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Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Batasan Hills, Quezon City

NINETEENTH CONGRESS TINE 2pm iy
First Regular Session e BY ar,
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House Bill No. _2709 Wp INDERS

Introduced by

HON. YEDDA MARIE K. ROMUALDEZ
and
HON. JUDE A. ACIDRE

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

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Section 1, Article XI of the 1987 Philippine Constitution provides that:
“Public office is a public trust. Public officers and employees must at all times
be accountable to the people, serve them with utmost responsibility, integrity,
loyalty, and efficiency, act with patriotism and justice, and lead modest lives.”

In line with this, the proposed legislation seeks the creation of the
Philippine Legislative Academy to provide the members of the Career Service
of the Legislature (CSL) with continuing appropriate education and training. It
is to ensure the credibility of the officers and employees within the Career
Service of the Legislature.

The Academy shall serve as a training school for legislative officers and
employees for positions in the CSL and there shall also be provided and
implemented a curriculum for legislative education to assure that the facility will
live up to standards.

E REPRESS

D
IS RECEIVED 2
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= DATE July 28,2022



In view of the foregoing, approval of this bill is earnestly sought.

Rep. YEDDA MARIE K. ROMUALDEZ
Representative,VTingog Sinirangan

Rep. JUDE/A. ACIDRE
Representative, Tingog Sinirangan


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Batasan Hills, Quezon City

NINETEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bill No. _2709

Introduced by
HON. YEDDA MARIE K. ROMUALDEZ

and
HON. JUDE A. ACIDRE

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. Short Title. This Act shall be known as the “Philippine Legislative
Academy Act.”

Section 2. Declaration of Policy. \t is hereby declared the policy of the State
to ensure an 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, House of Representatives, the Commission on Appointments, and the

Senate and House of Representatives Electoral Tribunals.

Section 3. Objectives. It is the purpose of this Act to professionalize, upgrade


and strengthen the workforce of Congress in order to:

a. Enable its officers and employees to provide the necessary legislative and
administrative support services efficiently and effectively to Congress and
its Members;

b. Create a pool of competent and development-oriented career legislative
service officers and employees; and,

c. 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.

Section 4. Philippine Legislative Academy. To carry out the policy and
objectives enunciated in Sections 2 and 3 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.

Section 5. 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.

Section 6. 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

reasonable honoraria/allowance for the performance of their duties.

Section 7. 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 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 persons meet the above-mentioned requirements for any position, the
Board of Trustees shall designate such official with the closest qualifications.


The Chancellor and the Vice Chancellor 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 policies of
any profession.

Section 8. 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 nominations that 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.

Section 9. Academic Courses. The academic courses and the publications of
a legislative service journal and such other documents shall be determined by the
Executive Board and subject to the approval of the Board of Trustees.

Section 10. 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.

Section 11. Appointment and Promotion. Legislative officers and employees
who have completed the programs prescribed by the Academy and have satisfactorily
completed all the requirements incident thereto shall be given priority for appointment,
selection, or promotion to any position or vacancy in the CSL.

Section 12. 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.


Section 13. 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;

c. 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,

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

Section 14. 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 exclusively for the purpose of this Act.

Section 15. 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 2014 and
every year thereafter under the programs of the Congress of the Philippines.

Section 16. Separability Clause. Should any provision under this Act be
deemed invalid or unconstitutional, the remainder of this Act not otherwise affected
thereby shall remain in full force and effect.


Section 17. Repealing Clause. All laws and regulations inconsistent with the
provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or amended accordingly.

Section 18. 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 national

circulation.

Approved,