This paper explores the historical context of the Philippine party-list system. It attempts to delineate its weaknesses and strengths from this historical perspective and proposes measures for further developing its potentials for broadening democracy in the Philippines. It proceeds in this analysis from an optimistic appreciation of the democratic space spawned by the events of EDSA 1986 and has since then survived the countless challenges of crisis situations, both economic and political, as well as the continuing pressures from the militarizing Right and the armed Left rebellions.