SY 2005-2006 ^ F% 0 &1-1~0 N w w- A ,, Th e QM,* at is a presiaential form of (e),overnment.,,,,ii. (This Is a reprint from the Internet. -Ed.) A presidential system, or a congressional system, is a system of government of a republic where the executive branch is elected separately from the legislative. The defining characteristic of a presidential government is how the executive is elected, but nearly all presidential systems share the following features: The president is both head of state and head of government. The president has no formal relationship with the legislature. He is not a voting member, nor can he introduce bills. The president has a fixed term of office. Elections are held at scheduled times, and cannot be triggered by a vote of confidence or other such parliamentary procedures. The executive branch is unipersonal. Members of the cabinet serve at the pleasure of the president and must carry out the policies of the executive and legislative branches. The term presidential system is often used in contrast to cabinet government, which is usually a feature of parliamentarism. There also exists a kind of A parliamentary system, or parliamentarism, distinguished by the executive branch of rirwornmont hainn rianantlant nn intermediate, the semi-presidential system. Perceived advantages and disadvantages of presidential system. Advantages Direct mandate - in a presidential system, the president is generally elected directly by the people. To some, this makes the president's power more legitimate than that of a leader appointed indirectly. Separation of powers - a presidential system establishes the presidency and the legislature as two parallel structures. Supporters of the system claim that this arrangement allows each structure to supervise the other, preventing abuses. Speed and decisiveness -some argue that a president with strong powers can usually enact changes quickly, and that this is a good thing. Others argue that the separation of powers slows the system down, and that this is a good thing. Stability - a president, by known as proportional representation. Parliamentary countries that use first past the post untinn iminihi hnum nnxinrn-n+e virtue of a fixed term, may provide more stability than a prime minister who can be dismissed at any time. Disadvantages Tendency towards authoritarianism - some political scientists say that the presidentialism is not constitutionally stable. According to some political scientists, such as Fred Riggs, presidentialism has fallen into authoritarianism in every country it has been attempted, except the United States. Separation of powers - a presidential system establishes the presidency and the legislature as two parallel structures. Critics argue that this creates undesirable gridlock, and that it reduces accountability by allowing the president and the legislature to shift blame to each other. Impediments to leadership change - it is claimed that the difficulty in removing an unsuitable president from the office before his or her term has expired represents a significant problem. primarily a ceremonial position, often a monarch or president, retaining duties that aren't eaew a ffx 54rm Dear Editor. My greetings to you and other members of the editorial staff. This concerns the present situation of the Tigum Bridge in Barangay Tabucan and the Imelda Marcos Bridge in Barangay Amerang. According to the engineering experts of the Department of Public Works and Highways, the two bridges have structural defects fic such that concrete and positive measures have to be taken in order to prevent their further deterioration and destruction. As a concerned citizen of our town, I am pleased to know that Mayor Ramon C. Yee has gone out of his way to do the right course of action to protect the two bridges, thus promoting the safety of the motorists and the commuters. The caring municipal. mayor has called a series of meetings of different government agencies concerned to come up with a viable solution to the problem. He initiated a public forum during which all the stakeholders were made aware of the real situation of the roads and bridges in Cabatuan. Mayor Yee deserves commendation for his laudable efforts in protecting roads, bridges, and other structures in his area of jurisdiction. He deserves the support and cooperation of the haulers and heavy cargo truckers by following strictly the load limit of the bridge on which their trucks pass. It would be best for public safety and convenience if the Land Transportation Office, the Land Franchising and Regulatory Board, the Department of Public Works and Highways and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources work very closely and religiously with the Local Government Unit of Cabatuan in saving our roads and bridges. AToodlocc m c"At tho 0 ,,,as constrasted to the parliamentarytype' member, nor . can he introduce bills. The president has a fixed term of office. Elections are held at scheduled times, and cannot be triggered by a vote of confidence or other such parliamentary procedures. The executive branch is unipersonal. Members of the cabinet serve at the pleasure of the president and must carry out the policies of the executive and legislative branches. The term presidential system is often used in contrast to cabinet government, which is usually a feature of parliamentarism. There also exists a kind of A parliamentary system, or parliamentarism, distinguished by the executive branch of government being dependent on the direct or indirect support of the parliament, often expressed through a vote of confidence. Hence, there is no clear-cut separation of powers between the executive and legislative branches, leading to criticism from some that they lack checks and balances found in a presidential republic. Parliamentarism is praised, relative to presidentialism, for its flexibility and responsiveness to the public. It is faulted for its tendency to sometimes lead to unstable governments, as in the German Weimar republic and the French Fourth Republic. Parliamentary systems usually have a clear differentiation between the head of government and the head of state, within