A member of congress ( MOC ), also known as a congressman or congresswoman , is a person who has been appointed or elected and inducted into an official body called a congress , typically to represent a particular constituency in a legislature . The term member of parliament (MP) is an equivalent term within a parliamentary system of government.
55-667: In the Congress of the Philippines , the title member of congress is almost never used; instead, legislators are called congressmen or congresswomen . However, these terms apply only to members of the House of Representatives , not to members of the Senate , who are called senators . In referring to an individual lawmaker in that person's capacity of serving in the United States Congress ,
110-508: A Senate was established. The legislative system was changed again in 1935. The 1935 Constitution , aside from instituting the Commonwealth which gave the Filipinos more role in government, 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
165-644: A bicameral federal legislature , the term Member of Congress is used less often than other terms in the United States . This is because in the United States the word Congress is used as a descriptive term for the collective body of legislators from both of its houses: the Senate and the House of Representatives . While a reference to a member of the Senate is typically referred to quite straightforwardly as Senator (followed by "name" from " state " ),
220-526: A constitutional commission that drafted a new constitution. The Constitution was approved in a plebiscite the next year; it restored the presidential system of government together with a bicameral Congress of the Philippines. The restored Congress first convened in 1987. The two houses of Congress meet at different places in Metro Manila , the seat of government: the Senate meets at the GSIS Building ,
275-502: A bill is approved by the House of Representatives, it is passed onto the Senate. A bill must first be approved by the Senate in order to be passed for the president's signature to become a law. Only the Senate can concur with treaties and try impeachment cases. The Senate is led by the President of the Senate . The current senate president is Francis Escudero . The House of Representatives of
330-624: A constitutional convention to revise the 1935 Constitution; in 1973, the Constitution was approved. It abolished the bicameral Congress and created a unicameral National Assembly, which would ultimately be known as the Batasang Pambansa in a semi-presidential system of government. The Batasang Pambansa first convened in 1978, and elected a prime minister . Marcos was overthrown after the 1986 People Power Revolution ; President Corazon Aquino then ruled by decree. Later that year she appointed
385-519: A member of the House of Representatives is typically idiomatically referred to as Congressman or Congresswoman (followed by "name" from the "number" district of "state" ); or, removing any ambiguity, Representative ( "name" from the "number" district of "state" ). Although senators are members of Congress, they are not normally referred to or addressed as "Congressman" or "Congresswoman". Members of Congress in both houses are elected by direct popular vote . Senators are elected via
440-511: A new building that they would own in Fort Bonifacio , Taguig . The powers of the Congress of the Philippines may be classified as: In the diagrams below, Congress is divided into blocs, with the colors referring to the political party of the person leading that bloc. The blocs are determined by the votes of the members in speakership or Senate presidential elections. The Senate is composed of
495-429: A particular congressional 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 having two or more representatives. From 200 districts in 1987, the number of districts have increased to 253. Every new Congress has seen an increase in the number of districts. The party-list congressmen represent
550-420: A party member) as the new vice president. The appointment must then be validated by a three-fourths vote of the Congress. The legislative power is vested in the Congress of the Philippines . The Congress is bicameral , consisting of the Senate of the Philippines and the House of Representatives . The two chambers have roughly equal powers, and every bill or resolution that has to go through both houses needs
605-452: A statewide vote and representatives by votes in each congressional district . Congressional districts are apportioned to the states , once every ten years, based on population figures from the most recent nationwide census . Each of the 435 members of the House of Representatives is elected to serve a two-year term representing the people of that person's district. Each state, regardless of its size, has at least one representative. Each of
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#1732845118826660-423: Is assisted by six deputies: the overall deputy, the deputy for Luzon, the deputy for Visayas, the deputy for Mindanao, the deputy for the armed forces, and the special prosecutor. The Philippines has four main classes of elected administrative divisions , often lumped together as local government units (LGUs). They are, from the highest to the lowest division: Regions are the highest administrative division in
715-488: Is determined by the size of the bloc; only members of the majority and minority blocs are given committee memberships. In the Philippines, political parties are liquid, and it is not uncommon for party-mates to find themselves in different blocs. Each chamber is headed by a presiding officer, both elected from their respective membership; in the Senate, it is the Senate President , while in the House of Representatives, it
