Filipinos vote for District Representatives and Party-List Representatives every three (3) years. But have you ever wondered exactly how many Representatives there are, and what they actually do? What are their qualifications? How are they elected?
In this article, we will talk all about the House of Representatives, which is often called “Kamara” (based on a Spanish word that means “chamber”) and serves as the “Lower House” of the Philippine Congress, with the Senate being the “Upper House.”
Members of the House of Representatives
Currently, the House of Representatives has 304 members. Eighty percent (80%) of these are District Representatives who represent different geographical areas, while twenty percent (20%) are Party-List Representatives who represent specific sectors (e.g. agricultural sector, urban poor, women, youth, etc.). Members are sometimes called “Congressmen” or “Congresswomen,” though the official title is simply “Representative.”
The House of Representatives is headed by the “Speaker of the House,” who happens to be the third in the presidential line of succession (i.e. after the Vice President and the Senate President). The other officers of the House are: Deputy Speakers, Majority Floor Leader, Minority Floor Leader, Secretary General, and Sergeant-at-Arms.
As for location, the official headquarters of the House of Representatives is at the BatasangPambansa (meaning “National Legislature”), which is situated in Batasan Hills, Quezon City.
Qualifications to be a Representative
According to Section 6, Article VI of the 1987 Philippine Constitution, a candidate for Representative must be:
System for Electing Representatives
Representatives are elected to serve a term of three (3) years. They can be re-elected, but are not allowed to serve more than three (3) consecutive terms. As mentioned earlier, Representatives are elected through a process called “parallel voting.”
During elections, each voter chooses one (1) District Representative, and one (1) Party-List Representative. District Representatives are elected by voters in their respective locations. Meanwhile, Party-lists that win two percent (2%) of the national vote get a “seat” in the House; those with four percent (4%) get two (2) seats; and those with six percent (6%) get three (3) seats, which is the maximum number allowed for a party-list.
With regard to the number of seats in the House, this may change, especially when new congressional districts are established. For the upcoming May 2022 elections, there will be 316 seats available: 253 for District Representatives, and 64 for Party-List Representatives.
Powers and Duties of Representatives
As part of the legislative branch of government, the House of Representatives plays a major role in the following:
Legislation. Representatives are tasked with creating laws, which start out as bills. A proposed bill undergoes a first, second, and third reading, before being approved by the House. Then, it is passed to the Senate, where it undergoes further reading. When both “Houses” have approved the bill, it is passed to the President for signing into law.
Impeachment. Similar to the Senate, the House of Representatives has the power to impeach an erring official. A vote of one-third of the members is needed to impeach an official.
Some Final Thoughts
Without a doubt, being a Representative is an important role, so we must choose our District Representatives and Party-List Representatives wisely. We should also get to know more about their priority bills, and their overall vision for the Filipino community.
