Civil Service Exam (Professional) General Information Reviewer 2026

Answer: A. It tells us who are the authors of the Constitution and for whom it has been promulgated.

The preamble of the 1987 Constitution serves three main purposes: it provides an interpretive aid for ambiguous provisions, states the general objectives the Constitution aims to achieve, and functions as a solemn invocation. However, it does not identify the specific authors or indicate for whom it was promulgated—this information is found in the Constitution's body and historical records, not in the preamble itself.

Answer: B. Preamble

The Preamble is the opening section of the Constitution that outlines the document's purposes and principles. It begins with "We the People" and establishes the foundational goals of the government. While 'preface' is a general term for an introduction, 'preamble' is the specific constitutional term used for this section.

Answer: B. The people of the Philippines

The preamble of the Philippine Constitution identifies the sources of its authority as 'the sovereign Filipino people,' 'the Filipino people,' and 'the citizens of the Philippines.' The phrase 'people of the Philippines' is not an exact source cited in the preamble, making it the exception among the options provided.

Answer: C. Aspiration

Aspiration refers to a strong desire or ambition to achieve something, making it the perfect term to represent the unrealized dreams and goals that a nation strives for. While sovereignty relates to independence, posterity to future generations, and freedom to liberty, only aspiration directly captures the concept of unfulfilled aspirations and dreams.

Answer: B. Common good

The 1973 Philippine Constitution uses 'common good' as the phrase that refers to the welfare of all people, replacing 'general welfare' because 'common good' is more inclusive and represents the benefit of the entire society rather than just the majority. This terminology emphasizes that government actions should benefit everyone, not just a larger portion of the population.

Answer: A. High seas

The National Territory of the Philippines includes its land, internal waters, seabed, subsoil, and insular shelves within its jurisdiction. High seas, however, are international waters beyond any nation's territorial control and therefore cannot be included as part of the Philippines' national territory.

Answer: B. Continental shelves

The Philippines exercises sovereign rights over territorial seas, insular shelves, and continental shelves as defined by international law (UNCLOS). However, high seas are beyond any nation's jurisdiction and belong to all nations collectively, so the Philippines does not have sovereign rights over them. Continental shelves are specifically areas where the Philippines has exclusive rights to exploit natural resources.

Answer: C. Baseline

The baseline is the reference line from which all maritime zones of a coastal state are measured, including the territorial sea, contiguous zone, and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). This line is typically the low-water mark along the coast and serves as the starting point for determining a state's maritime boundaries and rights under international law.

Answer: B. Spratly island

The Spratly Islands are not part of the Philippines' national territory as defined in Article I of the Constitution because the Philippines' sovereignty over them is disputed and not internationally recognized, unlike Batanes and the Kalayaan Islands which are legally incorporated through the 1973 Constitution and P.D. No. 1596 respectively.

Answer: B. National Territory

Article I of the Philippine Constitution is titled "National Territory." This article defines and establishes the territorial boundaries of the Philippines, including its land, water, and airspace. The other options refer to different parts of the Constitution: the Preamble is the introductory section, Article II contains the Declaration of Principles and State Policies, and the Bill of Rights is found in Article III.

Answer: D. 200 Nautical Miles Zone

The Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea extends 200 nautical miles from a coastal state's baseline. This zone grants the coastal state sovereign rights over natural resources while allowing other states certain freedoms of navigation and communication.

Answer: A. Archipelago

An archipelago is defined as a group or chain of islands surrounded by water. The term comes from the Greek words 'archi' (chief) and 'pelagos' (sea), literally meaning 'chief sea.' A cliff, by contrast, is a steep rock face and has nothing to do with islands or groups of land masses.