How a bill become a law in the Philippines

Summary

The video script outlines the legislative process in the Philippines, detailing how a bill becomes law. It explains the role of Congress, divided into the House of Representatives and the Senate, and the stages a bill undergoes, including committee deliberation, plenary debates, and readings. The process may involve a bicameral conference committee to reconcile differences between the two chambers. Once approved by both houses, the bill is sent to the President for signature, potentially becoming law upon his approval and publication in an official gazette or newspaper.

Takeaways

• 🏛️ The legislative process in the Philippines begins with a bill filed in Congress, which is then subject to a series of reviews and amendments.
• 📖 The Congress of the Philippines is bicameral, consisting of the House of Representatives and the Senate, both playing crucial roles in the bill's journey to becoming law.
• 📝 A bill, or 'proposed legislation', is introduced to address a societal problem and is crafted to provide a solution through new law.
• 🗣️ Bills undergo three readings in the House of Representatives, with each stage involving different levels of scrutiny and debate.
• 📑 The first reading involves the bill's introduction and referral to an appropriate committee for detailed deliberation and potential edits.
• 🔍 Committee members engage with experts and resource persons during technical working groups to refine the bill's provisions.
• 🗳️ Following committee approval, the bill proceeds to plenary sessions where it is sponsored and defended by the main proponent against questions and potential amendments.
• 🗯️ The plenary stage allows for debate and amendments, culminating in a vote to approve the bill in its final form for second reading.
• 📚 In the second reading, members vote on the bill's approval, and if successful, it moves to a third reading with at least three days' notice for review.
• 📝 The third reading is the final vote to approve the bill, after which it is transmitted to the Senate for concurrence or further action.
• 🤝 If the House and Senate disagree, a bicameral conference committee is formed to reconcile differences and produce a unified version of the bill.
• 🏢 Once both chambers agree, the bill is enrolled, signed by legislative officials, and sent to the President for signature or veto.
• ✅ Upon the President's signature, the bill becomes law and takes effect following publication in the Official Gazette or a newspaper of general circulation.

Q & A

What is the initial step for a bill to become a law in the Philippines?

The initial step is for a member of Congress to file a bill, which is a proposed legislation identifying a societal problem and providing a solution.

How is the Congress of the Philippines structured?

The Congress of the Philippines is divided into two chambers: the House of Representatives, composed of district and party list representatives, and the Senate, composed of senators.

What is the role of a committee in the legislative process?

A committee is a body within the House of Representatives that focuses on specific topics for legislation. It deliberates on the provisions of the bill, brings in experts, and edits the bill if necessary, culminating in a committee report.

What happens after a bill is approved by the committee?

An approved committee report is referred to the Committee on Rules, which schedules it for sponsorship, interpolation, and amendments at the plenary level.

What is the significance of the plenary in the legislative process?

The plenary, composed of all members of the House, is where the bill is sponsored by the main proponent and defended against questions and potential amendments from fellow members.

What are the key questions that members of the House may ask during the plenary?

Members may ask whether there is a real problem, how the bill solves the problem, if it's the best approach available, and if the bill is constitutional.

What is the purpose of the second reading of a bill?

The purpose of the second reading is for all members to vote to approve the bill in its final form, after which it is set for consideration on third reading.

What is required before a bill is considered on third reading?

At least three days before the third reading, printed copies of the bill are distributed to all members of the House for their review.

What happens if the Senate and the House do not agree on the provisions of a bill?

A bicameral conference committee is created, composed of representatives from both chambers, to harmonize the differences and produce an amended or new version of the bill.

What are the president's options after receiving a bill for his signature?

The president can either sign the bill as it is, sign it with vetoed items (rejecting certain provisions), or veto the bill outright.

When does a bill signed by the president become law?

A bill signed by the president becomes law after its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.

Outlines

00:00

🏛️ Philippine Lawmaking Process Overview

This paragraph outlines the legislative process in the Philippines, starting with the introduction of a bill in Congress. The Congress is bifurcated into the House of Representatives and the Senate. A bill, which is a draft legislation aimed at addressing societal issues, goes through several stages including committee deliberation, plenary debates, and readings. The paragraph explains the roles of committees, the process of bill sponsorship, and the importance of defending the bill's necessity and constitutionality. It also touches on the amendment process and the final steps leading to the bill's approval or veto by the President, and its subsequent publication as law.

Keywords

💡Congress

Congress refers to the legislative branch of the Philippines, which is divided into two chambers: the House of Representatives and the Senate. It is central to the video's theme as it is the institution responsible for creating and passing laws. The script mentions that a bill, which is a proposed legislation, is filed in Congress and goes through a series of processes within this body.

💡Bill

A bill is a proposed piece of legislation that identifies a societal problem and provides a solution. In the context of the video, a bill is the starting point for the law-making process in the Philippines. It is introduced in the plenary, referred to a committee, and goes through multiple readings and revisions before potentially becoming law.

💡House of Representatives

The House of Representatives is one of the two chambers of the Congress of the Philippines, composed of district and party-list representatives. It plays a crucial role in the legislative process, as it is where bills are first introduced and deliberated upon. The script describes the process of how a bill is handled within this chamber.

💡Senate

The Senate is the other chamber of the Congress of the Philippines, composed of senators. It has the power to concur with or propose amendments to bills passed by the House of Representatives. The video script explains that if the Senate agrees with the bill, it is transmitted to the president for signature.