770-566: Is headed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives . The current speaker is Martin Romualdez . Judicial power is vested in the Supreme Court of the Philippines and lower courts established by law. The Supreme Court, which has a chief justice as its head and 14 associate justices , occupies the highest tier of the judiciary. The justices serve until the age of 70. The justices are appointed by
825-456: Is needed. A new session of Congress starts after every House of Representatives election. Under the 1935 Constitution as amended in 1940, mid-term elections for the Senate caused its membership to be changed mid-session. From 1945 to 1972, there were two Commonwealth congresses and seven congresses of the Republic, with the 2nd Commonwealth Congress becoming the 1st Congress of the Republic . Under
880-628: Is responsible for examining, auditing , and settling all revenues and expenditures of public funds and properties used by the government or its attached agencies. The three branches of the Philippine government are independently monitored by the Office of the Ombudsman ( Filipino : Tanodbayan ). The ombudsman is given the mandate to investigate and prosecute any government official allegedly guilty of crimes, especially graft and corruption . The ombudsman
935-447: Is the Speaker . The Senate also has a Senate president pro tempore , and the House of Representatives has deputy speakers . Each chamber has its own floor leaders. The vote requirements in the Congress of the Philippines are as follows: In most cases, such as the approval of bills, only a majority of members present is needed; on some cases such as the election of presiding officers, a majority of all members, including vacant seats,
990-466: Is the first in line for succession if the president resigns, is removed after impeachment, is permanently incapacitated, or dies. The vice president is usually, though not always, a member of the president's cabinet and may be appointed without the approval of the Commission of Appointments. If there is a vacancy in the position of vice president, the president will appoint any member of Congress (usually
1045-518: The Commission on Elections , and the Commission on Audit . The Civil Service Commission is the central personnel agency of the Philippine government. It is responsible for strengthening employment and a conducive work environment in the civil service sector and overseeing the Civil Service Exam, a civil service entrance examination to assess qualifications and work integrity for employment in
1100-728: The Manila Municipal Council qualified to elect a representative, it was tasked to select a delegate. Three of its representatives, the governor-general and the Archbishop of Manila selected Ventura de los Reyes as Manila's delegate to the Cortes. De los Reyes arrived in Cadiz in December 1811. However, with Napoleon I 's defeat at the Battle of Waterloo , his brother Joseph Bonaparte was removed from
1155-790: The People Power Revolution , the bicameral Congress was restored. The House of Representatives inherited the Batasang Pambansa Complex, while the Senate returned to the Congress Building. In May 1997, the Senate moved to the newly constructed building owned by the GSIS on land reclaimed from Manila Bay in Pasay ; the Congress Building was eventually transformed into the National Museum of Fine Arts . The Senate will eventually move into
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#17328451188261210-685: The Philippine Revolution that aimed to overthrow Spanish rule. Proclaiming independence on June 12, 1898, President Emilio Aguinaldo then ordered the convening of a revolutionary congress at Malolos . The Malolos Congress , among other things, approved the Malolos Constitution . With the approval of the Treaty of Paris , the Spanish ceded the Philippines to the United States. The revolutionaries, attempting to prevent American conquest, launched
1265-601: The Philippine–American War , but were defeated when Aguinaldo was captured in 1901. 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 . Furthermore, two Filipinos served as Resident Commissioners to the House of Representatives of
1320-430: The 100 members of the Senate is elected to serve a six-year term representing the people of that person's state. Each state, regardless of its size, has two senators. Senatorial terms are staggered , so every two years approximately one-third of the Senate is up for election. Each staggered group of one-third of the senators is called a 'class'. No state has both its senators in the same class. The United States Congress
1375-450: The 1973 Constitution, the Batasang Pambansa was the legislature, with it having two elections. Under the 1987 constitution, each Senate election was synchronized with the House elections, with the first congress under that constitution being counted as the " 8th Congress ", picking up from the last congress of the 1935 Constitution. Government of
1430-445: The 1:4 ratio has to be respected. The Constitution provides that 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 legislative sessions to handle emergencies or urgent matters. During
1485-638: The Commonwealth Congress convened at the Old Japanese Schoolhouse in Sampaloc . Congress met at the school auditorium, with the Senate convening on evenings and the House of Representatives meeting every morning. The Senate subsequently moved to the Manila City Hall , with the House staying in the schoolhouse. The two chambers of Congress returned to the reconstructed Legislative Building, now
