College : ARTS AND SCIENCES Campus : BAMBANG

DEGREE BSPA COURSE NO.

PROGRAM
SPECIALIZATION COURSE TITLE

YEAR LEVEL TIME FRAME 6 HRS WK 1-2 IM 3

NO. NO.

I. UNIT TITLE/CHAPTER TITLE

THE PUBLIC POLICY PROCESS

II. LESSON TITLE

1. Steps in the passage of Bill in the Philippine Legislature

a. Powers of the Congress
b. Legislative Power in General
c. Procedure
d. Origin of Bills
e. Title of Bills
2. Local Legislation

III. LESSON OVERVIEW

The most important duty of the legislative branch is to make laws. Laws are written, discussed and
voted on in Congress. Some of the powers of the Legislature are: regulating commerce, passing laws, the
power to lay taxes and so many others.
Congress is responsible for making enabling laws to make sure the spirit of the constitution is
upheld in the country and, at times amend and change the constitution itself.
Local legislation on the other hand, is the interaction of the local legislative body with the executive
branch, civil society including constituents, nongovernmental organizations and the private sector resulting
in ordinances and resolutions that promote the development of a local government unit.

IV. DESIRED LEARNING OUTCOMES

After completing the chapter, the students should be able to:

1. Know the powers of Congress;
2. Understand legislative power in genera;
3. Analyze the procedure in the passage of bill; and
4. Understand the principle of local legislation.

I. LESSON CONTENT
CHAPTER 3 THE PUBLIC POLICY PROCESS
1. STEPS IN THE PASSAGE OF BILL IN THE PHILIPPINE LEGISLATURE
A. Powers of the Congress
THE POWERS of the Congress may be classified generally into legislative and non- legislative. The
legislative power includes specific powers of appropriation, taxation, and expropriation. The nonlegislative
powers, as previously mentioned, include the power to canvass the presidential elections, to declare the
existence of war, to give concurrence to treaties and amnesties, to propose constitutional amendments,
and to impeach.
These powers are expressly conferred by the Constitution. From such express powers may be derived
some implied powers, such as the power to punish contempt in legislative investigations. The Congress
also possesses inherent powers, such as the determination of its rules of proceedings and the discipline of
its members.

B. Legislative Power in General

Legislative power is the power of lawmaking, the framing and enactment of laws. This is effected
through the adoption of a bill, or a proposed or projected law, which, once approved, becomes a statute.
A statute is “the written will of the legislature, solemnly expressed according to the forms necessary to
constitute it the law of the state.”
The power to make laws include the power to alter and repeal them.

C. Procedure
The procedure in the approval of bills is briefly as follows:
A bill is introduced by any member of the House of Representatives or the Senate except for some
measures that must originate only in the former chamber.
The first reading involves only a reading of the number and title of the measure and its referral by the
Senate President or the Speaker to the proper committee for study.
The bill may be “killed” in the committee or it may be recommended for approval, with or without
amendments, sometimes after public hearings are first held thereon. If there are other bills of the same
nature or purpose, they may all be consolidated into one bill under common authorship or as a committee
bill.
Once reported out, the bill shall be calendared for some reading. It is at this stage that the bill is read in
its entirety, scrutinized, debated upon and amended when desired. The second reading is the most
important stage in the passage of a bill.
The bill as approved on second reading is printed in its final form and copies thereof are distributed at
least three days before the third reading. On third reading, the members merely register their votes and
explain them if they are allowed by the rules. No further debate is allowed.
One the bill passes third reading, it is sent to the other chamber, where it will also undergo the three
readings. If there are differences between the versions approved by the two chambers, a conference
committee representing both Houses will draft a compromise measure that if ratified by the Senate and the
House of Representatives will then be submitted to the President for his consideration.
The bill is enrolled when printed as finally approved by the Congress, thereafter authenticated with the
signatures of the Senate President, the Speaker, and the Secretaries of their respective chambers, and
approved by the President.
D. Origin of Bills
The restoration of bicameralism has also revived the following provisions appearing in the 1935
Constitution:
“Sec. 24. All appropriation, revenue or tariff bills, bills authorizing increase of the public debt, bills of local
application, and private bills shall originate exclusively in the House of Representatives, but the Senate
may propose or concur with amendments.”
An appropriation bill is one of the primary and specific purpose of which is to authorize the release of funds
from the public treasury.
A revenue bill is one that levies taxes and raises funds for the government, while a tariff bill specifies the
rates or duties to be imposed on imported articles.
A bill increasing the public debt is illustrated by one floating bonds for public subscription redeemable after
a certain period.
A bill of local application is one involving purely local or municipal matters, like a charter or city.
Private bills are illustrated by a bill granting honorary citizenship to a distinguish foreigner.
The above- mentioned bills are supposed are to be initiated by the House of Representatives because it is
more numerous in membership and therefore also more representative of the people. Moreover, its
members are presumed to be more familiar with the needs of the country in regard to the enactment of the
legislation involved.
The senate is, however, allowed much leeway in the exercise of its power to propose or concur with
amendments to the bills initiate by the House of Representatives. Thus, in one case, a bill introduced in the
U.S. House of representatives was changed by the Senate to make a proposed inheritance tax a
corporation tax. It is also accepted practice for the Senate to introduce what is known as an amendment by
substitution, which may entirely replace the bill initiated in the House of Representatives.

