POLSC 101 WFU: Activity #4

BACUD, JOANNA MARIFF C.

1. Why does the patron-client system persist? What are its positive and negative
effects on Philippine politics and society?

The patron-client system is a relationship between a patron and a client. According to

Lande and Sidel, it is a network of mutual aid relationships between pairs of individuals.
The patron holds the power and resources while the client seeks for the patron’s support
in exchange for loyalty and obedience. This continues to persist in both local and
national levels due to historical factors, socio-economic disparities, lack of strong
institutions, political instability, cultural norms, limited opportunities, and resistance to
change.

Up to this day, Philippine politics remained dominated by the two major political parties
namely, the Liberal and Nacionalista Parties. This rivalry competes with each other for
electoral offices. According to Lande, these two parties are structured by vertical chains
of dyadic patron-client relationships from political elites, down further to leaders in small
towns, and down finally to the peasant clients. Many Filipinos are in need of basic
necessities and oftentimes, they resort to submitting to political elites in order to survive.
On the other hand, many politicians make promises to capture the hearts and minds of
their constituents, especially when elections are approaching. It is clear that the
patron-client system is deeply embedded in the sociopolitical, economic, and cultural
fabric of the Philippines, and we should recognize both its positive and negative effects.

One of the positive impacts of patron-clientelism is that it is the key to mobilization of

political and social support. It cultivates positive relationships wherein patrons provide
support, guidance, and protection to their clients. Another thing is that it helps bring
people together as individuals within the network support each other. It could also foster
a sense of belonging and identity within communities, in line with cultural norms and
traditions. In some cases, it can establish political stability in particular communities,
providing a form of local governance in the absence of strong formal institutions.

In terms of economic opportunities, since patrons have more access to resources, they
would offer financial assistance to help the clients in need. Clients will then gain access
to such resources, job opportunities, and other forms of necessities through their
patron’s influence.

Moving on, this type of system thrives with the presence of inequality and dependency.
This may enlarge the gap between classes as those without powerful connections
(patrons) may struggle to access opportunities and resources.

This could also hinder social mobility due to opportunities being limited for individuals
outside the patron-client system. This could potentially contribute to nepotism as well, as
individuals may get appointed to positions of power based on their relationship with their
patron/s rather than merit. Additionally, it could also foster injustice and informal justice.
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BACUD, JOANNA MARIFF C.
The reliance on clientelism may undermine formal legal processes, resulting in lack of
justice and accountability. This system has tendencies to condone unfair practices.
Those who have connections with patrons would receive special treatment while others
are marginalized.

Although clients would benefit from their patrons, they may become overly dependent on
the latter which can become an unending cycle and it might limit individual agency. If we
look at it closely, this heavy dependence, more often than not, feeds exploitation.
Patrons have tendencies to be corrupt and abuse their power, extracting loyalty and
services from clients without fair compensation.

Lastly, those who seek change or any attempts to challenge the patron-client system
may face resistance from people who benefit from the existing structure.

The effects of the patron-client system can be portrayed in the Philippine’s response to
the emergence of the COVID-19 Pandemic. The provision of ayuda saved a lot of
Filipinos from hunger and it helped many households affected by disruptions to lives and
livelihoods. Many people volunteered to help in the provision of ayuda in terms of
monetary assistance or basic necessities. However, this phenomenon also unveiled that
many households sunk more into poverty due to the lack of resources and connections.
It literally emphasized the term “survival of the fittest.”

When the government mandated an emergency subsidy program (ESP) in its Bayanihan
to Heal As One Act, it was stated that over 18 million low-income households were
entitled to P5,000 to P8,000 a month. Many Filipinos rely on this kind of assistance
during the lockdown period in 2020. When COVID-19 surged again in 2021, “ayuda” was
what the Filipinos whose livelihoods would most likely be affected again first thought of.
This following year, the government reduced the assistance, monetary or in kind, for
each family to only P4,000 at maximum. According to economists, this amount would not
be sufficient to support all families and could force people to leave their homes despite
the lockdown.

It was up to the LGUs to determine who was deserving of the assistance. However,
multiple reports show that the government’s list did not match the actual number of
families in need. Being included in the subsidy was a privilege. Five million families did
not receive the promised aid even after appealing to the DSWD.

The main goal of this initiative was to provide support to the families in need despite
limited budget, however, it only became a nest for corruption. It was observed that there
was politicking among local officials. Reports of anomalies surfaced resulting in the
Ombudsman suspending many barangay chiefs all over the country.

The distribution system changed in the middle of the process. To make the government’s
work easier, they provided monetary assistance through mobile banking. Although this
POLSC 101 WFU: Activity #4
BACUD, JOANNA MARIFF C.
became easier for others, not everyone had access to mobile phones and the internet.
And many of the families in need did not know how to use mobile banking. Those who
were not included were left behind.

