The Philippines is governed as a unitary state under a presidential representative and democratic constitutional republic in which the president functions as both the head of state and the head of government of the country within a pluriform multi-party system.

The powers of the three branches are vested by the Constitution of the Philippines in the following: Legislative power is vested in the two-chamber Congress of the Philippines—the Senate is the upper chamber and the House of Representatives is the lower chamber.

The president may also give executive issuances, grant pardons, and exercise the power of eminent domain.

Aside from having the power to veto any bill, the president also sets the legislative agenda for Congress.

A bill must first be approved by the Senate in order to be passed for the president's signature to become a law.

The justices are appointed by the president on the recommendation of the Judicial and Bar Council of the Philippines.

[5] The Civil Service Commission is the central personnel agency of the Philippine government.

[5] The three branches of the Philippine government are independently monitored by the Office of the Ombudsman (Filipino: Tanodbayan).

The ombudsman is given the mandate to investigate and prosecute any government official allegedly guilty of crimes, especially graft and corruption.

The Philippines has four main classes of elected administrative divisions, often lumped together as local government units (LGUs).

The 1987 Constitution only allows for the creation of two autonomous regions, one in the Cordilleras of Luzon and another in Muslim Mindanao; at present, only the latter exists, with the former remaining an administrative division.

Its executive branch is led by the regional chief minister, the Council of Leaders, and the Bangsamoro Cabinet.