Translation

Select text and it is translated.
This area is result which is translated word.

Languages

House of Representatives of the Philippines

This article does not citeany references or sources. (January 2008)
Please help improve this articleby adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiablematerial may be challenged and removed.
This article includes a list of referencesor external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations.
You can improvethis article by introducing more precise citations.
House of Representatives of the Philippines
Type Lower house Houses House of Representatives House Speaker Prospero C. Nograles, Lakas-CMD
since February 5, 2008 Deputy Speakers Arnulfo T. Fuentebella Luzon
Raul V. del Mar Visayas
Simeon A. Datumanong Mindanao
Eric D. Singson Central Luzon
Ma. Amelita C. Villarosa Women Members Not more than 250 Representatives
currently, only 240 Representatives Political groups Lakas-CMD
KAMPI
Liberal
LDP
GO
Independent
PMP
Nacionalista
NPC
Others Last elections May 14, 2007 Meeting place Batasang Pambansa, Quezon City Web site http://www.congress.gov.ph

The House of Representatives of the Philippines (Filipino: Kapulungan ng mga Kinatawan ng Pilipinas) is the lower chamber of the Congress of the Philippines. The Senate is the upper chamber. The House is often informally called the Congress. Members of the house are called Congressmen (mga kinatawan or mga konggresista) and their title is Representative. Congressmen are elected to a three-year term and can be reelected, but cannot serve more than three consecutive terms. Most congressmen are a district representatives, representing a particular geographical area. There are 212 legislative districts in the country, each composed of about 250,000 people. There are also Sectoral Representatives elected through the party-list system who constitute not more than twenty percent of the total number of Representatives.

The official headquarters of the House of Representatives is at the Batasang Pambansa (literally, national legislature) located at the Constitution Hill in Quezon City in Metro Manila. The building is often simply called Batasan.

Contents

History

When the Philippines was under American colonial rule, the legislative body was the Philippine Commission which existed from September 1900 to October 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 October 1907. Through the leadership of Speaker Sergio Osmeña and Floor Leader Manuel L. Quezon, the Rules of the 59th Congress of the United States was substantially adopted as the Rules of the Philippine Legislature.

In 1916, the Jones Law or the Philippine Autonomy Act 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 adopted.

Upon the inauguration of the Republic of the Philippines in 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 a unicameral Batasang Pambansa parliamentary system of government.

The 1987 Constitution restored the presidential system of government together with a bicameral Congress of the Philippines.

The presiding officer is the Speaker.

Philippines

This article is part of the series:
Politics and government of
the Philippines

GovernmentPolitical history· ConstitutionExecutive President(list)
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
2001 – 2010

Vice President (list)
Noli de Castro
2004 – 2010

Executive Departments
(list)

Legislative14th Congress
2007 – 2010SenateHouse President
Manuel Villar, Jr.Speaker
Prospero Nograles
Judiciary Supreme Court

Chief Justice Reynato Puno
Court of Appeals · Sandiganbayan
Court of Tax Appeals · Ombudsman

Elections Commission on Elections
Chairman:Jose Melo
2013 | 2010 | 2007 | 2004 | 2001 | 1998
1995 | 1992 | 1987 | 1986 | All Political parties
Administrative divisionsCapital
Regions
Provinces
Cities
Municipalities
Barangays

