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Congress Of The Philippines
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  Coa Pic CongressPhilpng
  House Type Bicameral
  Houses Senate <br> House Of Representatives
  Leader1 Type Senate President
  Leader1 Manuel B Villar Jr
  Election1 2007
  Leader2 Type House Speaker
  Leader2 Jose C De Venecia, Jr
  Election2 2007
  Members Not more than 250 Representatives and 24 Senators<br><small>currently 237 Representatives and 23 Senators</small>
  P Groups <small> Lakas-CMD <br> KAMPI <br> Liberal <br> LDP <br> GO <br> Independent <br> PMP <br> Nacionalista <br> NPC <br> CAPP <br> Others </small>
  Election3 May 14 , 2007
  Meeting Place Batasang Pambansa (House of Rep), GSIS Senate Building (Senate)


The Congress of the Philippines ( of the Philippines . It is a Bicameral body consisting of the the Senate (upper chamber), and the House Of Representatives (lower chamber).

The Senate is composed of 24 senators half of which are elected every three years. Each senator, therefore, serves a total of six years. The senators are elected by the whole electorate and do not represent any geographical district.

The House of Representatives is composed of a maximum of 250 congressmen. There are two types of congressmen: the district and the sectoral representatives. The district congressmen represent a particular geographical district of the country. All Provinces in the country are composed of at least one congressional district. Several Cities also have their own congressional districts, with some composed of two or more representatives.

The sectoral congressmen represent the minority sectors of the population. This enables these minority groups to be represented in the Congress, when they would otherwise not be represented properly through district representation. Also known as party-list representatives, sectoral congressmen represent labor unions, rights groups, and other organizations.

The Constitution provides that the Congress shall convene for its regular session every year beginning on the 4th Monday of July . A regular session can last until thirty days before the opening of its next regular session in the succeeding year. The President may, however, call Special Sessions which are usually held between Regular Sessions to handle emergencies or urgent matters.


CONGRESSES OF THE PHILIPPINES


Revolutionary Period



American Period



Commonwealth



Second Philippine Republic



Commonwealth (Restored)



Third Philippine Republic



Martial Law and Fourth Philippine Republic



Fifth Philippine Republic




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from:09/15/1898 till:11/13/1899 text:"Malolos Congress" color:abolished
from:03/04/1899 till:03/16/1900 text:"1st Philippine Commission" color:USA
from:03/16/1900 till:09/01/1901 text:"2nd Philippine Commission" color:USA
from:09/01/1901 till:10/16/1907 text:"Philippine Commission" color:USA
from:10/16/1907 till:05/20/1909 text:"1st Philippine Legislature" color:NP
from:03/28/1910 till:02/06/1912 text:"2nd Philippine Legislature" color:NP
from:10/16/1912 till:02/24/1916 text:"3rd Philippine Legislature" color:NP
from:10/16/1916 till:02/08/1919 text:"4th Philippine Legislature" color:NP
from:07/21/1919 till:02/14/1922 text:"5th Philippine Legislature" color:NP
from:07/16/1922 till:02/08/1925 text:"6th Philippine Legislature" color:NP
from:07/16/1925 till:11/09/1927 text:"7th Philippine Legislature" color:NP
from:07/16/1928 till:11/07/1930 text:"8th Philippine Legislature" color:NP
from:07/16/1931 till:05/05/1933 text:"9th Philippine Legislature" color:NP
from:07/24/1933 till:11/21/1935 text:"10th Philippine Legislature" color:NP
from:11/25/1935 till:08/30/1938 text:"1st National Assembly" color:NP
from:01/24/1939 till:12/10/1941 text:"2nd National Assembly" color:NP
from:10/17/1943 till:02/02/1944 text:"National Assembly of the Second Republic" color:Japan
from:06/13/1945 till:12/20/1945 text:"1st Commonwealth Congress" color:NP
from:05/25/1946 till:07/04/1946 text:"2nd Commonwealth Congress" color:LP
from:07/05/1946 till:12/13/1949 text:"1st Congress" color:LP
from:12/30/1949 till:12/08/1953 text:"2nd Congress" color:LP
from:01/24/1954 till:12/10/1957 text:"3rd Congress" color:NP
from:01/27/1958 till:12/13/1961 text:"4th Congress" color:NP
from:01/22/1962 till:12/17/1965 text:"5th Congress" color:LP
from:01/17/1966 till:06/17/1969 text:"6th Congress" color:NP
from:01/26/1970 till:09/23/1972 text:"7th Congress" color:LP
from:09/23/1972 till:06/11/1978 text:"Abolished (President exercised legislative powers)" color:abolished
from:06/12/1978 till:06/05/1984 text:"Interim Batasang Pambansa" color:KBL
from:07/23/1984 till:03/25/1986 text:"Regular Batasang Pambansa" color:KBL
from:03/25/1986 till:07/27/1987 text:"Abolished (President exercised legislative powers)" color:abolished
from:07/27/1987 till:06/11/1992 text:"8th Congress" color:UNIDO
from:07/27/1992 till:06/30/1995 text:"9th Congress" color:Lakas
from:07/24/1995 till:05/28/1998 text:"10th Congress" color:Lakas
from:07/27/1998 till:06/30/2001 text:"11th Congress" color:LAMMP
from:07/21/2001 till:06/11/2004 text:"12th Congress" color:Lakas
from:07/26/2004 till:06/08/2007 text:"13th Congress" color:Lakas
from:07/24/2007 till:end text:"14th Congress" color:Lakas



HISTORY


When the Philippines was under American colonial rule, the legislative body was the Philippine Commission which existed from 1900 to 1907 . The President Of The United States appointed the members of the Philippine Commission .

