The Philippine Online Chronicles

With barely three months left before the elections, majority of Filipino voters said they know nothing about the party-list system, a recent poll revealed.

According to the survey results released Wednesday by Pulse Asia Inc., nearly seven out of 10 respondents admitted they were still “unaware” of the party-list sytem and its functions in government, despite its 12-year existence.

The survey, conducted from January 22 to 26, asked 1800 registered voters nationwide the question: “May narinig o nabasa na po ba kayo tungkol sa sistema ng party-list o wala? (Have you heard or read anything about the party-list system or not?)”

Only 31 percent of the repondents said they are aware of the party-list system. A much bigger chunk, 69 percent, said they have neither read nor heard about it.

Awareness of party-list system is highest in Metro Manila with 51 percent.

Visayas came in at second with 30 percent, while only 28 percent of Mindanao respondents said they know about the party-list system.

The “awareness level” for party-list groups in this elections is the lowest since 2004, according to Pulse Asia. It also showed a huge decline from a similar survey conducted in the 2007 elections.

“The current level of awareness of the party-list system is just about half of the awareness level posted in the last survey conducted on the same concern last April 2007 where nearly six out of ten Filipinos knew about the party-list system," the pollster said in a statement.

'Choices too many'

“There are just too many choices,” said political analyst Gladstone Cuarteros of the party-list elections.

While party-list groups are meant to represent marginalized sectors, Cuarteros said that “many groups” are starting to believe that they are representing these sectors, thus bloating the number of candidates in the ballot.

For his part, Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Teddy Casiño Jr. put the blame on the Commission on Elections (Comelec) for the lack of voters' education.

“Matagal na naming nire-raise ang issue na ito (We have raised this issue for a long time). Why don't they have a program to educate the electorate on the party-list system?” said Casiño.

The party-list system, also called sectoral representation, was passed in 1998 under Republic Act 7941. It allows representatives of marginalized groups – such as labor, peasant, urban poor, indigenous, cultural, women and youth –  to have a legislative seat in the Philippine Congress.

Bayan Muna leads the pack

Also in the survey, nine out of 187 accredited party-list groups managed to clinch the top spots. The following party-list groups received more than two percent (2%) of the votes from the respondents – enough for a party-list group to get a seat at the House of Representatives:

1. Bayan Muna – 8.03 percent

2. 1-Aangat Pilipino – 6.34 percent

3. Anakpawis – 5.88 percent

4. Gabriela Women's Party-list – 5.55 percent

5. Akbayan Citizens Action Party – 5.07 percent

6. Ahon Pinoy – 3.32 percent

7. Aangat Tayo – 3.22 percent

8. Anak Mindanao – 2.80 percent

9. Abono – 2.59 percent

Table from Pulse Asia website Click on image to zoom.