Foreign relations
Government Website
Human rights

Other countries · Atlas
 Politics Portal
view • talk • edit

Speakers of the House

Latest election

–
Summary of the 14 May 2007 House of Representatives of the Philippines election resultsParties Seats This is the division of seats as published on the website of the House of Representatives.
The first party affiliation mentioned is counted. This is not the result of the elections. Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats(Includes SARRO, BO-PK, PROMDI, KDTand UNA) 70 Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino(Includes Padajon Surigao, 1-CEBU, UNA and PTM) 47 Nationalist People's Coalition(Includes Achievers with Integrity Movement) 26 Liberal Party16 Nacionalista Party(Includes Abante Viscaya) 6 Partido ng Demokratikong Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan4 Partido Demokratiko Sosyalista ng Pilipinas3 Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino3 Genuine Opposition3 Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino3 Koalisyon ng mga Pulitikong na Maka-Administrasyon 3 Independents (Caucuses with the Genuine Opposition) 5 Buhay Hayaan Yumabong3 Bayan Muna2 Citizen's Battle Against Corruption2 Gabriela Women's Party2 Association of Philippine Electric Cooperatives2 Kilusang Bagong Lipunan1 Abono1 Advocacy for Teacher Empowerment Through Action, Cooperation and Harmony Towards Educational Reforms, Inc.1 Agricultural Sector Alliance of the Philippines, Inc.1 Akbayan ! Citizens' Action Party1 Alliance of Rural Concerns1 Anak Mindanao1 Anak Pawis1 An Waray1 Cooperative NATCCO Network Party1 Luzon Farmers Party1 Total 240 Source: Congress Web site
–
Summary of the 14 May 2007 House of Representatives of the Philippines Party-List election resultParty-list Votes % Seats Below is the result of the party-list vote. Most seats in the Congress are not elected through the party list system. Buhay Hayaan Yumabong1,169,248 7.42 3 Bayan Muna976,699 6.20 2 Citizen's Battle Against Corruption755,605 4.79 Association of Philippine Electric Cooperatives621,211 3.94 1 Gabriela Women's Party621,086 3.94 Advocacy for Teacher Empowerment Through Action, Cooperation and Harmony Towards Educational Reforms, Inc.487,354 3.09 Akbayan ! Citizens' Action Party466,019 2.96 Alagad423,090 2.68 Cooperative NATCCO Network Party409,812 2.60 Luzon Farmers Party409,133 2.60 Bagong Alyansang Tagapagtaguyod ng Adhikaing Sambayanan 385,654 2.45 Alliance of Rural Concerns373,840 2.37 Anak Pawis369,366 2.34 Abono339,897 2.16 Anak Mindanao338,125 2.15 Agricultural Sector Alliance of the Philippines, Inc.328,649 2.09 Total 30,049,524 21 Source: COMELEC

District representation

Main article: Legislative districts of the Philippines

All provinces and several cities have at least one congressional/legislative district, whose residents vote for their own congressman. Each district covers a population of approximately 250,000 to 500,000 people. Provinces that have only one congressional/legislative district are divided into two provincial districts for the purpose of electing Sangguniang Panlalawigan (Provincial Council) members. For provinces that have more than one congressional/legislative district, the provincial districts are identical to the corresponding congressional/legislative district.

Congressional/legislative districts in provinces

Congressional/legislative districts in cities

Sectoral representation

The party-list system is the name designated for the sectoral representation. Under the 1987 Constitution, the electorate can vote for certain party-list organizations in order to give voice to significant minorities of society that would otherwise not be adequately represented through geographical district. From 1987-1998, sectoral representatives were appointed by the President.

Since 1998, each voter votes for a single party-list organization. Organizations that garner at least 2% of the total number of votes are awarded one representative for every 2% up to a maximum of three representatives. Thus, there can be at most 50 sectoral representatives in Congress, though usually no more than 20 are elected because many organizations do not reach the required 2% minimum number of votes.

After the 2007 election, in a controversial decision, COMELEC changed how it allocates the party-list seats. Under the new formula only one party will have the maximum 3 seats. It based its decision on a formula contained in a Supreme Court decision.

Malapportionment

Since every province is allotted at least one representative in the House of Representatives regardless of population, this results in seats that represent populations that do not meet the 250,000 to 500,000 apportionment criterion. Based on 2007 census figures, there are 15 single-district provinces that have under 250,000 inhabitants: Abra, Apayao, Aurora, Batanes, Biliran, Camiguin, Catanduanes, Dinagat Islands, Guimaras, Ifugao, Kalinga, Marinduque, Mountain Province, Quirino, and Siquijor.