With the chaos happening in the government’s assistance distribution program,

individuals, from politicians, to social media influencers, and down to normal citizens,
have decided to step up. Back in 2021, ordinary citizens made an initiative to help out
their fellow neighbors in need. The idea of community pantry started in Maginhawa,
Quezon City. But with the help of social media, the news reached many Filipinos all over
the country and they started creating pantries of their own. According to the organizers,
the pantry has helped over 5,000 beneficiaries.

On the other hand, politicians like BongBong Marcos (BBM) handed monetary aid to
local citizens. Although it benefitted lots of people, giving out money during the national
elections campaign period was not ethical. People would think that this assistance would
remain forever even after he gets elected—this could be considered a subtle act of
vote-buying. People would then entrust their votes and loyalty to his party in exchange
for his support to the families in need. Another politician worth mentioning is BBM’s
greatest rival at the time, Former Vice President Leni Robredo. She stated in one of her
campaign publications that she would prioritize addressing our country’s most urgent
problem: controlling the pandemic and mitigating its impact on the lives of Filipinos. She
promised to allocate P216 billion in the national budget for ayuda distribution once
elected. Getting the hearts of the people during the campaign period just shows how
much political support these candidates need.

Even in dire times, we see the patron-clientelistic approach that political elites impose on
their clients. We can see the mutualistic benefits between them as well as the corrupt
tendencies of the patrons to abuse their influence. Although Filipinos are deemed
resilient, we tend to depend on what would make our lives easier in an instant, hence,
we sometimes get exploited without even realizing it.

2. Construct a matrix showing the Pros and Cons of the Patron-Client system.

PATRON-CLIENT SYSTEM

PROS CONS

● Both the patron and client will
benefit from this relationship
● Society-centered
● Cultivates a network of mutual
aid
● It fosters social and political
support
● The patron has more
advantage and power over the
client
● The client is less
advantageous because they’re
more reliant to the patron
● This relationship thrives in
POLSC 101 WFU: Activity #4
BACUD, JOANNA MARIFF C.

● Increases political participation inequality and dependency

among citizens
● Explains party system
weakness and party-switching
● Client’s loyalty is just a fancy
word for “exploitation”
● It somewhat makes citizens
vote their patrons blindly (lack
of political literacy)
● “Vote-buying scheme”
● It would leave behind
individuals who are not part of
the patron-client network
● Caters to corruption, nepotism,
and political dynasties
● Has tendencies to perpetuate
injustices

3. Based on pieces of evidence that you have gathered, take a position on the issue:
“Is Patron-clientelism a boon or a bane in our society?” No middle position.

Based on the pieces of evidence I’ve gathered, patron-clientelism is a bane in our

society. Although it temporarily provides support to people in need, it has more negative
impacts than positive. It thrives on inequalities. The only people benefiting from this kind
of system are those who are part of the patron-client network while those who weren’t
included get left behind. In order to retain the status quo, the patrons must take
advantage of the situation—they offer support to their clients as long as it would benefit
them more in the long run. Blind loyalties between the patron and the client would only
worsen the gap between social classes wherein the rich would become richer and the
poor become poorer until there’s no more room for the ones independent from a patron
because they got left behind.

As long as clients depend on their patrons, this system will continue to persist. However,
we cannot completely get rid of this kind of relationship because people hold on to
opportunities that help them get through the day. The patrons have the upper hand
which means that clients need them more than they need clients.

There’s a saying that desperate times call for desperate measures. It is the reality we
live in. As long as there is a lack of equity, the patron-client relationship will prevail.
POLSC 101 WFU: Activity #4
BACUD, JOANNA MARIFF C.

REFERENCE:

Abad, M. “What went wrong in 2020 COVID-19 ‘ayuda,’ lessons learned for 2021.” Rappler, 08
Apr. 2021.
https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/explainers/coronavirus-ayuda-government-aid-what-
went-wrong-2020-lessons-learned-2021/
ABC-CBN News. “Robredo eyes P216 billion ’ayuda’ in first 100 days if elected as president.”
18 Nov. 2021.
https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/11/18/21/robredo-eyes-p216-b-pandemic-aid-if-elected-p
resident
Balitambayan. 17 May. 2022. “Sabi ng Gov.: Perang ipinamahagi sa BBM rally sa N. ecija,
ayuda sa mga tao dahil sa pandemic.”
https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/balitambayan/balita/825371/sabi-ni-gov-perang-ipina
mahagi-sa-bbm-rally-sa-n-ecija-ayuda-sa-mga-tao-dahil-sa-pandemic/story/
Flores, A. “Ayuda - The Philippines’ Covid-19 social protection response.” Alumni Network:
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20Covid%2D19%20Pandemic&text=Throughout%20Covid%2D19%2C%20the%20Philip
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Suazo, J. “What the community pantry movement means for Filipinos.” CNN Philippines, 19 Apr.
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https://www.cnnphilippines.com/life/culture/2021/4/19/community-pantry-filipinos-pandem
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