Constitutional Commissions, Local Government, Economy and Social Justice

What it is

This lesson covers Articles IX to XVI of the 1987 Constitution, the part that sets up the bodies and rules you will meet most often as a government worker:

• Article IX: the three Constitutional Commissions: the Civil Service Commission (CSC), the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) and the Commission on Audit (COA);
• Article X: local governments and autonomous regions;
• Article XII: the national economy and patrimony (land, natural resources, Filipino ownership);
• Article XIII: social justice and the Commission on Human Rights (CHR);
• Articles XIV to XVI: education, language, the family, and general provisions (flag, armed forces, police, media).

Why it matters on the exam

Items here are mostly recall: "How many members does the COMELEC have?", "Which is NOT a Constitutional Commission?", "What share must Filipinos own in an advertising firm?". The traps swap numbers between bodies (3 vs 7 members, 60% vs 70%), slip the CHR or the Ombudsman into the list of Constitutional Commissions, or use old names (Tagalog, Pilipino).

The Civil Service Commission rules are also the reason the Civil Service Exam exists: appointments by merit and fitness, shown by a competitive examination.