
that you think will be connected in the
word separation. Yes, Lovelyn?
Jude: Executive, Legislative and Judicial
branch ma’am.
The function of legislative is to make
law ma’am while the executive is to
carries out law and judicial branch
interprets the law.
Villanueva: Ma’am legislative is
composes of Congress and the House of
Representative. Executive composes the
president, vice president, and the cabinet
members and judicial branch composes
of the Supreme Court and the lower
court.
Lovelyn: Division ma’am?

Okay. Any other answers? Yes Angel? Angel: Distribution ma’am.

Now, with all those given terms, try to

define separation of power in the 3
branches of government. Yes Gaoiran.
Okay. Let us try to expound this given
definition.
Gaoiran: Separation of power is about
dividing powers into branches their
functions and responsibilities to avoid
overpowering each other ma’am.
 4

NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
LAOAG CITY
COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
LAOAG CITY, ILOCOS NORTE, PHILIPPINES

Now class, Philippines is a democratic

country. Now imagine a democratic All: Yes ma’am.
country that does not acknowledge the
principle of Separation of power.

Gaoiran, you said awhile back that

separation of power prevents
overpowering among the branches. So
Angel: Ma’am the government will be
what do you think will happen? Angel?
chaotic.
Okay listen. Have you ever heard of
domination of power? From the word All: Not yet ma’am.
domination itself which means exercising
power over another.

For example, Gaoiran is given the power

to list down noisy students but Cadiente
claims that power what do you think will John: Of course they will fight over
happen, John? ma’am and there will be trouble instead
of having peace and order ma’am.
So what if this happen to our whole
country and there will be absence of this
principle?

Okay let us find out more about this All: Yes ma’am.
question by studying deeper on the
principle of Separation of Power. Let’s
now proceed to our discussion.

A. LESSON PROPER
Let us now start the discussion from first
understanding the principle of separation
of powers.

Gaoiran is correct separation of power is

about dividing powers into branches their
functions and responsibilities to avoid
overpowering each other.

So, take note one of the basic principles of

our Democratic Republic, well enshrined
in our Constitution is the principle of All: Okay ma’am.
“Separation of Powers” among the three
 5

NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
LAOAG CITY
COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
LAOAG CITY, ILOCOS NORTE, PHILIPPINES

branches of government are the

Legislative, the Executive, and the Judicial
departments. Each of the three
departments has their own separate powers
and functions and co-equal with each
other.
All: Yes ma’am.
I prepared a 5 minute video presentation
about Separation of powers. Watch
carefully and take down notes so you can
answer my questions later. JJ: Separation of powers refers to the
(The student will watch the video) division of a state's government into
So in the video, what is separation of branches, each with separate,
power? JJ, read your notes. independent powers and responsibilities
to prevent any infringement upon each
other's constitutionally vested powers
ma’am.

Jude: Non-encroachment ma’am.

What is the other term for separation of
power? Anyone? Jude? Jude: Encroachment is the act where one
person is going beyond its limitation
And what is encroachment? ma’am.

Jude: I cannot think of any example

ma’am.
Give me an example.

Okay I will give an example, so

encroachment is the unauthorized intrusion
of a person into other’s property or
extending his property into someone else
land. So for example, if the person extends
his fence beyond his land because of his
greediness, then that is an example of
encroachment. Jc: Ma’am when the other branch
extends their power and tries to control
But in the government. How does other branches.
encroachment happens? Jc.

Correct. So if the legislative branch tries to

intervene over the function and control of
the judicial branch and the legislation tries
to interpret the law then that is clearly an
 6

NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
LAOAG CITY
COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
LAOAG CITY, ILOCOS NORTE, PHILIPPINES

act of encroachment. That is why we have All: Yes ma’am.

the principle of separation of power or
what we call the principle of non-
encroachment. Is it clear?
All: Yes ma’am.
Take note students that the powers
specifically vested by the Constitution in
each branch may not be legally taken nor
exercised by the other branches. Each
government branch has exclusive authority
to exercise the powers granted to it. Any
encroachment of powers is ultra vires or it
is void.
Jp: Ma’am, the legislative branch is not
So how does separation of power works in authorized to execute laws or participate
the government structure? According to in the execution of these laws. It also
what you have watched. Let us first see cannot make interpretations of the law
legislative. Jp, answer. with finality.

Alexis: The executive department

Correct. How about the executive
department. Alexis.
What about judiciary, Bianca?
cannot make legislative enactments.
Like the legislative department, it cannot
make final interpretations of the law
ma’am.
Bianca: The judiciary has no power to
execute laws or take an active part in the
execution of laws. It has no supervisory
power over executive agencies. The
judiciary has no power to create laws or
revise legislative actions.

Angel: No ma’am.

So I have a question, can the Supreme Angel: I don’t know the answer ma’am.
Court intervene in technical expertise?
Angel?
Why?

