The Philippines has been governed by legislatures since 1898. The country has had different setups, with legislatures under the presidential system and the parliamentary system, and with legislatures having one or two chambers.
The first national legislature in the Philippines was the Malolos Congress that convened in the Barasoain Church at Malolos, Bulacan. Convened after the declaration of independence from Spain at the height of the Philippine Revolution, the Congress ratified the declaration, and drafted a constitution. With the capture of President Emilio Aguinaldo during the ensuing Philippine–American War, the unrecognized First Philippine Republic fell.
The Americans then sent several commissions to assess the situation; these eventually became the Philippine Commission. With the passage of the Philippine Bill of 1902, the Philippine Commission eventually became an appointive upper house of the new Philippine Legislature, of which the wholly elected Philippine Assembly was the lower house. The passage of the Philippine Autonomy Act instituted a mostly elective Senate as the upper house, with the House of Representatives as the lower house. This set up continued until the 1935 Constitution of the Philippines was set into force, creating a unicameral National Assembly under the Commonwealth of the Philippines. Amendments that took effect in 1941 restored the bicameral setup, creating the Commonwealth Congress. However, World War II intervened, and legislators elected in 1941 were not able to serve. The invading Japanese set up the Second Philippine Republic that convened its own National Assembly.
The Allies reconquered the Philippines and the legislators elected in 1941 who are either still alive or are not arrested for collaboration convened in 1945. The Americans granted independence on July 4, 1946, and the Commonwealth Congress was renamed as Congress of the Republic of the Philippines. This will continue until the declaration of martial law by President Ferdinand Marcos on September 23, 1972, which effectively dissolved Congress. Marcos then exercised legislative power; his 1973 Constitution created the unicameral Batasang Pambansa, a parliament. The Batasang Pambansa first convened in 1978, and will continue to exist until the 1986 People Power Revolution that overthrew Marcos from power. President Corazon Aquino appointed a constitutional commission that drafted the 1987 Constitution which restored the bicameral Congress with the presidential system of government.
List of legislatures per legislative term Malolos Congress (1898–1899) Term Legislature Upper house Lower (or sole) house Sessions Era Name Election date Election results Seats Name Election date Election results Seats 1 Malolos Congress colspan="4" rowspan="2" Revolutionary Congress June 23 to September 10, 1898 136 September 15, 1898 – January 22, 1899 Revolutionary government Assembly of RepresentativesJanuary 23, 1899 – November 13, 1899 First Republic
Philippine Commission (1900–1916) Term Legislature Upper house Lower (or sole) house Sessions Era Name Election date Election results Seats Name Election date Election results Seats 2 Second Philippine Commission colspan="4" Philippine Commission colspan="2" 5–8 March 16, 1900 – October 16, 1916 U.S. military government
Philippine Legislature (1916–1935) Term Legislature Upper house Lower (or sole) house Sessions Era Name Election date Election results Seats Name Election date Election results Seats 3 1st Legislature Philippine Commission colspan="2" rowspan="3" 8–9 Philippine Assembly July 30, 1907 59 Nacionalista16 Progresista5 others 80 October 16, 1907 – May 20, 1909 U.S. Insular Government 4 2nd Legislature 9–10 November 2, 1909 62 Nacionalista17 Progresista2 independent 81 March 28, 1910 – February 6, 1912 5 3rd Legislature 7–8 June 4, 1912 62 Nacionalista16 Progresista3 independent 81 October 16, 1912 – February 24, 1916 6 