Official Name:  Republic of the Philippines

Form of Government:  Democratic

Independence:   June 12, 1898

Constitution:  The 1987 Constitution of the Philippines restored the republican form of government in the country.   It was ratified on February 2, 1987.

Branches:

• Executive --- president and vice-president
• Legislative --- bicameral legislature (Upper and Lower House)
• Judiciary  --- independent. 

Incumbent Officers:

President:  Benigno S. Aquino III
Vice-President:  Jejomar C. Binay
Senate President: Juan Ponce Enrile
Speaker of the
House of Representatives: Feliciano Belmonte

Administrative  Subdivisions¹:   As of December 2010, the Philippines had 17 regions, 80 provinces, 138 cities, 1,496 municipalities and 42,025 barangays.

Suffrage:  Universal, but not compulsory, at age 18.

Note: Information are as of January 2011.

¹ Source: Philippine Standard Geographic Codes, NSCB