The 1987 Philippine Constitution, crafted after the fall of the Marcos dictatorship, was designed to prevent authoritarianism and promote democracy. While it has served as a stable democratic framework, several glaring problems and limitations have emerged over time, particularly in addressing modern political, economic, and governance challenges. Below are the most commonly cited structural and functional problems:

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⚖️ 1. Restrictive Economic Provisions

•	60-40 ownership rule for foreign investors in key sectors (e.g., land, natural resources, utilities, education, media) discourages foreign direct investment.
•	Economic policies are constitutionally hard-coded, making reforms slow and inflexible to changing global trends.
•	The Constitution lacks clarity in economic liberalization, often creating investor uncertainty.

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🏛️ 2. Flawed Political System Design

•	Over-centralized unitary system concentrates power in “Imperial Manila,” leading to unequal development and poor local governance.
•	Presidential system with weak party discipline encourages patronage politics, political opportunism, and legislative gridlock.
•	No clear prohibition on political dynasties, despite the intent of the Constitution, due to the absence of enabling law.
•	Term limits encourage short-term thinking, weaken institutional memory, and lead to “recycling” of family members through dynasties.

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⚖️ 3. Judiciary Weaknesses

•	Lifetime tenure for justices can lead to judicial complacency and politicization.
•	The Judicial and Bar Council (JBC), tasked with vetting nominees, is criticized for lacking transparency and being vulnerable to political pressure.
•	Judicial independence is at risk due to budgetary dependence on the executive and lack of accountability mechanisms.

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🗳️ 4. Weak Electoral and Party Systems

•	Party-list system is vulnerable to abuse, often hijacked by political elites or groups that do not truly represent marginalized sectors.
•	No strong political party ideology, leading to rampant party-switching (“balimbing”) and weak voter accountability.
•	Elections are personality-driven, not platform- or policy-driven, encouraging populism over good governance.

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🌍 5. Outdated Provisions in the Modern Context

•	No explicit provisions on digital rights, data privacy, or cybersecurity in an era of massive technological transformation.
•	Environmental rights are vaguely defined, despite the country’s vulnerability to climate change and ecological degradation.
•	National security framework is outdated—lacks strong constitutional response to transnational threats like terrorism, cybercrime, and pandemics.

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🧭 6. Ineffective Amendment Mechanism

•	Ambiguous and rigid process for Charter Change (Cha-cha)—Constituent Assembly, Constitutional Convention, and People’s Initiative have all proven politically contentious and practically unworkable.
•	This rigidity prevents timely reforms even when there is broad consensus on economic or political amendments.

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🤝 7. Social Justice Goals Largely Unrealized

•	While the Constitution is aspirational in terms of social justice, labor rights, agrarian reform, and equitable development, implementation remains weak.
•	Institutional corruption, lack of accountability, and insufficient enforcement mechanisms blunt these constitutional promises.

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Summary:

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Conclusion:

The 1987 Constitution remains a critical foundation of Philippine democracy, but its design flaws, outdated provisions, and implementation gaps increasingly hinder the country’s development. Calls for reform are not about undermining its democratic spirit but about updating and strengthening it for a more effective, inclusive, and resilient future.