4th Legislature Senate October 3, 1916 20 Nacionalista1 Progresista 24 House of Representatives June 6, 1916 75 Nacionalista7 Progresista2 Democrata6 independent 90 October 16, 1916 – March 8, 1919 7 5th Legislature June 3, 1919 10 Nacionalista1 Democrata June 3, 1919 83 Nacionalista4 Democrata3 independent 90 October 16, 1919 – March 14, 1922 8 6th Legislature June 6, 1922 4 Colectivista4 Democrata3 Unipersonalista June 6, 1922 35 Colectivista29 Unipersonalista26 Democrata3 independent 93 July 21, 1922 – February 8, 1925 9 7th Legislature June 2, 1925 7 Nacionalista4 Democrata June 2, 1925 64 Nacionalista22 Democrata6 independent 92 July 16, 1925 – November 9, 1927 10 8th Legislature June 5, 1928 9 Nacionalista2 Democrata June 5, 1928 71 Nacionalista16 Democrata7 independent 94 July 16, 1928 – November 7, 1930 11 9th Legislature June 2, 1931 7 Nacionalista4 Democrata June 2, 1931 68 Nacionalista13 Democrata5 independent 86 July 16, 1931 – May 5, 1934 12 10th Legislature June 5, 1934 8 Democratico June 5, 1934 19 Democratico3 Sakdalista 92 July 16, 1934 – November 21, 1935
Constitutional Convention (1934) Term Legislature Upper house Lower (or sole) house Sessions Era Name Election date Election results Seats Name Election date Election results Seats 13 Constitutional Convention colspan="4" Constitutional Convention July 10, 1934 202 July 30, 1934 – February 8, 1935 U.S. Insular Government
National Assembly (1935–1945) Term Legislature Upper house Lower (or sole) house Sessions Era Name Election date Election results Seats Name Election date Election results Seats 14 1st National Assembly colspan="4" rowspan="3" National Assembly September 16, 1935 64 Democratico6 independent 89 November 25, 1935 – August 15, 1938 Commonwealth 15 2nd National Assembly November 8, 1938 98 Nacionalista 98 January 24, 1939 – December 16, 1941 16 National Assembly of the Republic September 20, 1943 108 KALIBAPI 108 September 25, 1943 – February 2, 1944 Second Republic
Congress of the Commonwealth of the Philippines (1945–1946) and Congress of the Philippines (1946–1973) Term Legislature Upper house Lower (or sole) house Sessions Era Name Election date Election results Seats Name Election date Election results Seats 17 1st Commonwealth Congress Senate November 11, 1941 24 Nacionalista 24 House of Representatives November 11, 1941 95 Nacionalista3 independent 98 June 9 – December 20, 1945 Commonwealth 18 2nd Commonwealth Congress April 23, 1946 8 Liberal7 Nacionalista April 23, 1946 49 Liberal35 Nacionalista6 Democratic Alliance8 others 98 May 25 – July 4, 1946 1st Congress July 5, 1946 – December 13, 1949 Third Republic November 11, 1947 7 Liberal1 Nacionalista 19 2nd Congress November 8, 1949 8 Liberal November 8, 1949 60 Liberal33 Nacionalista6 Liberal (Avelino wing)1 independent 100 December 30, 1949 – December 8, 1953 November 13, 1951 8 Nacionalista 20 3rd Congress November 10, 1953 5 Nacionalista2 Democratic1 Citizens' November 10, 1953 59 Nacionalista31 Liberal11 Democratic1 independent 102 January 25, 1954 – December 10, 1957 November 8, 1955 8 Nacionalista 21 4th Congress November 12, 1957 6 Nacionalista2 Liberal November 12, 1957 82 Nacionalista19 Liberal1 NCP 102 January 27, 1958 – December 13, 1961 November 10, 1959 5 Nacionalista2 Liberal1 NCP 22 5th Congress November 14, 1961 4 Liberal2 Nacionalista2 Progressive November 14, 1961 74 Nacionalista29 Liberal1 independent 104 January 22, 1962 – December 17, 1965 November 12, 1963 4 Liberal4 Nacionalista 23 6th Congress November 9, 1965 5 Liberal2 Nacionalista1 NCP November 9, 1965 61 Liberal38 Nacionalista1 independent Liberal3 independent 104 January 17, 1966 – June 17, 1969 November 14, 1967 6 Nacionalista1 Liberal1 independent 24 7th Congress November 11, 1969 6 Nacionalista2 Liberal November 11, 1969 88 Nacionalista18 Liberal2 independent 110 January 26, 1970 – September 23, 1972 November 8, 1971 5 Liberal3 Nacionalista
