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Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

Fifteenth Congress
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL'NO.. 22

Introduced by: HONORABLE AMADO S. BAGATSI

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This bill addresses a scenario where a member of Congress, once newly elected,
enters the halls of the House of Representatives or the Senate as a newcomer and a
neophyte, Legislation, being a newfound task, the member grapples with the problems of
the country and struggles with law making as soon as he steps into his office.

‘As an institution, Congress faces the challenge of producing law makers who go
through the legislative process with barely having been clothed with the necessary skills
and knowledge of their craft. Exposure to the process of lawmaking becomes a day to
day learning experience to the newly seated members.

The proposed measure seeks to establish a Legislative Academy that will address
the need to arm our legislators with the proper training, outlook and empowerment as
they perform their tasks of nation building through legislation.

In like manner, the Legislative Academy is also conceived as a training ground
for the technical personnel of the Secretariat of the two Houses who serve as the support
group of the members of Congress. Patterned after the two branches of government,
namely the Executive and the Judicial branches who have their own training institutions,
the Legislative Academy will be the in-house academic support of Congress.

In anticipation of the demands of Congressional work the passage of this bill is
urgently requested.

AMADO S. BAGATSING


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Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

FIFTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILLNO.__2

Introduced by: Representative AMADO S. BAGATSING

ANACT
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 ensure an efficient
and credible Career Service of the Legislative Branch. Towards this end, it is imperative to
provide members of the Career Service in the Legislative and prospective applicants with
continuing appropriate education and training.

Sec. 2. Philippine Legislative Academy. — There is hereby established a Philippine
Legislative Academy (PLA), hereinafter referred to as the Academy, which shall be a unit of
both Houses of Congress and shall operate under their administration, supervision and
control. It shall be located in the premises of the House of Representatives.

Sec. 3. Coverage. - The Career Service of the Legislature (CSL) shall include the
career officers and employees of Congress composed of the Senate, the House of
Representatives, the Commission on Appointments and the Senate and House Electoral
‘Tribunals. It shall also include the career officers and employees of the Philippine
Legislative Academy established under this Act.

Sec. 4, Objectives. — It is the purpose of this Act to professionalize, upgrade and
strengthen the work force of Congress in order:

(1) To enable its officers and employees to efficiently and effectively provide the

necessary legis!
Members;
(2) To create a pool of competent and development-oriented career legislative

ive and administrative support services to Congress and its

service officers and employees; and


(3) 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

Sec. 5. Functions. ~The Legislative Academy shall serve as a training school for
legislative staff officers and employees and other aspirants 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. 6. Governing Board. ~ The Academy shall have as its governing body, a Board
of Trustees, referred fo as the Board, composed of five (5) members headed by the Chair of
the Civil Service Commission as its chairperson, and four (4) regular members composed of
the Secretary of the Senate, the Secretary General of the House of Representatives, a Deputy
Secretary of the Senate and a Deputy Secretary General of the House of Representatives. ‘The
two deputy secretaries shall be appointed by their respective appointing powers for a term of
three (3) years. The Chancellor of the Academy shall be an ex-officio member of the Board.

All members shall serve without compensation but shall be entitled to reasonable
honoraria/allowance for the performance of their duties.

Sec. 7. Executive Officials. — The Executive officials of the Academy shall be
composed of the Chancellor, two Vice Chancellors and an Executive Secretary who shall be
designated/appointed by the Board of Trustees. The Executive officials shall serve for a
term of three (3) years without prejudice to subsequent reappointments.

The Chancellor shall have as requisite qualifications, meritorious service for at least
three (3) years as a Deputy Secretary of either House of Congress and with a Career
Executive Service Officer (CESO) Rank.

A Vice Chancellor shall be chosen from each House and shall have as requisite
qualifications meritorious service as an Executive Director or Deputy Executive Director of
the Senate or the House of Representatives for at least three (3) years, and holding a Career
Executive Service Officer (CESO) Rank.

‘The Executive Secretary shall have the same requisite qualifications and the same
compensation as a Deputy Executive Director. He/ she shall serve on a full time basis and
shall be the ex-officio Recorder-Secretary of the Board of Trustees.

The Executive Officials of the Academy who were duly designated or appointed by


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the Board of Trustees and qualified as such shall continue in their respective positions until
the expiration of their initial terms, without prejudice to their reappointment as provided in

this section: Provided, that if no such person meets the abovementioned requirements for any

position, the Board of Trustees shall appoint such official with equivalent qualifications.

‘The Chancellor shall serve without compensation, but shall be entitled to a reasonable
honoraria/allowance for the performance of his/her designated duties as determined by the
Board of Trustees or as provided by law.

The Vice Chancellor shall have the compensation and privileges of an Executive
Direotor.

For purposes of retirement privileges, seniority, and other benefits, service of the
Executive Officials in the Academy shall be considered as service in the Career Service of the
Legislature, except in cases not allowed by law.

The Executive Officials of the Academy shall not engage in the private practice of any

profession.

Sec. 8, Academy Staff. ~ The Academy shall be staffed by a corps of professional
lecturers. A Lecturer shall be nominated by any of the executive officials 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 issued a formal
appointment for a term of three (3) years without prejudice to subsequent reappointment.

Sec. 9. Academic Courses. ~ The academic courses and publications and other such
documents shall be determined by the Chancellor in consultation with the rest of the
executive officials and the corps of professional lecturers and shall take effect or be
implemented upon approval by the Board of Trustees.

Sec. 10. Selection and Admission of Participants. ~The criteria for the selection and
admission of participants shall be determined by the Chancellor in consultation with the
Executive officials and the Corps of Professional Lecturers subject to the approval of the
Board of Trustees.

Sec. 11. Appointment and Promotion. ~ As soon as the Academy shall have been
fully organized with the composition of its Corps of Professional Lecturers and other
personnel, participants 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 promotion to any position or vacancy in the Career Legislative
Service.

Sec. 12. Consortium Agreements. The Academy may enter into consortium and

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similar or related agreements with educational and training institutions for the development
and implementation of programs for orientation, career development and capability building:
Provided, that the honoraria, allowances, and other emoluments of personnel from the
institutions involved with the consortium agreements shall not be taken from the funds of the
Academy.

Sec. 13. Gifts and Donations. — All income, legacies, gifts and donations for the
benefit of the Academy or for its support or maintenance shall be exempt from the payment
of all forms of taxes, donors and donees’ taxes, fees, income tax, real estate tax, assessments
and other charges of the government, its branches and subdivisions.

Sec. 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 of the Academy exclusively for the purposes of this Act.

Sec. 15. Appropriations. ~ The amount of Fifty Million Pesos (P50,000,000.00)
necessary to carry out the initial implementation of this Act, including the operation,
maintenance and improvement of the Academy, shall be included in the General
Appropriations Act of the current year and every year thereafter under the programs of the
Congress of the Philippines.

Sec. 16. Separability Clause. - If any of the sections or provisions of this Act is
adjudged invalid, all other provisions not affected thereby shall remain in force.

Sec. 17. Repeating Clause. — All laws and regulations that may be inconsistent with
the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or amended accordingly.

Sec. 18. Effectivity. — This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its complete
publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation,
whichever comes earlier.

Approved.