MANILA, Philippines (1st Update) - If elections were held today, leftist party-list group Bayan Muna would be assured of three seats in the House of Representatives, according to the results of the latest Pulse Asia survey released Wednesday.

The survey, conducted January 22-26, covered only 150 of the 187 party-list groups vying for at least one seat in the Lower House. It added that 9 party-list groups got more than 2% from the respondents, which is enough to earn one seat in the Lower House.

Bayan Muna led the survey with 8.03% and was “assured” of 3 seats. Coming in at No. 2 is 1-Aangat Pilipino (1-AK) with 6.34%.

1-AK reportedly supports Agusan del Sur Rep. Rodolfo “Ompong” Plaza, who is included in the senatorial slate of former President Joseph Estrada's Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP).

Anakpawis (AP) came in third with 5.88% while Gabriela Women’s Party (Gabriela) was No. 4 with 5.55%. Akbayan Citizens Action Party (Akbayan) rounded up the Top 5 with 5.07%.

1-AK, Anakpawis, Gabriela and Akbayan were also assured of 3 seats based on their survey results.

The following also entered the Top 9 of the pre-election party-list survey results: Ahon Pinoy (Ahon) with 3.32%, Aangat Tayo (AT) with 3.22%, Anak Mindanao (Amin) with 2.59% and Abono with 2.59%. They were assured of 2 Lower House seats.

The “Party-List System Act” said that the groups garnering more than 2% of the votes will be entitled to additional seats in proportion to their total number of votes. A party-list can have a maximum of 3 seats. The party-list representatives will constitute 20% of the total number of the members of the Lower House including those under the party-list.

Meanwhile, 34 party-list groups won 1 seat each in the survey. They are ACT Teachers, Akap Bata, Citizen Battle Against Corruption (CIBAC), Adhikain at Kilusan ng Ordinaryong Tao Para Sa Lupa, Pabahay, Hanapbuhay at Kaunlaran (AKO), Buhay Hayaan Yumabong (Buhay), Action Brotherhood for Active Dreamers, Inc. (Abroad), 1-Ako Babaeng Astig Aasenso (1-ABAA), Abante Ilonggo (Aba Ilonggo), An Waray and Advocacy for Teacher Empowerment through Action Cooperation and Harmony towards Education Reform (A Teacher).

The other groups are Abante Mindanao, Inc. (Abamin), Akbay Pinoy OFW-National, Inc. (APOI), Abakada Guro (Abakada), Agricultural Sector Alliance of the Philippines (Agap), Partido Manggagawa (PM), Alagad Party-List (Alagad), A Blessed Federation of Farmers and Fishermen Internatioanl, Inc. (A Blessed), 1-Guardians Nationalist of the Philippines, Inc. (1 Ganap/Guardians), 1st Kabalikat ng Bayan Ginhawang Sangkatauhan (1st Kabagis), 1-AANI and Butil Farmers Party (Butil).

You Against Corruption and Poverty (Yacap), Alagaan Natin ang Ating Kalusugan (Anakalusugan), Bayani, Alay Buhay Community Development Foundation, Inc. (Alay Buhay), Aksyon Magsasaka Partido Tinig ng Masa (AKMA-PTM), Agri-Agra Reporma Para sa Magsasaka ng Pilipinas Movement (Agri), Advocates for Special Children and the Handicapped Movement (Asahan Mo) also made it to the Top 43 party-list groups list.

They are joined by Batang Iwas sa Droga Foundation, Inc. (Bida), Kabataan Partylist (Kabataan), Agila ng Katutubong Pilipino (Agila), Alyansa ng mga Grupong Haligi ng Agham at Teknolohiya para sa Mamamayan, Inc. (Agham), Alyansa ng OFW Party (Alyansa) and Agapay ng Indigenous Peoples Right Alliance, Inc. (A-IPRA).

The survey, which was based on a multistage probability sample of 1,800 representative adults aged 18 and above, has a ± 2% error margin at the 95% confidence level.

The error margins at 95% confidence level are ± 6% for Metro Manila, ±4% for the rest of Luzon and ±5% for each of Visayas and Mindanao. Face-to-face field interviews were conducted.

7 out of 10 Filipinos unaware of party-list

Pulse Asia disclosed that fewer Filipinos know about the party-list system, with just a few months before the May 2010 national elections.

According to Pulse Asia’s January 2010 Pre-Election Survey Voter Preference for Party-List Group, about 7 out of 10 Filipinos are unaware about the system which promotes proportional representation in the election of representatives to the House of Representatives.

Only 3 out of 10 Filipinos (31%) are aware of such system. Of that number, 51% of them come from the National Capital Region.

Pulse Asia president Ronnie Holmes said the decline in awareness of the party-list system could be the result of the higher attention being given to the other elections being held this May, particularly the presidential race.

"It's a reflection of the lack of awareness of our electoral system. People are not so aware of the function of party-list representatives. Another thing, since there are so many compettitors with 187 listed party-list groups, the attention is dissipated because there are so many groups with small constituencies," Holmes said in an ANC "Dateline Philippines" interview.

The Pulse Asia survey revealed that the present level of awareness of the party-list system (3 out of 10) dropped from the awareness level recorded in April 2007 when almost 6 out of 10 Filipinos knew about the party-list system.

The 2010 party-list system awareness level is also the lowest that was recorded by Pulse Asia since 2004.

Holmes said that aside from the groups such as Gabriela, most of the party-list groups chosen by the respondents were on the top of the ballot especially since the groups were listed alphabetically.

He added, however, that Congress should do more to increase the level of awareness of the party-list system.

"I think our legislators should give more attention insofar as expanding the role of proportional representation in Congress. Up to now the Constitution limits party-list representation to only 20%. There's a need to reflect on the need for more inclusive representation in our deliberative bodies specifically the House of Representatives," he said.

The party-list system was introduced in the Philippine elections in 1998. The polls in May would be the 5th time that Filipinos will vote for their party-list representatives.

Republic Act No. 7941 or the “Party-List System Act” states that a voter is entitled to vote for the party, organization, or coalition he or she wants represented in the House of Representatives.

The party-list should be registered national, regional and sectoral parties or organizations or coalitions who represent marginalized and underrepresented sectors.

They also “lack well-defined political constituencies but who could contribute to the formulation and enactment of appropriate legislation that will benefit the nation as a whole.”