SANDRA MAE A.

TOÑACAO

Grade 12- HUMSS 1

IS DEMOCRACY GOOD IN THE PHILIPPINES?

Democracy is a system of government in which laws, policies, leadership, and major undertakings of a
state or other polity are directly or indirectly decided by the people, a group historically constituted by
only a minority of the population. The first known democracy in the world was in Athens. Athenian
democracy developed around the fifth century B.C.E. The Greek idea of democracy was different from
present-day democracy. Abraham Lincoln was first defined democracy as a government of the people,
by the people and for the people. To conclude democracy is a form of government in which supreme
power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of
representation usually involving periodic free elections.

In the Philippines, voting serves as a fundamental component of this democratic system, allowing
citizens to express their voices by choosing their representatives during elections. Voting is an essential
element of democracy. According to The 1987 Philippine Constitution, "Voting is a method for a group
such as a meeting or an electorate to make a decision or express an opinion- often following discussions,
or election.” We can see that suffrage or the right to vote is guaranteed by the Philippine Constitution.
Voters see their power to choose their leaders as their strongest check on the behaviour of the
government, their one chance to exact accountability. Of course, this is not always what voters get, even
when they faithfully exercise their right to choose. Roadblocks in the process remain, resulting in an
occasional disconnect between what voters want, and what they are eventually given.

Democratic country, people have freedom to do things and are not afraid of the consequences that they
might get. Who would actually be afraid of getting jail if there is an easy way of getting out? Even the
drug addicts in our barangay have been into jail but after a few weeks, they are already outside doing
illegal things again. Sometimes, I wonder if those drugs that have been confiscated by the policemen are
also being used by them, According to the websites of bartleby. There is always a possibility that
something similar to that is happening. This is one of the disadvantages of having a democratic country.

In summary, democracy affords freedom and opportunities, such as the citizens has the right to vote
and express their voices and the power to choose leaders, It also presents challenges. One such
challenge is the potential for corruption and the prioritization of money over other considerations and
foremost potential misuse of power. This can lead to concerns about the fairness and integrity of
democratic processes.
 REFERENCES

Celoza, A. F. (1995). Democratic development for the philippines. Peace Review, 7(2), 199–204.
https://doi.org/10.1080/10402659508425876

Abad, J. A. R. (n.d.). What the Philippines tells us about democracy. World Economic Forum.
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2014/05/philippines-democracy-east-asia-2014/

Democracy, human rights and governance: Philippines. Archive - U.S. Agency for International
Development. (n.d.). https://2012-2017.usaid.gov/philippines/democracy-human-rights-and-governance

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. (n.d.). What is democracy? Encyclopedia Britannica.

https://www.britannica.com/question/What-is-democracy

The Pros and cons of the Philippines in the Philippines. Bartleby. (n.d.).
https://www.bartleby.com/essay/The-Pros-And-Cons-Of-The-Philippines-FCKJ5ABSJKG

Grover, H. S. (2020). “…of the people, by the people, for the people.” Journal of Indian Society of
Periodontology. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7307473/

What the Philippines tells us about democracy. World Economic Forum. (n.d.).
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2014/05/philippines-democracy-east-asia-2014/