In addition, upon becoming a highly-urbanized city in 1995, Mandaluyong was granted its own seat in Congress, leaving the municipality (now city) of San Juan with its own seat despite not meeting the population requirement — mainly because in order to meet the threshold and keep the district contiguous, San Juan would have to be redistricted with a part of either Manila or Quezon City because no adjacent city or municipality other than Mandaluyong can be wholly combined with San Juan to form a justifiable single district. To date, the population of San Juan City is still under the 250,000 threshold.

The apportionment of congressional districts is not done regularly by a specially-mandated independent agency, but rather through Republic Acts which are drawn up by members of congress. Apportionment, therefore, is often influenced by political motivations. Incumbent representatives who are not permitted to hold their seats by law after three consecutive terms sometimes resort to dividing their district, or even creating a new province which will be guaranteed a seat, just so that they will be able to run and serve terms in a technically different district. Likewise, politicians whose political fortunes are likely to be jeopardized by any change in district boundaries may delay or even ignore the need for reapportionment.

Currently the district with the lowest population is the lone district of Batanes, with only 15,974 inhabitants in 2007. The most populated congressional district, the 2nd District of Quezon City, has 95 times more inhabitants, with a total population of 1,515,455. The most under-represented jurisdiction is the province of Cavite, with only 3 seats out of a possible 11.

Because the Constitution of the Philippines sets the number of seats in the lower house at 250 — with up to 20% (50 seats) allotted for party-list representatives — and 219 district seats are already in place, it is unlikely that proper and equitable reapportionment of districts can be implemented unless constitutional amendments are introduced to either increase the number of available seats in the lower house, increase the population requirement per district, or overhaul the electoral system so that members of the lower house are voted at-large.

Provinces that can gain additional seats using the 250,000-per-district minimum threshold to calculate the maximum number of seats and the 500,000-per-district maximum to get the minimum number of seats:
Provincial figures exclude independent cities unless indicated, and include component cities and municipalities even if they themselves meet the population requirement.

Province Population (2007) Current representation Minimum constitutionally mandated representation Maximum possible representation Agusan del Sur609,447 1 2 2 Albay1,190,823 3 3 4 Batangas2,245,869 4 5 8 Bohol1,229,724 3 3 4 Bukidnon1,190,284 3 3 4 Bulacan2,826,926 5 (includes 1 from San Jose del Monte City) 6 11 Cagayan1,072,571 3 3 4 Camarines Norte513,785 1 2 2 Camarines Sur
(including Naga City) 1,693,821 4 4 6 Cavite2,856,765 3 6 11 Cebu2,439,005 5 + 1 shared with Mandaueand Lapu-Lapucities 5 9 Cotabato1,121,974 2 3 4 Davao del Norte847,440 2 2 3 Davao del Sur822,406 2 2 3 Iloilo1,691,878 5 4 6 Isabela
(including Santiago City) 1,401,495 4 3 5 Laguna2,473,530 4 5 9 Lanao del Norte538,283 1 + 1 shared with Iligan City2 2 Lanao del Sur1,138,544 2 3 4 Leyte
(including Ormoc City) 1,732,036 5 4 6 Maguindanao710,829 1 2 2 Negros Occidental2,370,269 6 5 9 Negros Oriental1,231,904 3 3 4 Nueva Ecija1,853,853 4 4 7 Palawan
(including Puerto Princesa City) 892,660 2 2 3 Pampanga1,911,951 4 4 7 Pangasinan
(including Dagupan City) 2,645,395 6 6 10 Quezon
(including Lucena City) 1,882,900 4 4 7 Rizal2,298,691 4 (includes 2 from Antipolo City) 5 9 Shariff Kabunsuan562,866 1 shared with Cotabato City2 2 South Cotabato767,254 1 + 1 shared with General Santos City2 3 Sulu849,670 2 2 3 Tarlac1,243,449 3 3 4 Zamboanga del Norte907,238 2 2 3 Zamboanga del Sur914,278 2 2 3