Constitutional Convention (1971) Term Legislature Upper house Lower (or sole) house Sessions Era Name Election date Election results Seats Name Election date Election results Seats 25 Constitutional Convention colspan="4" Constitutional Convention November 10, 1970 320 June 1, 1971 – November 29, 1972 Third Republic
Batasang Pambansa (1978–1986) Term Legislature Upper house Lower (or sole) house Sessions Era Name Election date Election results Seats Name Election date Election results Seats 26 Interim Batasang Pambansa colspan="4" rowspan="2" Batasang Pambansa April 7 and 27, 1978 150 KBL2 others 190 June 12, 1978 – June 5, 1984 Fourth Republic 27 Regular Batasang Pambansa May 14, 1984 114 KBL61 UNIDO8 others 200 July 23, 1984 – March 25, 1986
Constitutional Commission (1986) Term Legislature Upper house Lower (or sole) house Sessions Era Name Election date Election results Seats Name Election date Election results Seats 28 Constitutional Commission colspan="4" Constitutional Commission colspan="2" 48 June 2 – October 15, 1986 Provisional Government
Congress of the Philippines (1987–present) Term Legislature Upper house Lower (or sole) house Sessions Era Name Election date Election results Seats Name Election date Election results Seats 29 8th Congress Senate May 11, 1987 10 Liberal5 LnB3 PDP–Laban2 Nacionalista1 1 NUCD1 UNIDO1 independent 24 House of Representatives May 11, 1987 43 PDP–Laban24 LnB19 UNIDO16 Liberal11 KBL87 coalitions/others 214 July 24, 1987 – May 25, 1992 Fifth Republic 30 9th Congress May 11, 1992 16 LDP5 NPC2 Lakas May 11, 1992 86 LDP41 Lakas30 NPC32 others 216 July 27, 1992 – June 9, 1995 31 10th Congress May 8, 1995 4 Lakas4 LDP1 NPC1 PRP2 independent May 8, 1995 100 Lakas25 Lakas–Laban22 NPC17 LDP40 coalitions/others 220 June 26, 1995 – June 5, 1998 32 11th Congress May 11, 1998 5 Lakas4 LDP1 NPC1 PDP–Laban1 PMP May 11, 1998 111 Lakas55 LAMMP15 Liberal9 NPC16 others14 party-lists 257 July 27, 1998 – June 8, 2001 33 12th Congress May 14, 2001 3 Lakas2 LDP1 Liberal1 PDP–Laban6 independent May 14, 2001 79 Lakas42 NPC21 LDP19 Liberal48 others16 party-lists 256 July 23, 2001 – June 4, 2004 34 13th Congress May 10, 2004 5 KNP4 Lakas2 Liberal1 PRP May 10, 2004 92 Lakas53 NPC29 Liberal15 LDP20 others28 party-lists 261 July 26, 2004 – June 8, 2007 35 14th Congress May 14, 2007 2 Liberal2 Nacionalista2 NPC2 UNO1 KAMPI1 Lakas1 LDP1 independent May 14, 2007 89 Lakas44 KAMPI28 NPC23 Liberal11 Nacionalista23 others53 party-lists 271 July 23, 2007 – June 9, 2010 36 15th Congress May 10, 2010 3 Liberal2 Lakas2 Nacionalista2 PMP1 NPC1 PRP1 independent May 10, 2010 107 Lakas47 Liberal29 NPC26 Nacionalista20 others57 party-lists 286 July 26, 2010 – June 6, 2013 37 16th Congress May 13, 2013 3 Nacionalista3 UNA1 LDP1 Liberal1 NPC1 PDP–Laban2 independent May 13, 2013 112 Liberal42 NPC24 NUP18 Nacionalista14 Lakas10 UNA15 others57 party-lists 293 July 22, 2013 – June 6, 2016 38 17th Congress May 9, 2016 5 Liberal2 NPC1 Akbayan1 UNA3 independent May 9, 2016 115 Liberal42 NPC24 Nacionalista23 NUP11 UNA23 others59 party-lists 297 July 25, 2016 – June 4, 2019 39 18th Congress May 13, 2019 4 PDP–Laban3 Nacionalista1 Lakas1 LDP1 NPC1 UNA1 independent May 13, 2019 82 PDP–Laban42 Nacionalista37 NPC25 NUP18 Liberal12 Lakas27 others61 party-lists 304 July 22, 2019 – June 1, 2022 40 19th Congress May 9, 2022 4 NPC1 Akbayan1 Nacionalista1 PDP–Laban1 PMP4 independent May 9, 2022 66 PDP–Laban36 Nacionalista35 NPC33 NUP26 Lakas10 Liberal47 others63 party-lists 316 July 25, 2022 – June 11, 2025 41 20th Congress May 12, 2025 3 Nacionalista2 PDP2 NPC1 KANP1 Lakas1 Liberal2 independent May 12, 2025 103 Lakas31 NUP31 NPC27 PFP22 Nacionalista6 Liberal34 others63 party-lists 317 July 28, 2025 – present
List of legislatures per party These are at the start of every legislature. A politician may switch parties mid-term. Appointed members appear after the plus sign (+).
Senate