Procedues for Making a Law in Philippine Legislation
This is how the procedures for making law works. This procedure was derived from 1987 Philippine Constitution.
I. Proposal
The proponent of the bill will affix his signature on his proposed bill.
Submit it to the secretary of the general assembly which will calendar the proposal for the first reading.
III. First Reading
The title and the Index no. will be read
- The bill will be referred by the speaker to the appropriate committee for study.
The appropriate committee is composed of necessary persons, parties, organizations or sectors of societies involved to obtain their reactions and feelings on the proposed bill.
The Appropriate Committee shall decide whether or not to report the bill favorably if there be an unfavorable report of the committee then the bill is dead.
- If there will be a favorable response from the committee then it will be returned to general assembly and shall calendared the same for the second reading.
III. Second Reading
In the second reading, the bill is read in its entirety.
After reading, the bill will be set for open debates where members of the assembly may propose amendments and insertions to the proposed bill.
After deliberation and debates, the bill will become a better bill.
Approval
After the approval of the bill in its second reading, at least 3 calendar days before its final passage, the bill is printed in its final form and copies thereof will be distributed to each of the members of national assembly.<
(UNLESS THE PRESIDENT CERTIFIES IN WRITING AS TO THE NECESSITY OF THE IMMEDIATE ENACTMENT OF THE BILL TO MEET A PUBLIC CALAMITY OR EMERGENCY.)
The bill is then calendared for the thrid reading and final reading.
IV. Third Reading
At this stage no amendment shall be allowed
- Only title of the bill is read and the national Assembly will then vote on the bill.
Only a Majority of the members present constituting a quorum is sufficient to pass the bill.
A Quorum is 51 percent plus one of the total number of the body depends on their internal rules.
If the majority of votes is no, then the bill is dead.
After this process, the bill will be sent to the other house where it will undergo the same process or in other words, there will be another 3 readings on the separate days.
If there are variance on in the proposed bill, then it will pass through the BICAMERAL COMMITTEE which can introduce amendments to suit both houses and congress.
After the bill has finally passed, it will be submitted to the president for his approval.
There are 3 things which a president can do. Approve it, Vetoed it, or inaction. If he approves it then the bill will be enacted, if he vetoed it, then the bill will be sent back to the house where it was originated and reconsider the vetoed bill together with the president’s recommendation.
After such recommendation, if two thirds of such house shall agree to pass the bill, it will be sent together with the objections to the other house by which it shall likewise be reconsidered,
If approved by the two-thirds of all the members of that house, then it shall become a law.
However, if the president prefer in action, then the bill will be passed within 30 days upon the recipient of the president.
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