Which Is True About The Makeup Of Congress Brainly

PHILIPPINE CONGRESS HISTORY

EVOLUTION OF THE PHILIPPINE LEGISLATIVE SYSTEM ¹

The Philippine legislative organization has undergone a serial of evolutions that reflected the sociopolitical conditions of the times and the level of political maturity of society.

It began with the unicameral Malolos Congress of the brusk-lived Philippine Democracy of 1898-1899, followed by the Philippine Commission of 1901, a colonial legislative system composed of all-American appointees. This body and then evolved into a bicameral, predominantly elective, Filipino-controlled legislature by virtue of the Jones Act of 1916, and lasted until November 1935 when the semi-contained Republic Government was inaugurated. A unicameral National Assembly replaced the bicameral body after the 1935 Philippine Constitution was ratified. In 1941, the Constitution was amended, again restoring the bicameral legislature that came to be called the Congress of the Philippines.

Except during the Japanese-sponsored Philippine Republic from 1942-1945, the Congress functioned as the national legislature until September 1972 when President Ferdinand Due east. Marcos placed the land nether martial law.

THE BATASANG PAMBANSA - A UNICAMERAL LEGISLATURE ²

When martial law was alleged, the Constitutional Convention, by virtue of an Act of Congress in 1971, was in the procedure of drafting a new Constitution. The final draft was adopted past the Convention on Nov 29, 1972. This was ratified and proclaimed by President Marcos on Jan 17, 1973 amid widespread protestation and controversy. With the proclamation of a new Constitution, the presidential grade of authorities was inverse to a modified parliamentary form. Congress was abolished and was replaced by an elected unicameral National Assembly, known equally Batasang Pambansa.

The Batasang Pambansa was fabricated up of a maximum of 200 Members elected from different provinces with their component cities, highly urbanized cities and districts of Metropolitan Manila, appointed representatives from various sectors such every bit the youth, agronomical and industrial labor sectors, and those chosen by the President from the members of the Cabinet. The Members had a term of 6 years.

THE PRESENT PHILIPPINE CONGRESS

THE FEBRUARY 1986 REVOLUTION PEOPLE Ability REVOLUTION ^three

1986 EDSA RevolutionThe globe-famed bloodless coup of February 22-25, 1986 ushered in a new political regime. President Corazon Aquino, backed by a coalition of forces from both ends of the political spectrum, forged a new government, triggering a chain of events that dramatically changed the political landscape of the country and signalled the rebirth of commonwealth. These political changes were: the abolition of the Batasang Pambansa following the proclamation of a new revolutionary government; the organization of a Ramble Commission that drafted a new charter which, in turn, was ratified in February 1987; the rebirth of the old bicameral organisation; and the election of Members to the new Congress.

THE NEW CONGRESS ⁴

The new Congress has the biggest membership and is probably the most powerful amid its predecessor legislatures. The Constitutional Commission (ConCom) clothed it with vast powers to perform a wider and more dynamic role. This fact is partly reflected in the Charter itself, which devotes 32 sections to the legislative section compared with only 23 for the executive and sixteen for the judicial departments.

The new bicameral Congress consists of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The upper bedchamber or the Senate is composed of 24 Members elected at-large by the qualified voters of the Philippines. On the other hand, the lower chamber or the House of Representatives is composed of

"not more than 250 Members, who are elected from legislative districts apportioned among the provinces, cities and the Metropolitan Manila area in accord with the number of inhabitants, and on the basis of a uniform and progressive ratio and those, as provided by constabulary, elected through a political party-listing organization of registered national, regional and sectoral parties or organizations". [Sec. v(1), Art. Vi, 1987 Philippine Constitution]

SOURCES:

¹ Velasco, R. and Sylvano, G., The Philippine Legislative Reader, (1989), p. 41.
² Ibid, pp. 43-44.
^three Abletez, J., Foundations of Liberty (A History of Philippine Congresses), 1989, pp. 82-85.
^four Ibid.