The Philippine Bill of 1902 mandated the creation of a bicameral or a two-chamber Philippine Legislature with the Philippine Commission as the Upper House and the Philippine Assembly as the Lower House. This bicameral legislature was inaugurated in 1907 . Through the leadership of then Speaker Sergio Osmeña and then Floor Leader Manuel L. Quezon , the Rules of the 59th United States Congress was substantially adopted as the Rules of the Philippine Legislature.

In 1916 , the Jones Law changed the legislative system. The Philippine Commission was abolished, and a new bicameral Philippine Legislature consisting of a House Of Representatives and a Senate was established.

The legislative system was changed again in 1935 . The 1935 Constitution established a unicameral National Assembly . But in 1940 , through an amendment to the 1935 Constitution , a bicameral Congress of the Philippines consisting of a House Of Representatives and a Senate was created.

Upon the inauguration of the Republic Of The Philippines in July 4 , 1946 , Republic Act No. 6 was enacted providing that on the date of the proclamation of the Republic Of The Philippines , the existing Congress would be known as the First Congress Of The Republic .

The 1973 Constitution abolished the bicameral Congress and created the legislative advisory council and legislative body Batasang Bayan and a unicameral Batasang Pambansa in a Parliamentary System of government.

The 1987 Constitution restored the Presidential System of government together with a bicameral Congress of the Philippines.


POWERS

The powers of the Congress of the Philippines may be classified as:


General legislative power

It consists of the enactment of laws intended as a rule of conduct to govern the relation between individuals (i.e., civil laws, commercial laws, etc.) or between individuals and the state (i.e., criminal law, political law, etc.)


Implied powers

It is the essential to the effective exercise of other powers expressly granted to the assembly.


Inherent powers

These are the powers which though not expressly given are nevertheless exercised by the Congress as they are necessary for its existence such as:


Specific legislative powers

It has reference to powers which the Constitution expressly and specifically directs to perform or execute.

Powers enjoyed by the Congress classifiable under this category are:


Executive power

Powers of the Congress that are executive in nature are:


Director/Suprevisory power

The Congress of the Philippines exercises considerable control and supervision over the administrative branch - e.g.:


Electoral power

Considered as electoral power of the Congress of the Philippines are the Congress' power to:


Juducial power

This power of Congress will enable it to pass judgement upon certain parties/courses of action and falling under this category are the following:


Miscellaneous powers

The other powers of Congress mandated by thr Constitution are as follows:


LAWMAKING


Preparation of the bill

The Member or the Bill Drafting Division of the Reference and Research Bureau prepares and drafts the bill upon the Member's request.


First reading

#The bill is filed with the Bills and Index Service and the same is numbered and reproduced.
#Three days after its filing, the same is included in the Order of Business for First Reading.
#On First Reading, the Secretary General reads the title and number of the bill. The Speaker refers the bill to the appropriate Committee/s.


Committee consideration / action


#The Committee where the bill was referred to evaluates it to determine the necessity of conducting public hearings.

#The Committee approves the Committee Report and formally transmits the same to the Plenary Affairs Bureau.


Second reading

#The Committee Report is registered and numbered by the Bills and Index Service. It is included in the Order of Business and referred to the Committee on Rules.
#The Committee on Rules schedules the bill for consideration on Second Reading.
#On Second Reading, the Secretary General reads the number, title and text of the bill and the following takes place:

::#count by tellers
::#division of the House
::#nominal voting


Third reading


#The amendments, if any, are engrossed and printed copies of the bill are reproduced for Third Reading.
#The engrossed bill is included in the Calendar of Bills for Third Reading and copies of the same are distributed to all the Members three days before its Third Reading.
#On Third Reading, the Secretary General reads only the number and title of the bill.
#A roll call or nominal voting is called and a Member, if he desires, is given three minutes to explain his vote. No amendment on the bill is allowed at this stage.


Transmittal of the approved bill to the Senate

The approved bill is transmitted to the Senate for its concurrence.


Senate action on approved bill of the House

The bill undergoes the same legislative process in the Senate.


Conference committee

#A Conference Committee is constituted and is composed of Members from each House of Congress to settle, reconcile or thresh out differences or disagreements on any provision of the bill.
#The conferees are not limited to reconciling the differences in the bill but may introduce new provisions germane to the subject matter or may report out an entirely new bill on the subject.
#The Conference Committee prepares a report to be signed by all the conferees and the Chairman.
#The Conference Committee Report is submitted for consideration/approval of both Houses. No amendment is allowed.


Transmittal of the bill to the President

Copies of the bill, signed by the Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives and certified by both the Secretary of the Senate and the Secretary General of the House, are transmitted to the President.


Presidential action on the bill

If the bill is approved the President, the same is assigned an RA number and transmitted to the House where it originated.


Action on approved bill

The bill is reproduced and copies are sent to the Official Gazette Office for publication and distribution to the implementing agencies. It is then included in the annual compilation of Acts and Resolutions.


Action on vetoed bill

The message is included in the Order of Business. If the Congress decides to override the veto, the House and the Senate shall proceed separately to reconsider the bill or the vetoed items of the bill. If the bill or its vetoed items is passed by a vote of two-thirds of the Members of each House, such bill or items shall become a law.


VOTING REQUIREMENTS

The vote requirements in the Congress of the Philippines are as follows:



SEE ALSO



SOURCES



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