Independent cities that have met the population requirement (as of 2007) but are still represented in congress as part of a province:

Highly urbanized city Population (2007) Current representation in congress Possible resulting reapportionment upon exclusion from province Angeles City314,493 1st District of PampangaPampanga (pop: 1,911,951) reapportioned into 4-7 districts Butuan City298,378 1st District of Agusan del NorteAgusan del Norte (pop: 314,027) reverts to being a lone district; Las Nievesbecomes part of lone district Cotabato City257,997 Lone District of Shariff KabunsuanShariff Kabunsuan (pop: 562,866) reapportioned into 2 districts General Santos City592,542 1st District of South CotabatoSouth Cotabato (pop: 767,254) reapportioned into 2-3 districts Iligan City308,046 1st District of Lanao del NorteLanao del Norte (pop: 538,283) retains 2 seats with changes to district boundaries Lapu-Lapu City292,530 6th District of CebuCebu (pop: 2,439,005) reapportioned into 5-9 districts Mandaue City318,575 6th District of CebuCebu (pop: 2,439,005) reapportioned into 5-9 districts

Highly urbanized cities that can gain more representation using the 250,000-per-district minimum threshold to calculate the maximum number of seats and the 500,000-per-district maximum to get the minimum number of seats:

Province Population (2000) Current representation Minimum constitutionally mandated representation Maximum possible representation Caloocan City1,378,586 2 3 5 Cebu City798,809 2 2 3 Davao City1,363,337 3 3 5 Las Piñas City532,330 1 2 2 Pasig City617,301 1 2 2 Quezon City2,645,395 4 6 10 Zamboanga City774,407 2 2 3

Component cities and municipalities that have over 250,000 inhabitants and can potentially be given their own representation in Congress:

Component city/municipality Population (2007) Bacoor, Cavite441,197 Batangas City, Batangas295,231 Biñan, Laguna262,735 Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija259,267 Cainta, Rizal289,833 Calamba City, Laguna360,281 Dasmariñas, Cavite556,330 Imus, Cavite253,158 Lipa City, Batangas260,568 San Fernando City, Pampanga269,365 San Pedro, Laguna281,808 Santa Rosa City, Laguna379,520 Tarlac City, Tarlac314,155 Taytay, Rizal262,485

Provinces and cities that have more than the number of seats to which they are entitled:

Province/City Population (2007) Current representation Maximum possible representation Davao Oriental486,104 2 1 Marikina City424,610 2 1 Surigao del Norte409,468 2 1

2007 Congress of the Philippines Bombing

Main article: 2007 Batasang Pambansa bombing

Basilan Province Lone District Representative Wahab Akbar was killed in a bomb attack at the House of Representatives of the Philippines, raising the death toll to two with at least 10 injured, hospital staff and radio reports said.

Three of the injured are members of Congress.

A session of Congress had just ended and members were leaving when the blast happened.

One witness says the explosion appeared to come from a car parked outside the Congress, which is just north of the capital, Manila.

A police chief says one of the people killed was the driver of a congressman who was sitting in a parked van near the building.

