Congress of the Philippines

Congress of the Philippines
Name	Congress of the Philippines
Legislature	Bicameral legislature of the Philippines
House1	Senate
House2	House of Representatives
Foundation	04 July 1945 (as the Commonwealth Congress)
Preceded by	National Assembly (1935–1941)
Leader1 type	Senate President
Leader1	Migz Zubiri
Election1	2022
Leader2 type	House Speaker
Leader2	Martin Romualdez
Election2	2022
Members	340, 24 Senators, 316 Representatives
House1 election	May 9, 2022
House2 election	May 9, 2022
Meeting place	GSIS Building (Senate), Batasang Pambansa Complex (House)
Session room	GSIS Building, Pasay - 2022.jpg
Session room2	Batasang Pambansa Complex, Quezon City - 2022.jpg

Congress of the Philippines. It is the bicameral national legislature of the Philippines, composed of the Senate as the upper house and the House of Representatives as the lower house. Its powers are vested by the 1987 Constitution, which was drafted following the People Power Revolution that ousted the Marcos dictatorship. The body convenes in two separate buildings: the GSIS Building in Pasay for the Senate and the Batasang Pambansa Complex in Quezon City for the House.

History

The legislative history of the Philippines traces its origins to the Malolos Congress of the First Philippine Republic in 1898. Under American colonial rule, the Philippine Commission served as a unicameral body, later evolving into the Philippine Legislature with the Jones Law of 1916. The 1935 Constitution established a unicameral National Assembly, which was replaced by a bicameral Commonwealth Congress in 1940. This institution was suspended during the Japanese occupation and the subsequent martial law period under President Ferdinand Marcos, who governed through the interim Batasang Pambansa. The restoration of a bicameral legislature was a key feature of the 1987 Constitution crafted under President Corazon Aquino.

Structure and composition

The Senate is composed of 24 Senators elected at-large nationwide for six-year terms, with half the membership elected every three years. The House of Representatives consists of not more than 316 members: district representatives elected from legislative districts and party-list representatives elected through a party-list system to represent marginalized sectors. Leadership includes the Senate President, the House Speaker, and various majority and minority floor leaders. The Supreme Court holds the power of judicial review over its acts.

Powers and functions

Its principal power is the enactment of legislation, detailed in the Article VI of the constitution. It holds the power of the purse, authorizing the national budget and taxation measures. The body also exercises the power to declare the existence of a state of war, ratify treaties, and conduct inquiries in aid of legislation through bodies like the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee. It has non-legislative powers such as concurring in presidential amnesties, and the power of impeachment, which is vested solely in the House, with the Senate acting as an impeachment court.

Legislative process

A bill may originate from either chamber, except for revenue measures which must originate in the House. It undergoes three readings in each house: introduction and committee referral, debate and amendment, and final passage. A bill passed by one house is transmitted to the other, and if amended, goes to a bicameral conference committee to reconcile differences. The final version is submitted to the President for signature or veto. A veto can be overridden by a two-thirds vote of all members of each house. The journals of each chamber serve as the official record of proceedings.

Current membership and leadership

Following the 2022 elections, the Senate is led by President Migz Zubiri, with Joel Villanueva as Majority Leader and Koko Pimentel as Minority Leader. The House is led by Speaker Martin Romualdez, with Manuel Jose Dalipe as Majority Leader and Marcelino Libanan as Minority Leader. The current membership reflects a strong coalition supporting President Bongbong Marcos, though independent blocs like the Senate independent bloc exist. Key committees are chaired by figures such as Sonny Angara (Finance) and Elijah Feliciano (Appropriations).

Notable legislation

Landmark laws enacted include the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law of 1988, the Local Government Code of 1991, and the Philippine Clean Air Act of 1999. Significant economic reforms include the TRAIN Law and the Retail Trade Liberalization Act. Other critical statutes are the Universal Health Care Act, the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013 (K-12 program), and the Bangsamoro Organic Law, which established the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. Recent national security measures include the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020.

Category:National legislatures Category:Bicameral legislatures Category:Government of the Philippines