1540-535: The Congress Building in 1950. In 1973, when President Marcos ruled by decree, Congress was padlocked. Marcos built a new seat of a unicameral parliament in Quezon City , which would eventually be the Batasang Pambansa Complex . The parliament that will eventually be named as the Batasang Pambansa (National Legislature), first met at the Batasang Pambansa Complex in 1978. With the overthrow of Marcos after
1595-402: The Cortes. While colonies such as the Philippines were selecting their delegates, substitutes were named so that the Cortes could convene. The substitutes, and first delegates for the Philippines were Pedro Pérez de Tagle and José Manuel Couto. Neither had any connection to the colony. By July 1810, Governor General Manuel González de Aguilar received the instruction to hold an election. As only
1650-401: The House "shall be composed of not more than 250 members, unless otherwise fixed by law", and that at least 20% of it shall be sectoral representatives. There are two types of congressmen: the district and party-list representatives . At the time of the ratification of the constitution, there were 200 districts, leaving 50 seats for party-list representatives. The district congressmen represent
1705-454: The House of Representatives meets at the Batasang Pambansa in Quezon City , which also hosts joint sessions . 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 at-large and do not represent any geographical district. In the current 19th Congress , there are 316 seats in the House of Representatives. The Constitution states that
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1760-482: The Philippines The Congress of the Philippines ( Filipino : Kongreso ng Pilipinas ) is the legislature of the national government of the Philippines . It is bicameral , composed of an upper body, the Senate , and a lower body, the House of Representatives , although colloquially, the term "Congress" commonly refers to just the latter . The Senate meets at the GSIS Building in Pasay , while
1815-470: The Philippines The government of the Philippines ( Filipino : Pamahalaan ng Pilipinas ) has three interdependent branches: the legislative, executive, and judicial branches. The Philippines is governed as a unitary state under a presidential representative and democratic constitutional republic in which the president functions as both the head of state and the head of government of
1870-467: The Philippines is the lower house of the Congress. The House consists of district and sectoral representatives elected for a term of three years and may be re-elected for three consecutive terms. Each bill has to be approved by the House, after which it is sent to the Senate. Furthermore, all franchise and money bills must originate from the House. The House of Representatives also has the power to impeach certain officials. The House of Representatives
1925-519: The Philippines on 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 . Successive Congresses were elected until President Ferdinand Marcos declared martial law on September 23, 1972. Marcos then ruled by decree. As early as 1970, Marcos had convened
1980-588: The Philippines, primarily used to coordinate planning and organize national services. Administrative regions are not local government units themselves but instead consist of several local government units. Meanwhile, autonomous regions are regions that have control over their governance, culture, and economy. The 1987 Constitution only allows for the creation of two autonomous regions, one in the Cordilleras of Luzon and another in Muslim Mindanao ; at present, only
2035-621: The Spanish colonization of the Philippines, municipal governments, or Cabildos were established. One such example was the Cabildo in Manila, established in 1571. While the Philippines was under colonial rule as part of the Spanish East Indies , the colony had no representation in the Spanish Cortes . Only in 1809, when the colony was made an integral part of Spain, did it gain representation in
2090-512: The Spanish throne, and the Cádiz Constitution was replaced by the Cortes on May 24, 1816, with a more conservative constitution that removed Philippine representation on the Cortes, among other things. Restoration of Philippine representation to the Cortes was one of the grievances by the Ilustrados , the educated class during the late 19th century. The Illustrados' campaign transformed into
2145-709: The US-instituted Philippine Legislature convened at the Ayuntamiento in Intramuros, Manila from 1907 until 1926, when it transferred to the Legislative Building just outside Intramuros. In the Legislative Building, the Senate occupied the upper floors while the House of Representatives used the lower floors. With the Legislative Building destroyed during the Battle of Manila of 1945 ,
2200-598: The United States from 1907 to 1935, then only one from 1935 to 1946. The Resident Commissioners had a voice in the House, but did not have voting rights. 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
2255-456: The consent of both chambers before being passed for the President's signature. The Senate is located in Pasay , while the House of Representatives is located in Quezon City , both of which are in Metro Manila . The Senate of the Philippines is the upper house of Congress. Senators are elected for a term of six years; they can be re-elected but may not run for a third consecutive term. Once
