Nearly 87,000 candidates are competing for 17,000 national and local positions.

Here voters in the Philippines give their views on what the main problems facing the country are and what the elections can achieve.

Fatima doesn't think the election will solve anything

I have voted in all local and national elections since the Aquino government. I just don't think that the elections will change anything.

Elections here are celebrated as 'fiesta' - a grand feast as political candidates splurge millions on campaigns and various forms of vote-buying, and 'balagtasan' - rhetorical exercises, whether deep or hollow.

While they debate and celebrate, the lack of intelligent choice for the electorate remains.

The question of the legitimacy of the current president, which goes back to the 2004 elections, must be settled. If we can implement the law and secure the leadership with a mandate, then the country can move on.

Our politicians are intellectually and morally unfit for leadership. They have demoralised the Philippines Armed Forces and are mobilising religious organisations, particularly in Mindanao, to seal their power with faith. I'm afraid the political opposition are no different.

In the current age of violence and lawlessness as the norm, those who can think outside the box may have the answers. Perhaps some of the independent candidates will do just that.

So I am not giving up hope yet.

Maragtas Amante: The political system needs to change

We need to have the French elections as a benchmark - civilised and full of respect.

The Philippines has vast resources and tremendous growth potential, but these are mismanaged by incompetent political leaders and economic managers.

We need to change the political system to ensure the best and qualified leadership from the top down to the local government.

Elections here are always viewed as entertainment by the poor. Foolish candidates distribute cash, which they could take back from corrupt kickbacks out of public works contracts once they are elected.

Traditional elites are in control of the economy and political structures. The idea of democracy in the Philippines has always been alien to local thinking, given that past elections served the Philippines' traditional elite, perpetuated in power by the previous Spanish and American colonial regimes.

The intelligent, middle class voters are still a minority and are not in a position to change much.

Due to the enormous demand for empowerment from the poor, there is a steady supply of militant revolutionary groups.

The Americans need to intervene to stop the extra-judicial killings of militants. Political forces should be allowed to take part in elections, pave the way for constitutional reforms, and replace the illegitimate regime through peaceful impeachment.

Corruption, in my opinion, is the key issue as many problems are tied to it. It happens on many different levels.

The end result is that money does not go where it should - poverty alleviation, education and health care. Accountability is practically non-existent. And you have situations where local politicians use any means to cling to power, including violence.

We need a government with the political will and the strong moral compass to pursue a program of ruthless accountability.

We are looking for alternative solutions: federalism is an idea that's been around for a while and it gets resurrected from time to time. The intention is to reduce dependence on the central government.

These elections won't do much in terms of a drastic improvement in the situation. The Philippines is still very much an evolving democracy, where changes tend to be gradual.

It will be interesting to see whether the opposition wins a majority in the Senate and in the Lower House. Impeachment has been a constant theme surrounding the Arroyo government, in large part due to the election scandal of 2004.

In the past, these attempts have been quashed by sheer force of numbers. If there is a shift in the balance, the results could be very interesting indeed.

If there is a shift in the balance, the results could be very interesting indeed

I think the idea of the 'Islamic insurgency' bears some re-thinking, too. To be sure, there are hard-core groups driven by dreams of separate Islamic state, but I would think these are actually few in number, with little chance of achieving that goal.

Even here within the troubled areas of Mindanao, the difficulties do not stem so much from religion as from other factors such as poverty, disenfranchisement, even local politics. The fact that they are Muslim just happens to be incidental.

It just also happens that many Filipinos are looking for that sense of identity and the religious divide provides an easy categorisation.

Thousands of seats are up for grabs in the election

The main problems in the Philippines is not so much the poverty, but the lack of gainful employment. It is no surprise to see a new graduate in engineering working as a warehouse packer.

Or a female accounting graduate with excellent credentials working as a common saleslady.

And completely unnoticed is the apathy of the majority of elected officials about the real problems of the Philippines. The majority only look after their own agendas.

To address the real problems will entail stepping on the toes of those who had financed their rise to power. Creating employment opportunities would mean establishing new businesses, which might rival their sponsors.

I can't see anyone who can offer a solution right now.

This election is only jockeying for positions for the present government to hold on to power and for the opposition to be able to remove the current government's tenuous hold on power.

Having faith in our politicians is like believing that our Lord is up there playing an online video game to pass the time.

Lovely Lansang: The elections could make a big difference

These elections really mean a big deal for my country, especially that it is faced with poverty and widespread corruption.

We have to choose the right people who can govern effectively so they can play a greater role in alleviating the poverty in the country.

Elections is one way of respecting the democracy in this country.

Our politicians should address the problems of poverty, corruption and lack of quality education.

Education in the Philippines is very poor, compared to developed countries like Germany, United Kingdom and France. Many children lack access to primary education and many of them are forced to drop out of school because of poverty.

Politicians should do their best to stop talking about unnecessary issues and start thinking of ways to solve these problems. If people choose the right and competent candidates who can lead the country, these elections will really make a big difference.