BRANCHES OF THE GOVERNMENT
LEGISLATIVE
DEPARTMENT
MARY JOSEPH E. OCO
Teacher II
Lauis National High School
LEGISLATIVE DEPARTMENT (Article VI)
SECTION 1
• The Congress of the Philippines (Filipino: Kongreso
ng Pilipinas) is the national legislature of the Republic of
the Philippines.
• It is a bicameral body consisting of the Senate (upper
chamber), and the House of Representatives (lower
chamber) although commonly in the Philippines the
term congress refers to the latter.
SECTION 1
• The Legislative Branch enacts legislation,
confirms or rejects Presidential
appointments, and has the authority to
declare war.
• Legislative power refers to power to make
laws, and subsequently, to alter and repeal
them.
Section 2- 4
The SENATE
• The Senate shall be composed of twenty-
four Senators.
• Half of which are elected every three years.
Each senator, therefore, serves a total of six
years.
Section 2- 4
The SENATE
• No person shall be a Senator unless he is a natural-born
citizen of the Philippines, and, on the day of the election, is
at least thirty-five years of age, able to read and write, a
registered voter, and a resident of the Philippines for not less
than two years immediately preceding the day of the election.
The senators are elected by the whole electorate and do not
represent any geographical district.
• No senator shall serve for more than two consecutive terms.
2023 Senators of the
Following Senators have term from June 30, 2022 to June 30, 2028
Following Senators have term from June 30, 2019 to June 30, 2025
Section 5-7
The HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
• The House of Representatives shall be composed of not more
than two hundred and fifty members, unless otherwise
fixed by law, who shall be elected from legislative districts
apportioned among the provinces, cities, and the Metropolitan
Manila area in accordance with the number of their respective
inhabitants, and on the basis of a uniform and progressive
ratio, and those who, as provided by law, shall be elected
through a party-list system of registered national, regional, and
sectoral parties or organizations.
Section 5- 7
The HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
• The party-list representatives shall constitute
twenty per centum of the total number of
representatives …labor, peasant, urban poor,
indigenous cultural communities, women,
youth, and such other sectors as may be
provided by law..
Two Kinds of Members of House Of
Representatives:
a. DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVES
Elected directly and personally from the territorial unit he is
seeking to represent.
b. PARTY-LIST REPRESENTATIVE
Chosen directly, through the party he represents, which is the
one voted for by the electorate. This is to give an opportunity to
marginalized sectors to have their voices heard.
Section 5- 7
The HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
• The Members of the House of
Representatives shall be elected for a term
of three years.
• No member of the House of Representatives
shall serve for more than three consecutive
terms.
The HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
• The Officers of the Congress are the Senate
President, who heads the sessions in the Senate, and
the House Speaker, who heads the House of
Representatives. They are elected by majority vote of
all their respective members. If it deems necessary,
each House can choose other officers
The HOUSEOF REPRESENTATIVES
Qualifications of a Member
• one must be “a natural-born citizen of the Philippines
• on the day of the election, is at least twenty-five years of age,
• able to read and write
• a registered voter in the district in which he shall be elected, and
a resident thereof for a period of not less than one year
immediately preceding the day of the election. (except for the
party list representative)
The HOUSEOF REPRESENTATIVES
Section 8.
Unless otherwise provided by law, the regular
election of the Senators and the Members of the
House of Representatives shall be held on the
second Monday of May.
Section 13
• No Senator or Member of the House of
Representatives may hold any other office or
employment in the Government…during his term
without forfeiting his seat. Neither shall he be
appointed to any office which may have been
created or the emoluments thereof increased
during the term for which he was elected.
Section 15
• The Congress shall convene once every year on the fourth Monday
of July for its regular session, …and shall continue to be in
session for such number of days as it may determine until thirty
days before the opening of its next regular session, exclusive of
Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays. The President may call a
special session at any time.
Section 16
(1) The Senate shall elect its President and the House of Representatives its Speaker, by
a majority vote of all its respective Members.
(2) A majority of each House shall constitute a quorum to do business…
(3) Each House may determine the rules of its proceedings, punish its Members for
disorderly behavior, and, with the concurrence of two-thirds of all its Members,
suspend or expel a Member. A penalty of suspension, when imposed, shall not exceed
sixty days.
(4) Each House shall keep a Journal of its proceedings, and from time to time publish
the same, excepting such parts as may, in its judgment, affect national security…
QUORUM
- a number of membership which is competent to transact
its business; is at least one-half plus one of the members of
a body.
LEGISATIVE JOURNAL
- the official record of what is done and passed in a
legislative assembly and the proceedings occurred from
day to day.
Section 18
• There shall be a Commission on
Appointments… shall act on all
appointments submitted to it.
SECTION 21.
• The Senate or the House of Representatives or
any of its respective committees may conduct
inquiries in aid of legislation in accordance with
its duly published rules of procedure. The rights
of persons appearing in or affected by such
inquiries shall be respected.
SECTION 26.
• No bill passed by either House shall become a law
unless it has passed three readings on separate
days, and printed copies thereof in its final form
have been distributed to its Members three days
before its passage… Upon the last reading of a bill,
no amendment thereto shall be allowed, and the
vote thereon shall be taken immediately thereafter,
and the yeas and nays entered in the Journal.
Steps in the Passage of a Bill
First Reading
- reading of the number, title of the measure and name of the author
Second Reading
- the bill is read in its entirety, scrutinized , debated upon and
amended when desired
Third Reading
- members merely register their votes and explain them. No further
debate is allowed.
SECTION 27.
• Every bill passed by the Congress shall, before it becomes a law, be
presented to the President. If he approves the same, he shall sign it;
otherwise, he shall veto it and return the same with his objections
to the House where it originated, which shall enter the objections at
large in its Journal and proceed to reconsider it. If, after such
reconsideration, two-thirds of all the Members of such House shall
agree to pass the bill, it shall be sent…to the other House by which
it shall likewise be reconsidered, and if approved by two-thirds of all
the Members of that House, it shall become a law… The President
shall communicate his veto of any bill to the House where it
originated within thirty days after the date of receipt thereof;
otherwise, it shall become a law as if he had signed it.
3 ways when a bill may become a law
1.) When the President approves the bill by signing it.
2.) When the President vetoes the bill and the same is
overriden by 2/3 votes of all the members of both
Houses.
3.) When the President does not communicate his veto
within 30 days after the date of receipt.
The LAW
• A body of rules of conduct or action, prescribed by a compelling authority which the
people must follow and obey subject to legal sanctions and consequences in case of
violation.
Types of LAWS
a. Constitution. It is the fundamental or the supreme law of the land.
b. Statute. This is law passed by Congress.
c. Jurisprudence. This is law composed of decisions promulgated by the Supreme
Court.
d. Treaties. This is agreement entered between and among the Philippines and other
States or entities.
e. Ordinances. This is passed by local government.
