Collective effort key in improving party politics in Philippines

“Let’s try to consolidate democracy by consolidating party politics; let’s help build stronger political parties in this country.”

This call was made by Dr. Julio Teehankee, PARTICIPATE’s Chief of Party, to leaders and representatives of 11 political parties present at the Updates on Political Party Institutionalization and the 2025 National and Local Elections, held on November 22, 2023 at The Bayleaf Intramuros.

The event was organized by Political Participation for Greater Electoral Integrity

(PARTICIPATE), a non-partisan, pro-democracy coalition, in partnership with the Commission on Elections. The event aimed to discuss efforts to strengthen and institutionalize political parties.

In his keynote speech, COMELEC Chairperson George Erwin Garcia discussed the current challenges regarding voter registration and improvement of vote-counting machines (VCMs). He also called for the Congress to fast track the revision of the 1985 Omnibus Election Code. Chair Garcia also emphasized the key role of political parties in our democratic and electoral processes.

On the other hand, Director Efraim Bag-id of the Political Finance and Affairs Department of COMELEC discussed their office’s functions and the actions they took regarding violators of election regulations in place, such as early campaigning and vote-buying.

The event also saw the launch of the Academy for Multiparty Democracy, a comprehensive program designed for mid-level officers and representatives of national political parties, regional political parties, and select party list organizations.

The program, which will run from November 2023 to February 2024, aims to equip mid-level officials and representatives of various political parties with a

comprehensive understanding of essential aspects to promote effective governance and strengthen democratic processes.

“Mas ma-e-engganyo ang mga mamamayan na sumapi, tumulong, at makiisa sa mga partidong pulitikal kung sa tingin nila ay yung pagpapakapagod nila para sa partido ay masusuklian,” Dr. Teehankee of PARTICIPATE added. Despite coming from different parties, the speakers and the party members echoed the call for collective effort in improving party politics in the country.

PARTICIPATE is a non-partisan, pro-democracy coalition dedicated to engage and empower the political participation of the Filipino people. It aims to strengthen citizen oversight of electoral processes, increase the availability and accessibility of information to promote informed voting, and support constituency-building for electoral reforms.