Okay I will explain. It is simple because

there is separation of power. Even the
Supreme Court cannot assume superiority
on matters that require technical expertise.
 7

NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
LAOAG CITY
COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
LAOAG CITY, ILOCOS NORTE, PHILIPPINES

It may only act as a court, settle actual

cases and controversies, and, in proper
cases. Ino: No ma’am.

But can the Supreme Court declare acts

from the congress as unconstitutional? Yes
or no, Ino?
All: Okay ma’am.
There is an exception. The correct answer
is yes. The Supreme Court has the power
to declare acts as void for being
unconstitutional. The constitution
expressly grants the Supreme Court the
power of Judicial review as the power to
declare a treaty, international or executive Jezreel: No ma’am. They can only take
agreement, law, presidential decree, part for the review of the law and take
proclamation, order, instruction, ordinance part in the decision with the concurrence
or regulation unconstitutional. of the majority of the members who
actually took part in the deliberations on
So can the judicial branch create law? the issues of the case and vote upon it.
Jezreel?

Ico: Executive Power is the power to

Okay correct. So let us identify all the
power of the 3 branches. State the power
of executive department, Ico.
enforce and execute the laws of the land.
It is vested in the President of the
Philippines who is both “Head of State,”
or ceremonial head of the government,
and “Chief Executive” with supervision
and control over the heads of the
executive departments or Cabinet
members who hold office in advisory
capacity. According to the section 1
Article VII of the constitution.

Jude: That is what all I know ma’am.

What else, Jude? What are the powers of All: Yes ma’am.
the President?

Okay listen I will explain. The president

also has the power to appoint, military
powers, pardoning power, veto power, and
Liza: Yes ma’am that is what we call

NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
LAOAG CITY
COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
LAOAG CITY, ILOCOS NORTE, PHILIPPINES
informing power.
Okay now can the president refuse or
approve a bill passed by the congress and
why? Liza?
So what will happen if the president vetoes
a bill, Liza?
Correct, so note students that the president
has 10 days to return the vetoed bill in the
congress. However, can the congress still
pass a vetoed bill into a law without the
approval of the president? Hana?
Correct. So basically if the judicial branch
can declare a law unconstitutional, the
executive department also has the right to
review a bill and exercise its veto power in
case of disapproval.
Next power of legislative, Jez.
What about the judicial branch, Mia?
What are those laws, Ace?
8
veto power. The president can say no or
stop a bill from becoming a law.
Liza: The president shall return it to the
congress where it originates ma’am.
Hana: Yes ma’am. If the congress
decides to override the veto, the House
and the Senate shall proceed separately
to reconsider the bill and if the vetoed
bill is passed by a vote of two-thirds of
the members of each house, such bill
shall become the law.
All: Yes ma’am.
Jez: Based on the Section 1, Article VI
of the constitution, Legislative Power is
the power to make laws and to alter or
repeal them. It is vested “in the
Congress of the Philippines which shall
consist of a Senate and a House of
Representatives, except to the extent
reserved to the people by the provision
on initiative and referendum”.
Mia: Judicial Power is the power to
interpret and define the laws enacted by
the Legislative department ma’am.
Ace: These laws includes the duty to
settle actual controversies involving
rights which are legally demandable and
enforceable, and to determine whether
there has been grave abuse of discretion
amounting to lack or excess of

NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
LAOAG CITY
COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
LAOAG CITY, ILOCOS NORTE, PHILIPPINES
Very good. Any questions? Is it clear?
Now let us move on to the importance of
separation of power in a state. Give me
one significance, Ico and explain.
Okay let me explain further. So one great
importance of Separation of power is the
decentralization of the powers of
government which is clearly seen in the
political system. There are a lot of benefits
of decentralization of government control.
What about its importance Ico? What
happens if there is Decentralization of
Power?
Correct. Other answers, Cacey?
Very good so listen students, Separation of
powers is founded on the belief that “by
establishing equilibrium among the three
power holders, harmony will result, power
will not be concentrated and thus tyranny
will be avoided”.
9
jurisdiction on the part of any branch or
instrumentality of the Government
according to Section 1, Article VIII of
the constitution ma’am.
All: None and yes ma’am.
Ico: Decentralization of Power ma’am
which means that the authority and
responsibility is being transferred from a
central to subordinate ma’am.
Ico: Ma’am there will be effective
monitoring of the system by each of the
division organs of government. It also
avoids misuse of power by one person
or organ. This means that the organs of
government will be checking on the
activities of each other, and by doing
this, accountability is ensured too.
Cacey: Ma’am prevention of arbitrary
use of powers where absolute power is
conferred on one body it is bound to be
misused, and that is what separation of
powers is meant to stop. Separation of
powers ensures that government powers
are not concentrated in the hands of a
single central authority.
All: Noted ma’am.
 10

NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
LAOAG CITY
COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
LAOAG CITY, ILOCOS NORTE, PHILIPPINES

Anything else, Lovelyn? Lovelyn: Ma’am it creates harmonious

Correct. So remember that the principle
presupposes mutual respect by and
between the executive, legislative, and
judicial departments of the government
and calls for them to be left alone to
discharge their duties as they see fit.
working relationship. Separation of
powers also creates a harmonious
working relationship among the organs
of the government. When each unit and
subunits of all the organs of the
governments are aware of their role and
duties, there is bound to be respect for
each unit’s duties and role, and this will
create a good working condition among
workers, administrators, and civil
servants.
All: Yes ma’am.

