List of elections in the Philippines

This is a list of elections and referendums held in the Philippines.

General and local elections

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For much of its history since 1935, the Philippines has been governed as a presidential unitary republic. The term "general election" is not predominantly used in the Philippines, but for the purposes of this article, a "general election" may refer to an election day where the presidency or at least a class of members of Congress are on the ballot. Since 1992, on presidential election days, the presidency, half of the Senate, the House of Representatives and all local officials above the barangay level, but below the regional level, are at stake. On a "midterm election", it's the same, except for the presidency is not at stake.

Local elections above the barangay level, but below the regional level, are synchronized with elections for national positions. From 1947 until 1971, these were scheduled in midterm election years.

Barangay elections are usually held separately from general and local elections.

Year Type President Upper house Lower house Local (above barangay level) Barangay Constitutional Convention
1895 Municipal
1898 Revolutionary Congress
1899 President Local
1902 Local
1904 Local
1905 Local
1907 Philippine Assembly
1909 Philippine Assembly Local
1912 Philippine Assembly Local
1916 Legislative Senate House of Representatives Local
1919 Legislative Senate House of Representatives Local
1922 Legislative Senate House of Representatives Local
1925 Legislative Senate House of Representatives Local
1928 Legislative Senate House of Representatives Local
1931 Legislative Senate House of Representatives Local
1934 Legislative Senate House of Representatives Local Constitutional convention
1935 General President & vice president National Assembly
1937 Local
1938 National Assembly
1941 General President & vice president Senate House of Representatives Local
1943 National Assembly Local
1946 General President & vice president Senate House of Representatives
1947 Senate Local
1949 General President & vice president Senate House of Representatives
1951 Senate Local
1953 General President & vice president Senate House of Representatives
1955 Senate Local
1957 General President & vice president Senate House of Representatives
1959 Senate Local
1961 General President & vice president Senate House of Representatives
1963 Senate Local
1965 General President & vice president Senate House of Representatives
1967 Senate Local
1969 General President & vice president Senate House of Representatives
1970 Constitutional convention
1971 Senate Local
1975 Sangguniang Bayan Kabataang Barangay
1978 Parliament
1980 Local
1981 President
1982 Barangay
1984 Parliament
1986 President & vice president
1987 Legislative Senate House of Representatives
1988 Local
1989 Barangay
1992 General President & vice president Senate House of Representatives Local SK
1994 Barangay
1995 General Senate House of Representatives Local
1996 SK
1997 Barangay
1998 General President & vice president Senate House of Representatives Local
2001 General Senate House of Representatives Local
2002 Barangay & SK
2004 General President & vice president Senate House of Representatives Local
2007 General Senate House of Representatives Local Barangay & SK
2010 General President & vice president Senate House of Representatives Local Barangay & SK
2013 General Senate House of Representatives Local Barangay
2016 General President & vice president Senate House of Representatives Local
2018 Barangay & SK
2019 General Senate House of Representatives Local
2022 General President & vice president Senate House of Representatives Local
2023 Barangay & SK
2025 General Senate House of Representatives Local Barangay & SK

Regional elections

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Regional elections are held for the autonomous regions. There had been four autonomous regions in the Philippines: Central Mindanao and Western Mindanao, then replaced by the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), then the Bangsamoro that replaced it. Regional elections were not synchronized with general elections above, but on 2013 and 2016, they were. The 2016 election was the last ARMM election. After the approval of the Bangsamoro in a plebiscite, there was a transition period, and the first Bangsamoro election is expected to be held on 2022.

Year Autonomous region(s) Details
1979 Western Mindanao and Central Mindanao Details
1982 Western Mindanao and Central Mindanao Details
1990 Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Details
1993 Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Details
1996 Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Details
2001 Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Details
2005 Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Details
2008 Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Details
2013 Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Details
2016 Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Details
2025 Bangsamoro Details

National referendums

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Referendums are on an ad hoc basis. Before 1973, these were mostly used on amending the constitution. Starting from martial law up to the People Power Revolution, referendums became more frequent. After the People Power Revolution, there had only been one national referendum, on the approval of the current constitution.

