MANILA, Philippines?Majority of Filipinos are still unaware of the party-list system despite its 12 years of existence, a pre-election survey by Pulse Asia showed.

Of the 1,800 registered voters surveyed ahead of the May 10 polls, 69 percent said they were not aware of the party-list system. Only three out of 10 said they were aware.

Metro Manila ranked first with 51 percent of respondents saying they know the system, which aims to provide representation for the marginalized and underrepresented sectors of the society.

Visayas came second at 30 percent and 28 percent for Mindanao. The survey was conducted from January 22 to 26.

?The current level of awareness of the party-list system is just about half of the awareness level posted in the last survey conducted on the same concern last April 2007,? Pulse Asia said.

?Moreover, the current dismal level of awareness is the lowest that had been recorded across surveys conducted by Pulse Asia from early 2004,? the group added.

But despite the low awareness level of the respondents, at least nine partylist groups managed to get more than two percent votes, enough for a party-list group to get a seat at the House of Representatives.

Bayan Muna was leading with 8.03 percent votes; 1-Aangat Pilipino, 6.34 percent; Anakpawis, 5.88 percent; Gabriela Women?s Partylist, 5.55 percent; Akbayan Citizens Action Party, 5.07 percent; Ahon Pinoy, 3.32 percent; Aangat Tayo, 3.22 percent; Anak Mindanao, 2.80 percent; and Abono, 2.59 percent.

A total of 187 party-list groups have been approved by the Commission on Elections to join the May elections. A voter can only choose one party-list group.

Since the 1998 elections, 20 percent of seats in the lower chamber have been allotted for party-list representatives.

The latest Pulse Asia survey, which has a ?2 percent margin of error, was based on a multistage probability sample of 1,800 registered voters aged 18 years old and above. It has a ?2 percent margin of error.