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2310-405: The country within a pluriform multi-party system . The powers of the three branches are vested by the Constitution of the Philippines in the following: Legislative power is vested in the two-chamber Congress of the Philippines —the Senate is the upper chamber and the House of Representatives is the lower chamber. Executive power is exercised by the government under the leadership of
2365-627: The latter exists, with the former remaining an administrative division. The Bangsamoro is an autonomous region located in Mindanao. Established in 2019, the region replaced the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao . The region has a regional parliamentary system separate from the national presidential system. Its executive branch is led by the regional chief minister , the Council of Leaders , and
2420-574: The leadership of then- Speaker Sergio Osmeña and then-Majority Floor Leader Manuel L. Quezon , the Rules of the 59th United States Congress were 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
2475-761: The main office of the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) in Pasay , while the House of Representatives sits at the Batasang Pambansa Complex in Quezon City . The two are around 25 kilometers (16 mi) apart. The Barasoain Church in Malolos , Bulacan served as a meeting place of unicameral congress of the First Philippine Republic . After the Americans defeated the First Republic,
2530-399: 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. Party-list representatives represent labor unions , rights groups, and other organizations. With the increase of districts also means that the seats for party-list representatives increase as well, as
2585-429: The president is barred from seeking re-election. The incumbent president and vice president are Bongbong Marcos and Sara Duterte , respectively, who were elected in 2022 . The president of the Philippines is the country's chief executive, serving as the head of state and head of government . The president heads all executive departments . The heads of the departments, which make up the cabinet , are appointed by
2640-528: The president on the recommendation of the Judicial and Bar Council of the Philippines. The sitting chief justice is Alexander Gesmundo , the 27th to serve in that position. Other types of courts, of varying jurisdiction around the archipelago, are the following: Article 9 of the Constitution of the Philippines establishes three independent constitutional commissions: the Civil Service Commission ,
2695-424: The president subject to the approval of the Commission on Appointments . The president also supervises all local government units. The president may also give executive issuances , grant pardons , and exercise the power of eminent domain . Aside from having the power to veto any bill, the president also sets the legislative agenda for Congress. The vice president of the Philippines , the deputy chief executive,
2750-508: The president. Judicial power is vested in the courts, with the Supreme Court of the Philippines as the highest judicial body. The Executive Branch of government comprise the Cabinet and all executive departments , led by the president . The president and vice president are directly elected separately by national popular vote for a term of six years. While the vice president may be re-elected unlimited number of times (but not consecutively ),
2805-482: The qualifications necessary to serve in each chamber. The Seventeenth Amendment changed how senators were elected. Originally, senators were elected by state legislatures . The Seventeenth Amendment changed this to senators being elected directly by popular vote. Controversy surrounds the question of whether the federal government or any other governmental entity has the right to regulate how many times representatives and senators can hold office. Congress of
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#17328451188262860-428: The sector. The Commission on Elections enforces and administers all laws and regulations related to conducting elections, plebiscites , initiatives , referendums, and recalls . It decides on all decisions surrounding election protests and contests and has the right to deputize and take control of law enforcement and state security forces to ensure the free and orderly conduct of elections. The Commission on Audit
2915-471: The winners of the 2019 and 2022 Senate elections . The House of Representatives is composed of the winners of the 2022 House of Representatives elections . In both chambers, the majority bloc is composed of members generally supportive of the incumbent presidency of Bongbong Marcos , while the minority blocs are those opposed. In the House of Representatives, there is an independent minority bloc, and 4 vacant seats. In both chambers, membership in committees
2970-458: Was created in Article I of the Constitution , which laid out the limitations and powers of Congress. Article I grants Congress legislative power , lists the enumerated powers and allows Congress to make laws that are necessary and proper to carry out the enumerated powers. It specifies the election and composition of the House of Representatives, and the election and composition of the Senate, and
3025-575: Was created. Those elected in 1941 would not serve until 1945, as World War II erupted. The invading Japanese set up the Second Philippine Republic and convened its own National Assembly . With the Japanese defeat in 1945, the Commonwealth and its Congress was restored. The same setup continued until the Americans granted independence on July 4, 1946. Upon the inauguration of the Republic of
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