E. Title of Bills

“Every bill passed by Congress shall embrace only one subject which shall be embraced in the title
thereof.”
The purpose of this rule are:
1.To prevent hodgepodge or logrolling legislation. This is defined as “any act containing several subjects
dealing with unrelated matters representing diverse interests, the object of such combination being to unite
the members of the legislature who favor any one of the subjects in support of the whole act.
2.To prevent surprise or fraud upon the legislature.
3.To fairly apprise the people, through such publications of its proceedings as are usually made, of the
subjects of legislation that are being considered in order that they may have opportunity of being heard
thereon, by petition or otherwise, if they should desire.
A. LOCAL LEGISLATION

Local legislative power shall be exercise by the sangguniang panlalawigan for the province; the
sangguniang panlungsod for the city; the sangguniang bayan for the municipality; and the sangguniang
barangay for the barangay.
The vice governor shall be the presiding officer of the sangguniang panlalawigan; the city vice
mayor, of the sangguniang panlungsod; the municipal vice mayor , for the the sangguniang bayan; and the
punong barangay, of the sangguniang barangay. The presiding officer shall vote only to break a tie. In the
event of the inability of the regular presiding officer to preside at the sanggunian session, the members
present and constituting a quorum shall elect among themselves a temporary presiding officer.
On the first day of the session immediately following the election of its members, the sanggunian
shall, by resolution, fix the day, time, and place of its regular sessions. The minimum number of regular
sessions shall be once a week for the sangguniang panlalawigan, sangguniang panlunsod, and
sangguniang bayan, and twice a month for the sangguniang barangay.
When public interest so demands, special sessions may be called by the local chief executive or by
a majority of the members of the sanggunian.
Every ordinance enacted by the sangguniang panlalawigan, sangguniang panlungsod, or
sangguniang bayan shall be presented to the provincial governor or city or municipal mayor, as the case
maybe. If the local executive concerned approves the same, he shall affix his signature on each and every
page thereof; otherwise, he shall veto it and return the same with his objections to the sanggunian, which
may proceed to reconsider the same. The sanggunian concerned may override the veto of the local chief
executive by two-thirds (2/3) vote of all its members, thereby making the ordinance or resolution effective
for all legal intents and purposes.
Veto Power of the Local Chief Executive.- a. The LCE may veto any ordinance of the sangguniang
panlalawigan, panlungsod or sangguniang bayan on the ground that it is ultra vires or prejudicial to the
public welfare, stating his reasons thereof in writing.
b. The LCE except the punong barangay, shall have the power to veto any particular item or items
of an appropriation ordinance or resolution adopting local development plan and public investment
program, or an ordinance directing the payment of money or creating liability.
c. The LCE may veto an ordinance or resolution only once. The sanggunian may override the
veto of the LCE concerned by two- thirds (2/3) vote of all its members, thereby making the ordinance
effective even without the approval of the LCE concerned.

LEARNING ACTIVITY

1. What are the two general classifications of the powers of Congress? Explain
2. What are the inherent powers of Congress? Discuss.
ASSIGNMENT
1. Discuss the power of lawmaking of the legislature.
2. Define the power to alter and repeal laws by the Legislature.

EVALUATION
1. Explain the steps/procedure in the approval of bills:
a. First reading
b. Second reading
c. Third reading
2. Explain Art. II, Sec. 24 of the 1987 Constitution
3. Reason out why Congress shall only embrace one subject in the title of bills.
4. When may Local Chief Executives call a special session?
5. Explain the following:
a. Veto power of LCEs
b. Overriding Power of the Sanggunian.