See also

External links

v • d • eLegislaturesof the PhilippinesCongress of the Philippines
Senate • House of Representatives Malolos Congress (1898–1899) • Philippine Commission (1900–1916) • Philippine Assembly (1907–1935) • National Assembly (1935–1941, 1943–1944) • Batasang Pambansa (1978–1984)
v • d • eLegislative districtsof the Philippines

Abra • Agusan del Norte • Agusan del Sur • Aklan • Albay • Antipolo City • Antique • Apayao • Aurora • Bacolod City • Baguio City • Basilan • Bataan • Batanes • Batangas • Benguet • Biliran • Bohol • Bukidnon • Bulacan • Cagayan • Cagayan de Oro City • Caloocan City • Camarines Norte • Camarines Sur • Camiguin • Capiz • Catanduanes • Cavite • Cebu • Cebu City • Compostela Valley • Cotabato • Davao City • Davao del Norte • Davao del Sur • Davao Oriental • Dinagat Islands • Eastern Samar • Guimaras • Ifugao • Ilocos Norte • Ilocos Sur • Iloilo • Iloilo City • Isabela • Kalinga • La Union • Laguna • Lanao del Norte • Lanao del Sur • Las Piñas City • Leyte • Maguindanao • Makati City • Malabon City-Navotas City • Mandaluyong City • Manila • Marikina City • Marinduque • Masbate • Misamis Occidental • Misamis Oriental • Mountain Province • Muntinlupa City • Negros Occidental • Negros Oriental • Northern Samar • Nueva Ecija • Nueva Vizcaya • Occidental Mindoro • Oriental Mindoro • Palawan • Pampanga • Pangasinan • Parañaque City • Pasay City • Pasig City • Pateros-Taguig City • Quezon • Quezon City • Quirino • Rizal • Romblon • Samar • San Jose del Monte City • San Juan City • Sarangani • Shariff Kabunsuan • Siquijor • Sorsogon • South Cotabato • Surigao del Norte • Surigao del Sur • Southern Leyte • Sultan Kudarat • Sulu • Taguig City • Tarlac • Tawi-Tawi • Valenzuela City • Zambales • Zamboanga City • Zamboanga del  Norte • Zamboanga del Sur • Zamboanga Sibugay

Defunct districts  Agusan • Ambos Camarines • Davao • Iligan City • Kalinga-Apayao • Lanao • Las Piñas-Muntinlupa • Las Piñas-Parañaque • Malabon-Navotas-Valenzuela • Mindanao-Sulu • Mindoro • Misamis • Olongapo City • Pasig-Marikina • San Pablo City• San Juan-Mandaluyong • Surigao • Taguig-Pateros-Muntinlupa • Zamboanga|
v • d • e Philippines topicsHistoryPrehistoricDatu · Code of Kalantiaw · Sulu Sultanate · Maguindanao SultanateSpanish colonial periodBattle of Mactan · Manila Galleon · Spanish East Indies · New Spain · Philippine revolts against Spain · Philippine Revolution · Philippine Declaration of Independence · First Republic · Philippine-American WarAmerican colonial periodTydings-McDuffie Act · Philippine Commonwealth · World War II · Second Republic · Battle of Bataan · Battle of Corregidor · Battle of Leyte GulfThird RepublicHukbalahapMartial law eraProclamation No. 1081 · New People's Army · First Quarter StormFifth RepublicPeople Power Revolution · EDSA Revolution of 2001 · EDSA III · 2006 state of emergency in the Philippines
Geography Administrative divisions · Regions · Provinces · Cities · Muncipalities · Barangays · Bays · Islands · Lakes · Mountains · Peninsulas · Rivers · Volcanoes · Water supply and sanitation Government and
politics President · Congress (Senate · House) · Supreme Court · Political parties (Lakas-CMD · KAMPI · LDP · NPC · NP · LP · GO) · Elections · Liberalism · Foreign relations · Human rights Economy Companies · Central Bank · Philippine peso · Stock Exchange Demographics Filipino people · Ethnic groups · Religion · Languages Culture Arts · Cinema · Cuisine · Education · Flag · Literature · Music · Public holidays · Sport · Basketball · Martial arts · Olympics Portal Categories: 1907 establishments | National lower houses | Government of the Philippines | Legislatures of the PhilippinesHidden categories: Articles lacking sources from January 2008 | All articles lacking sources | Articles lacking in-text citations

Link former page on this page

Related word on this page

Related Shopping on this page