the head of government being the prime minister or premier, and the head of state often being an appointed figurehead with only minor or ceremonial powers. However, some parliamentary systems also have an elected president with many reserve powers as the head of state, providing some balance to these systems. The term parliamentary does not mean that a country is ruled by different parties in coalition with each other. Such multi-party arrangements are usually the product of an electoral systerni4l=,' leader appointed indirectly. Separation of powers - a presidential system establishes the presidency and the legislature as two parallel structures. Supporters of the system claim that this arrangement allows each structure to supervise the other, preventing abuses. Speed and decisiveness -some argue that a president with strong powers can usually enact changes quickly, and that this is a good thing. Others argue that the separation of powers slows the system down, and that this is a good thing. Stability - a president, by known as proportional representation. Parliamentary countries that use first past the post voting usually have governments composed of one party. The United Kingdom, for instance, has had only one coalition government since World War II. However, parliamentary systems of continental Europe do use proportional representation, so, outside the British Commonwealth, it can be said that PR voting systems and parliamentarism go together. The features of a parliamentary system The executive is typically a cabinet, and headed by a prime minister who is considered the head of government. The prime minister and the ministers of the cabinet typically have their background in the parliament and may remain members thereof while serving in cabinet. The leader of the leading party or group of parties, in the' parliament is often appointed as the prime minister. In many countries, the cabinet or single members thereof can be removed by the parliament through a vote of no confidence. -in addition, the executive can often dissolve the parliament and call extra-ordinary elections. Under the parliamentary system the roles o head of state and head of government are more or less separated. In most parliamentary cvqtpmr the heats of ctatP ft country it has been attempted, except the United States. Separation of powers - a presidential system establishes the presidency and the legislature as two parallel structures. Critics argue that this creates undesirable gridlock, and that it reduces accountability by allowing the president and the legislature to shift blame to each other. Impediments to leadership change - it is claimed that the difficulty in removing an unsuitable president from the office before his or her term has expired represents a significant problem. primarily a ceremonial position, often a monarch or president, retaining duties that aren't politically divisive, such as appointments of civil service. In many parliamentary systems, the head of state may have reserve powers which are usable in a crisis. In most cases however, such powers are (either by convention or by constitutional role) only exercised upon the advice and approval of the head of government. Advantages of a parliamentary system It could be argued that a parliamentary system is more accountable than a presidential system, since power is not divided. In a parliamentary system, it is easier for voters to tell who is responsible for inaction than in a presidential system. Also, in a parliamentary system the chief executive (or prime minister) is often questioned by the legislature. Such a procedure would ensure that the chief executive is held to account and would act as a check on his power. Some believe that it is easier to pass legislation within a parliamentary system. This is because the executive branch is dependent upon the direct or indirect support of the legislative branch and is often compromised of members of the 1pniqlattirp to do the right course of action to protect the two bridges, thus promoting the safety of the motorists and the commuters. The caring municipal. mayor has called a series of meetings of different government agencies concerned to come up with a viable solution to the problem. He initiated a public forum during which all the stakeholders were made aware of the real situation of the roads and bridges in Cabatuan. Mayor Yee deserves commendation for his laudable efforts in protecting roads, bridges, and other structures in his area of jurisdiction. He deserves the support and cooperation of the haulers and heavy cargo truckers by following strictly the load limit of the bridge on which their trucks pass. It would be best for public safety and convenience if the Land Transportation Office, the Land Franchising and Regulatory Board, the Department of Public Works and Highways and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources work very closely and religiously with the Local Government Unit of Cabatuan in saving our roads and bridges. Needless to say, the destruction of Tigum Bridge and the Imelda Marcos Bridge (heaven forbid it!) will give much and years of inconvenience not only to Cabatuananons but also to other people who habitually pass on the two bridges. To avert the occurrence of this possibility, some sacrifices have to be made. Thank you very much, Mayor Yee, for taking a relentless and courageous stand in protecting the roads, bridges, and other structures in our town. Thank you for protecting the lives of your constituents. Personally I am one with you in your crusade to preservcgovernment facilities and structures in our municipality. For doing a heroic act, I take my hat off to you, Mayor Ramon C. Yee! Very truly yours, A concerned citizen (Name withheld upon request) Dear Editor: In anticipation of the coming Yuletide season, I would like to greet you and your staff a Merry, Merry Christmas. ...as constrasted to the parliamentary type? is no clear-cut separation of powers between the executive and legislative branches, leading to criticism from some that they lack checks and balances found in a presidential republic. Parliamentarism is praised, relative