Year Type Ballot question Result Details
1935 Plebiscite Approval of constitution Yes 96.47% Details
1937 Plebiscite Women's suffrage Yes 90.94% Details
1939 Plebiscite Setting up export tariffs Yes 96.56% Details
1940 Plebiscite Creation of a bicameral Congress Yes 79.14% Details
Re-election of president and vice president Yes 81.67%
Creation of a Commission on Elections Yes 77.95%
1947 Plebiscite Approval of the Bell Trade Act Yes 78.89% Details
1967 Plebiscite Enlarging the House of Representatives No 81.72% Details
Allowing members of Congress to serve in the Constitutional Convention without forfeiting their seats No 83.44%
1973 Plebiscite Adopting the constitution Yes 90.67% Details
Calling a plebiscite to ratify the constitution No 90.96%
Referendum Allow the president to continue beyond 1973 and finish the reforms under martial law Yes 90.67% Details
1975 Referendum Approval of the president's actions Yes 88.69% Details
Approval of the president continuing the same powers Yes 87.51%
Selection of local officials By appointment 60.51%
1976 Referendum Allowing martial law to continue Yes 90.95% Details
Plebiscite Substituting the Regular Batasang Pambansa with the Interim Batasang Pambansa Yes 87.58%
1977 Referendum Allowing the president to continue in office after the organization of the Interim Batasang Pambansa Yes 89.27% Details
1981 Plebiscite Approval of the modified parliamentary system Yes 79.53% Details
  • Prohibiting elected officials for being appointed except in the Executive Committee
  • Limiting accreditation of political parties to top two parties only
  • Prohibiting public officers from switching parties mid-term
Yes 78.95%
Allowing erstwhile natural-born citizens who lost citizenship to own land Yes 77.55%
Referendum Holding barangay elections after the 1981 presidential election Yes 81.09% Details
1984 Plebiscite Redistricting the Batasang Pambansa to per city and province Yes 83.94% Details
Abolishing the executive committee and restoring the vice presidency Yes 82.99%
Allowing indigents to possess public lands by grants Yes 69.25%
Undertaking an urban land reform program Yes 68.59%
1987 Plebiscite Approval of constitution Yes 77.04% Details

Recall elections

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Only officials elected via the Local Government Code of 1991 can be recalled.

These are the recall elections above the barangay level:

Year Location Position recalled Incumbent Result Winner Details
1993 Bataan Governor Ding Roman Lost Tet Garcia Details
1997 Basilisa, Surigao del Norte Mayor Details
Vice mayor
Six councilors
Caloocan Mayor Rey Malonzo Won Rey Malonzo Details
2000 Lucena Mayor Bernard Tagarao Lost Ramon Talaga Jr. Details
Pasay Mayor Jovito Claudio Lost Wenceslao Trinidad Details
2002 Puerto Princesa, Palawan Mayor Dennis Socrates Lost Edward Hagedorn Details
2003 Agoo, La Union Vice mayor Ramil Lopez Lost Shiela Milo Details
2015 Puerto Princesa Mayor Lucilo Bayron Won Lucilo Bayron Details

Special elections

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Both chambers of Congress conduct special elections (known as "by-elections" elsewhere) once a seat becomes vacant.

The upcoming Bangsamoro Parliament can also hold special elections for vacancies for seats from its parliamentary districts.

A special election can also be called if the offices of president and vice president of the Philippines are vacant in the same time.

People's Initiatives

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People's Initiative is a common appellative in the Philippines that refers to either a mode for constitutional amendment provided by the 1987 Philippine Constitution or to the act of pushing an initiative (national or local) allowed by the Initiative and Referendum Act of 1987. While the Supreme Court had declared amending the constitution via initiative as "fatally defective" and those inoperable, the Initiative and Referendum Act of 1987 can still be used to initiate initiatives for statues, ordinances and resolutions at the national and local level.

While there had been no referendums at the national level, this has been successfully implemented at the local level, particularly in barangays.

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