Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

FIFTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bill No. 108

Introduced by Representative Neptali M. Gonzales IT

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The Legislative Branch is the policy-making body of the country. It requires competent,
efficient and honest public servants to complement the eamest aspiration of lawmakers to serve
the people with utmost responsibility, integrity and efficiency.

The Congressional secretariat officers and employees have the primary responsibility of
providing the lawmakers with professional. technical and other necessary services for legislation.
Such expectations can only be achieved by the recruitment of highly qualified personnel and the

provision of a system of training and continuing education program for the legislative officers
and employees.

With these in mind, and to maintain the highest level of morale among the personnel
ing in the lawmaking process and to ensure the highest degree of professionalism in the

it is proposed that the Philippine Legislative Academy be established. Through this
measure, the guidelines needed to maintam a high level of technical and professional personnel
in the Legislative Branch shall be institutionalized.

‘GONZALES I


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

FIFTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bill No. 108

Introduced by Representative Neptali M. Gonzales II

AN ACT ESTABLISHING THE PHILIPPINE LEGISLATIVE ACADEMY, DEFINING
ITS POWERS AND FUNCTIONS, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR AND
FOR OTHER PURPOSES,

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress
assembled:

SECTION 1 Policy. — It is hereby declared a policy of the State to ensurean efficient
and credible Career Service of the Legislature (CSL). ‘Toward this end, it is imperative to
provide members of the CSL with continuing appropriate education and training.

The CSL shall include the officers and employees of Congress composed of the Senate, the
House of Representatives, the Commission on Appointments and the Senate and House of
Representatives Electoral Tribunals. It shall also include the career officers and employees of
the Philippine Legislative Academy established under this Act.

SEC. 2. Objectives. ~ It is the purpose of this Act to professionalize, upgrade and
strengthen the work force of Congress in order:

(a) To enable its officers and employees to efficiently and effectively provide the necessary
legislative and administrative support services to Congress and its Members;

(b) To create a pool of competent and development-oriented career legislative service
officers and employees; and

(©) To provide a system of training and continuing education for personnel in order to

ensure that only competent and qualified persons are recruited into the career legislative service.

SEC. 3. Philippine Legislative Academy To carry out the policy and objectives
enunciated in Sections 1 and 2 hereof, there is hereby established a Philippine Legislative
Academy, herein referred to as the Academy. The Academy shall be a unit of both Houses of


Congress and shall operate under its administration, supervision and control. It shall be located
at the House of Representatives, Batasan Complex, Quezon City.

SEC. 4. Functions.~ The Academy shall serve as a training school for legislative officers
and employees for positions in the CSL. For this purpose, it shall provide and implement a
curriculum for legislative education as well as conduct seminars, workshops and other training
programs to upgrade legislative support services, capabilities and efficiency, and shall perform

such other functions as may be necessary in carrying out its mandate.

SEC. 5. Governing Board. ~ The Academy shall have, as its governing body, a Board of
Trustees composed of the Chair of the Civil Service Commission, the Secretary of the Senate and
the Secretary General of the House of Representatives, as ex officio members; and an incumbent
Deputy Secretary of the Senate chosen by the Senate President, and an incumbent Deputy
Secretary General of the House of Representatives chosen by the Speaker, both of whom shall
have served in such positions for at least five (5) years, as designated members.

The ex officio members of the Board of Trustees shall serve as such for the duration of their
incumbency in their respective offices.

All members shall serve without compensation, but shall be entitled to a reasonable
honorarialallowance for the performance of their duties.

SEC. 6. Executive Board The Executive Board of the Academy shall be designated by
the Board of Trustees, and shall be composed of a Chancellor, two (2) Vice Chancellors and an
Executive Secretary. ‘The Executive Board shall serve for a term of three (3) years without
prejudice to subsequent reappointments.

In case of a vacancy in any Executive Board position, the Board of Trustees shall designate
a replacement who shall serve in such position for the remainder of the unfinished term.

