CongressWatch Report

25 September 2013 – The PBG-JFC1, a coalition of Philippine business groups that includes the Joint Foreign Chambers, held a series of consultations to put together a list of key issues and propose recommendations for consideration by President Benigno Aquino III entering the second half of his administration. A letter outlining eight priority measures common to all participating organizations was submitted to the President last 19 June 2013.

31 July 2013 – Prior to President Benigno Aquino III’s fourth State-of-the-Nation Address (SONA), both the House of Representatives and the Senate elected their respective leaders. Rep. Feliciano Belmonte Jr. (Quezon City, 4th district) was given a fresh mandate as speaker of the 292-member House of Representatives, while Senator Franklin Drilon took over as president of the Senate.

17 June 2013 – The 16th Congress will open on 22 July, the same day that President Benigno Aquino III delivers his fourth State-of-the-Nation Address (SONA). The Senate will likely have a complete roster for the first time since the 12th Congress.

11 April 2013 – Part 2 of the 2013 Election Series of CongressWatch: The political dynamics in the Senate often differs from the House of Representatives, particularly on the issues of the national budget and on the proposed amendments to the Constitution.

18 March 2013 – Part 1 of the 2013 Election Series of CongressWatch: The total membership of the House of Representatives is expected
to rise to 292 from 2861 with the addition of fi ve new legislative districts—two from the reapportionment of Quezon City’s second district, and one additional district each from the provinces of Palawan, Cotabato, and Bukidnon—and, consequently, the addition of another seat for a party-list representative, following the Constitutional mandate of allocating 20% of the total House membership for party-list representation.