to presidentialism, for its flexibility and responsiveness to the public. It is faulted for its tendency to sometimes lead to unstable governments, as in the German Weimar republic and the French Fourth Republic. Parliamentary systems usually have a clear differentiation between the head of government and the head of state, within the head of government being the prime minister or premier, and the head of state often being an appointed figurehead with only minor or ceremonial powers. However, some parliamentary systems also have an elected president with many reserve powers as the head of state, providing some balance to these systems. The term parliamentary does not mean that a country is ruled by different parties in coalition with each other. Such multi-party arrangements are usually the product of an electoral system World War 11. However, parliamentary systems of continental Europe do use proportional representation, so, outside the British Commonwealth, it can be said that PR voting systems and parliamentarism go together. The features of a parliamentary system The executive is typically a cabinet, and headed by a prime minister who is considered the head of government. The prime minister and the ministers of the cabinet typically have their background in the parliament and may remain members thereof while serving in cabinet. The leader of the leading party or group of parties, in the parliament is often appointed as the prime minister. In many countries, the cabinet or single members thereof can be removed by the parliament through a vote of no confidence. -in addition, the executive can often dissolve the parliament and call extra-ordinary elections. Under the parliamentary system the roles o head of state and head of government are more or less separated. In most parliamentary systems, the head of state is powers which are usable in a crisis. In most cases however, such powers are (either by convention or by constitutional role) only exercised upon the advice and approval of the head of government. Advantages of a parliamentary system It could be argued that a parliamentary system is more accountable than a presidential system, since power is not divided. In a parliamentary system, it is easier for voters to tell who is responsible for inaction than in a presidential system. Also, in a parliamentary system the chief executive (or prime minister) is often questioned by the legislature. Such a procedure would ensure that the chief executiveis held to account and would act as acheck on his power. Some believe that it is easier to pass legislation within a parliamentary system. This is because the executive branch is dependent upon the direct or indirect support of the legislative branch and is often compromised of members of the legislature. Cabatuananons but also to other people who habitually pass on the two bridges. To avert the occurrence of this possibility, some sacrifices have to be made. Thank you very much, Mayor Yee, for taking a relentless and courageous stand in protecting the roads, bridges, and other structures in our town. Thank you for protecting the lives of your constituents. Personally I am one with you in your crusade to prcscrvcgovcrnmcnt facilities and structures in our municipality. For doing a heroic act, I take my hat off to you, Mayor Ramon C. Yee! Very truly yours, A concerned citizen (Name withheld upon request) Dear Editor: In anticipation of the coming Yuletide season, I would like to greet you and your staff a Merry, Merry Christmas. I am a graduating student of the school. Asa student, it is my concern and responsibility to be aware of what's going on in my school. I notice that cleanliness has been imposed by the school administration on students. I am in agreement with them for the implementation of cleanliness in the school. Everytime I am in school, it gives me joy and pride to see all nooks and crannies of the school cleaned and freed of any rubbish. Plants are watered and maintained, and students cooperated in disposing their garbage properly. I congratulate teachers, staff and students for making CNCHS a clean and green campus. Let us bear in mind that ."Cleanliness is next to Godliness' . Respectfully yours, Shyne Mediatrix Salcedo IV — Archimedes Of People and Work By: It is said that some people stop working once they find a job. This is an eye opener and a true observation. People move heaven and earth looking for a job. They know job is important because it is the source of their livelihood. When we look around us, it is a fact that people who have jobs have better lives than those who are jobless. Work enables people to live in nice big homes, eat good food, enjoy beautiful clothes and jewelry, engage in hobbies and leisure activities, go to prestigious schools and live in clean, beautiful and prosperous neighborhood. On the other hand, people without a job live in poverty. Their life is hard and miserable. They could hardly afford the basic necessities in life. They eke out a living just to survive. But what an irony! Once they land a job some irresponsible people stop working. This is especially true with government-paid services. We Filipinos seem to pride ourselves with receiving fat salaries by simply sitting on the swivel chair. From the lowest rank to the top position, some government employees "enjoy" short changing the salaries they receive. Sitting conformably in one's job seems a smart thing to do. These people do not feel guilty that others suffer because they neglect their jobs. They don't realize that progress in society somehow depends on the work they do. They fail to see that they should work as expected because this means progress and development. They don't understand that the work they do is somehow a chain reaction that leads to development or deterioration of society if they don't have outputs. So, don't stop working once you find a job. Work is a blessing not a curse. There is no menial work because all work is important. Through it we contribute to the task of nation-building. Work gives us satisfaction and a sense of fulfillment. Don't sit in your job. Work. Belen M. Huyo - Guidance Counselor III