The Chancellor shall have as requisite qualifications meritorious service as an incumbent
Deputy Secretary of the Senate or an incumbent Deputy Secretary General of the House of
Representatives, who shall have served as such for at least three (3) years, and belongs to the

ranks of the Career Executive Service.

A Vice Chancellor shall be chosen from each House. A Vice Chancellor shall have as
requisite qualifications meritorious service as an incumbent Executive Director or Deputy
Executive Director of the Senate or the House of Representatives, who shall have served as such
for at least three (3) years, and belongs to the ranks of the Career Executive Service.


The Executive Secretary shall have the same requisite qualifications and the same
compensation at least as a Service Director II. He or she shall serve on a full-time basis and shall
be the Recorder-Secretary of the Board of Trustees.

If no such person meets the abovementioned requirements for any position, the Board of
Trustees shall designate such official with the closest qualifications.

The Chancellor and the Vice Chancellors shall serve without compensation, but shall be
entitled to reasonable honoraria/allowance for the performance of their designated duties as
determined by the Board of Trustees or as provided by law.

The members of the Executive Board shall not engage in the private practice of any
profession.

SEC. 7. Academy Staff- The Academy shall be staffed by a corps of professional
lecturers. A lecturer shall be nominated by any of the members of the Executive Board of the
Academy; and, such nomination shall be submitted to the Board of Trustees for approval.
Lecturers whose nominations are approved by the Board of Trustees shall be included in the list
of lecturers, and shall be entitled to reasonable honoraria/allowance as deemed fit by the Board
of Trustees or as provided by law.

SEC. 8. Academic Courses. — The academic courses and the publication of a legislative
service journal and such other documents shall be determined by the Executive Board and shall
be approved by the Board of Trustees.

SEC. 9. Criteria for Selection and Admission to the Academy. — The criteria for the
selection and admission to the Academy shall be determined by the Executive Board and subject
to the approval of the Board of Trustees.

SEC. 10.Appointment and Promotion. — Legislative officers and employees who have
completed the programs prescribed by the Academy and have satisfactorily complied with all the
requirements incident thereto shall be given priority for appointment, selection or promotion to
any position or vacancy in the CSL.

SEC. 11. Consortium Agreements. — The Academy may enter into consortium and similar
or related agreements with educational and training institutions for the development and
implementation of programs for capability building, career development and legislative
orientation.


SEC. 12. Tax Exemptions. ~ The provision of any general or special law to the contrary
notwithstanding:

(a) All revenues and assets of the Academy used actually, directly and exclusively for
educational purposes shall be exempt from all taxes and duties;

(b) Gifts and donations of real and personal properties of all kinds to the Academy shall be
exempt from the donor’s tax and the same shall be considered as allowable deductions from the
gross income of the donor, in accordance with the provisions of the National Internal Revenue
Code of 1997, as amended;

© Importation of economic, technical, vocational, scientific, philosophical,
historical and cultural books, supplies, equipment, machinery and other materials, including
scientific and educational computer and software equipment, shall be exempt from customs
duties and taxes; and

@ Educational services rendered by the Academy shall be exempt from value-
added tax.

SEC. 13. Legislative Academy Fund.— All legacies, gifts and donations to the Academy
established under this law shall constitute a special fund to be known as the Legislative Academy
Fund, This fund shall be administered and disbursed by the Board of Trustees of the Academy
exclusively for the purposes of this Act.

SEC. 14. Appropriations. ~ The amount necessary to carry out the initial implementation of
this Act, including the operation, maintenance and improvement of the Academy, shall be
charged against the General Appropriations Act of 201land every year thereafter under the
programs of the Congress of the Philippines.

SEC. 15. Separability Clause. — Should any provision under this Act be deemed invalid, the
remainder of this Act not otherwise affected thereby shall remain in full force and effect.

SEC. 16. Repealing Clause. ~ All laws and regulations inconsistent with the provisions of
this Act are hereby repealed or amended accordingly.

SEC. 17. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its

publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation.

Approved.