Any other ideas? Jude?

Jude: Ma’am it will Protect our liberty.
How do you say so?
Jude: The only mechanism that can
protect the liberty and rights of citizens,
more especially the minority in the
country is when powers to govern are
not concentrated in the hands of one
person, otherwise the powers will be
corrupted absolutely. This is apparently
one of the key importance of Separation
of Powers.
Yes correct. So for example, if Larry has
all the executive, legislative, and judicial
power then he will become the superior
and this is where domination of power will
rise. Remember that I mentioned this a
while back. So if there is domination of
power it will be easier for to control
anyone they want, freely and without any
force constraining it and what will happen
if that is the case? Jez?
Jez: Ma’am Caunca will no longer
acknowledge the principle of a
And what will happen if there is no longer democratic country.
democracy?
 11

NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
LAOAG CITY
COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
LAOAG CITY, ILOCOS NORTE, PHILIPPINES

Jez: Dictatorship will then rise ma’am

and the rights and liberty of every
individual will be easily violated
Correct. And what happen if a state is in because it is easier to alter or control.
dictatorship? Human rights will be
violated other branches will be useless and
will only become a puppet of the most
dominant person.

Any other ideas? Alexis.

Alexis: Enhancement of effective

So basically there will be more progress
and success in a State if there is the
principle of separation of powers. Now
you all know how to value the principle of
separation of power in the government
structure and you must put that in mind.
government ma’am. It also enhances and
creates viable and effective government
by administrators. Since the functions
and responsibilities of the government
have been divided, each of the organs
are faced with lesser and more specific
responsibilities to attend to. Thus, there
will obviously be effectiveness in
government activities generally, and
where there is an unnecessary
interference in the activities of any of
the organs of government, the law will
come in to put a stop to that.

So that will end our discussion for today’s

class. So let’s see what you have learned
today.

A. GENERALIZATION
Now that I have explained what separation All: Yes ma’am.
of power is, are there any other questions
or clarifications?

Okay very good. Since you now have an All: Okay ma’am.
idea on how separation of powers works, I
prepared simple questions for you to
answer.
 12

NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
LAOAG CITY
COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
LAOAG CITY, ILOCOS NORTE, PHILIPPINES

IV. EVALUATION
Direction: Choose the correct answer for the following items. Write the letter on the space
provided.

_____1. What is the other term for Separation of Power?

A. Non- encroachment
B. Decentralization of Power
C. Division of Power
D. None of the above

_____2. It is the power of the President to refuse a bill.

A. Military Power
B. Informative Power
C. Veto Power
D. Pardoning Power

_____3. The President must issue a veto after the bill is passed within how many days?

A. 7
B. 8
C. 9
D. 10

_____4. It has the review power to declare acts from the congress as void or unconstitutional.

A. Supreme Court
B. The President
C. House of the Representative
D. Cabinet Members

_____5. How many votes from the Congress and House of representative needs to make a
vetoed bill passed into a law?

A. 1/2
B. 2/3
C. 3/4
D. Whole member
 13

NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
LAOAG CITY
COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
LAOAG CITY, ILOCOS NORTE, PHILIPPINES

______6. It is a process that is used to charge, try, and remove public officials for misconduct
while in office.

A. Impeachment
B. Veto Power
C. Pardon Power
D. Judicial Review

______7. He is also known as the chief executive and has military power.

A. Senate
B. President
C. Congress
D. Chief Justice

______8. It is a form of government in which one person or a small group possesses absolute
power without effective constitutional limitations.

A. Dictatorship
B. Democracy
C. Unitarian
D. Parliamentary

______9. The following are the importance of Separation of power in a state except one:

A. Protection of Rights
B. Prevention of Arbitrary Use of Powers
C. Create harmonious environment
D. Centralization of Power

______10. It may only act as a court, settle actual cases and controversies, and, in proper
cases.

A. Executive Branch
B. Legislative Branch
C. Judicial Branch
D. Supreme Court

V. ASSIGNMENT
Assignment: Write in your own notebook and pass on December 5, Monday.

Direction: Answer the following questions briefly and concisely. (5 points each)
 14

NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
LAOAG CITY
COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
LAOAG CITY, ILOCOS NORTE, PHILIPPINES

1. What principle is interconnected with Principle of Separate of Power?

2. Search and give the definition of Checks and Balances.
3. Explain how Principle of Checks and Balances connected from the Principle of
Separation of Powers.
4. Give at least 3 importance of Checks and Balances.
5. Give at least 3 dis-advantages when there is absence of principle of Checks and
Balances in a state. Cite situation/s.

Submitted to:
Dr. Gerardo Garcia
Professor