💡Committee

A committee in the context of the Philippine Congress is a smaller group of members from the House of Representatives that focus on specific topics for legislation. They are responsible for reviewing and potentially editing bills. The script illustrates this by describing the committee's role in the deliberation and technical working groups.

💡Plenary

The plenary refers to a session of the House of Representatives where all members are present. It is the stage in the legislative process where the bill is sponsored and debated by the members. The script mentions that the bill is defended by its proponent during the plenary session.

💡Legislation

Legislation is the process of making or enacting laws. The video script discusses the legislation process in the Philippines, detailing the steps a bill must go through from introduction to becoming a law.

💡Bicameral Conference Committee

A bicameral conference committee is formed when the House and the Senate disagree on the provisions of a bill. This committee, composed of representatives from both chambers, works to harmonize the differences and produce a version that can be ratified by both the House and the Senate. The script explains that this committee plays a key role in resolving legislative disagreements.

💡President

The president of the Philippines has the authority to sign bills into law, sign them with vetoed items, or veto the bill outright. The script describes the president's role in the final stages of the legislative process, emphasizing the importance of the president's decision in determining whether a bill becomes law.

💡Enrollment

Enrollment in the context of the legislative process refers to the formal act of recording a bill as law after it has been approved by both chambers of Congress and signed by the president. The script mentions that once a bill is enrolled, it is transmitted to the president for his signature.

💡Publication

Publication is the act of officially announcing or making a law known to the public. According to the script, a law takes effect after its publication in the Official Gazette or a newspaper of general circulation, which is a critical step in the finalization of the law.

Highlights

The process of a bill becoming a law in the Philippines starts with its filing in Congress.

The Philippine Congress is divided into two chambers: the House of Representatives and the Senate.

A bill is a proposed legislation that identifies a societal problem and provides a solution through a new law.

A bill goes through three readings in the House of Representatives.

During the first reading, the bill is introduced to the plenary and referred to an appropriate committee.

Committees in the House focus on specific topics for legislation and deliberate on the provisions of the bill.

Technical working groups with experts may be formed to edit the bill as necessary.

An approved committee report on the bill is voted on by committee members and then referred to the Committee on Rules.

The plenary, composed of all House members, debates the bill with the main proponent defending it.

Members of the House can introduce amendments to the bill during the debate.

The bill, with or without amendments, is set for a second reading where it is approved in its final form.

At least three days before the third reading, printed copies of the bill are distributed to all House members for review.

On the third reading, the bill is voted on for approval or disapproval.

If approved on the third reading, the bill is transmitted to the Senate for concurrence.

If the Senate and House do not agree, a bicameral conference committee is created to harmonize differences.

Once ratified by both chambers, the bill is enrolled and transmitted to the President for signature.

The President can sign the bill as is, sign it with vetoed items, or veto the bill outright.

A bill signed by the President becomes law and takes effect after publication in the Official Gazette or a newspaper of general circulation.

Transcripts

[Music]

how our loss made in the Philippines a

law starts off as a bill filed in

Congress it then goes through a process

which culminates with its submission to

the president for his consideration one

signed the bill thereafter becomes law

to learn about how this process works we

have to first look at the Congress of

the Philippines

Congress is divided into two chambers

the House of Representatives which is

composed of district and party list

Representatives and the Senate which is

composed of senators

a member of Congress can file a bill a

bill is a proposed legislation hence

it's called bang an omnibus which

identifies a societal problem and

provides the solution to solve that

happened through the passage and

implementation of a new law once a bill

is filed it has to go through three

readings for the first reading the bill

is introduced to the plenary and is

referred to the appropriate committee a

committee is a body within the House of

Representatives composed of a limited

number of House members they concentrate

on specific topics for legislation after

receiving the bill the committee members

deliberate the provisions of the bill

bring in resource persons and experts as

part of technical working groups and

edit the bill if necessary the end point

of committee action is the resulting

committee report of the bill which is

voted upon by the members of the

committee an approved committee report

will then be referred to the Committee

on rules which schedules the same for

sponsorship interpolation and amendments

at the plenary level the plenary is

composed of all members of the house

there the bill is sponsored by the main

proponent of the proposed law the

sponsor will be interpolated by his

fellow members he must defend a bill and

reason with his colleagues that it must

be passed some questions may be asked is

there really a problem how does the bill

solve that problem is this the best

approach available as the bill

constitutional the members of the house

can then introduce amendments to the

bill the bill that survives this process

impact or with amendments will then be

set for second reading

where all the members will vote to

approve the bill in its final form the

bill will then be set for consideration

on third reading at least three days

before that date printed copies of the

bill are distributed to all the members

of the house for their review on third

reading they vote whether or not to

approve it a bill approved on third

reading shall then be transmitted to the

Senate the Senate can concur with the

bill of the Senate conquers the bill is

been enrolled and transmitted to the

president for his signature if the

Senate and the house do not agree on the

provisions of the bill a bicameral

conference committee is created this

committee is composed of representatives

from both the House and the Senate

together they harmonize the differences

of the way and produce an amended or new

version which is transmitted back to

both the House and the Senate for

ratification once ratified the bill is

enrolled which means the Speaker of the

House the Secretary General of the House

the president of the Senate and the

Secretary of the Senate signed the bill

and transmitted it to the president for

his signature the president studies the

bill and can either sign it as it is

sign it with vetoed items which means

there are provisions that he rejects or

veto the bill outright a bill that is

signed by the president shall now become

law the law shall then take effect after

its publication either in the Official

Gazette

or in a newspaper of general circulation

[Music]