October 16, 1907 marks the establishment of the Philippine House of Representatives. Its legal basis is the Philippine Organic Act, approved on July 1, 1902. This is popularly known as the Philippine Bill of 1902, and sometimes known as the Cooper Act, after the U. S. Legislator Henry A. Cooper. The law establishes the Philippine Assembly which eventually became the House of Representatives. Below is the title of the enacted law:
“AN ACT TEMPORARILY TO PROVIDE FOR THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE AFFAIRS OF CIVIL GOVERNMENT IN THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES”
–57th Congress of the United States of America, First Session, 1902
The following is a summary of significant information on the Lower House of Congress :
House of Representatives Trivia
I. Gender: First Woman Legislator- Elisa R. Ochoa
(National Assembly, Japanese Regime
who represented Agusan Province)
Note: The Philippines was under the Japanese
Rule at that time
II. House Members Who Were Elected and Died Thereafter Before Assuming Office :
A. Salud Vivero Parreño (7th Congress of the Republic)
B. Percival B. Catane (11th Congress of the Republic)
III. Legislative Period:
A. Shortest Legislative Period – 2nd Congress of the Commonwealth
(One month and 9 days, 05/25/1946 to 07/03/1946)
B. Longest Legislative Period – 8th Congress of the Republic
(4 years, 5 months and 22 days, 07/27/1987 to 06/22/1992)
IV. Philippine Presidents
A. Who Were Former House Members:
1. Manuel L. Quezon (1st Philippine Legislature, 1907-1909)
2. Sergio Osmeña (1st – 5th Philippine Legislature, 1907-1922)
3. Elpidio Quirino (5th Philippine Legislature, 1919-1922)
4. Manuel A. Roxas (6th to 10th Philippine Legislature, 1922-1935,
1st National Assembly, 1935-1938)
5. Carlos P. Garcia (7th Philippine Legislature, 1925-1927;
8th Philippine Legislature, 1928-1930)
6. Ramon Magsaysay Sr. (2nd Congress of the Commonwealth, 1946;
1st Congress of the Republic, 1946-1949; 2nd Congress of the
Republic, 1950)
10. Diosdado Macapagal (2nd Congress of the Republic, 1950-1953; 3rd
Congress of the Republic, 1954-1957)
11.Ferdinand E. Marcos (2nd Congress of the Republic, 1950-1953;
3rd Congress of the Republic,1954-1957; 4th Congress of the Republic,
1958-1959; Interim Batasang Pambansa, 1978-1984; Regular Batasang
Pambansa, President, 1984-1986 (the President was member of the Batasang
Pambansa)
12.Benigno C. Aquino III (12th Congress of the Republic, 2001-2004)
B. Who Were Elected House Members After the Presidency:
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (15th Congress of the Republic, 2010- Present)
V. Provinces with No Representative during a Particular Legislative Period:
A. Cagayan Province, 5th Philippine Legislature
– Bonifacio Cortez election declared null and void
B. Sarangani Province, 10th Congress of the Republic
– Juan Domino election declared null and void
VI. Speakership
A. Speakers :
1. First Speaker from Mindanao:
Prospero C. Nograles – (14th Congress of the Republic, 2008-2010)
2. Speaker with the Longest Term of Office :
Sergio Osmeña (1st – 5th Philippine Legislature, 1907-1922)
3. Speaker with the Shortest Term of Office: Arnulfo P. Fuentebella
(11th Congress of the Republic, 2000-2001)
B. Deputy Speakers
1. First Deputy Speakers
a. Alfredo E. Abueg, Jr. (1998-2000);
b. Eduardo R. Gullas (1998-2000)
c. Daisy Avance-Fuentes (1998-2001)
2. First Deputy Speakers with Major Regional Representation :
a. From Luzon : Hernando B. Perez (1995-1998)
b. From the Visayas: Raul A. Daza (1995-1998)
c. From Mindanao : Simeon A. Datumanong (1995-1998)
C. Floor Leaders:
1. First Floor Leader: Manuel L. Quezon (1908-1910)
2. First Majority Floor Leader: Raul T. Leuterio (1946-1953)
3. First Minority Floor Leader: Cipriano P. Primicias (1946-1949)
VII. Secretaries
A. First Woman Appointed as Secretary-General :
Marilyn B. Barua-Yap
(14th Congress of the Republic, 2008-2010,
15th Congress of the Republic, 2010-Present)
B. House Secretary/Secretary Generals Elected from among
the House Members:
1. Gregorio Nieva (1907-1909)
2. Manuel G. Gavieres (Acting Secretary, 1910)
3. Ramon Diokno (1910-1912)
4. Teodoro Kalaw (1912- 1916)
5. Rafael Villanueva (1916-1919)
6. Rafael Palma (1919-1922); and 1935-1957)
7. Feliciano Gomez (1923-1925)
8. Ricardo Gonzalez Lloret (1925-1929)
9. Eulogio Benitez (1934-1935)
B. Secretary/Secretary General with the Longest Term of Office:
Narciso Pimentel, 27 years(Acting Secretary, 1922-1923;
Secretary, 1929-1933 and 1935-1957)
10. First Designated Secretary-General:
Antonio M. De Guzman (Regular Batasang Pambansa)
VIII. Sergeant-at-Arms:
First Sergeant-at-Arms – Narciso Diokno (1946-1949)
IX.Floor Leaders/Minority Floor Leaders/Majority Floor Leaders/
Minority Leaders/Majority Leaders Who Became House Speakers:
1. Benigno S. Aquino
2. Quintin B. Paredes
3. Prospero C. Nograles
X. House Members:
A. Three-Generation House of Representatives Legislators
(Direct Descendants):
1. Aguilar Family: Filemon C. Aguilar, daughter Cynthia A.Villar,
son Mark A. Villar
2. Antonino Family: Gaudencio Antonino, son Adelbert Antonino,
granddaughter, Darlene Antonino-Custodio
3. Cojuangco Family : Melecio Cojuangco, son Jose Cojuangco,
grandson Jose S. Cojuangco, Jr.
4. Laurel Family : Jose P. Laurel, son Jose B. Laurel, Jr.,
grandchildren Jose Macario Laurel IV and Milagros Laurel-Trinidad
5. Macapagal Family : Diosdado Macapagal, daughter
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, grandsons Juan Miguel Macapagal-Arroyo
and Diosdado Ignacio M. Arroyo
6. Mitra Family : Ramon P. Mitra, son Ramon V. Mitra, Jr.,
grandson Abraham Khalil B. Mitra
7. Marcos Family : Mariano Marcos, son Ferdinand E. Marcos,
granddaughter Imee R. Marcos
8. Ponce Enrile Family : Alfonso Ponce Enrile, son Juan Ponce
Enrile, grandson Juan C. Ponce Enrile, Jr.
9. Roxas Family : Manuel A. Roxas, son Gerardo M. Roxas,
grandsons Gerardo A. Roxas Jr. and Manuel A. