ABSTRACT

A combination of adaptive strategies has enabled political dynasties to maintain their dominance in Philippine congressional politics. Consequently, a variety of political dynasties have emerged in successive political regimes utilizing these strategies. This study investigates the adaptability and resilience of political clans. It is an exposition of the methods undertaken by traditional, new, and emerging political dynasties to maintain their dominance in congressional politics. The national legislature, in its various historical incarnations, has long served as a nexus for national and local power dynamics. Thus, the mechanism by which political clans acquire, sustain, and reproduce power through the House of Representatives is elaborated.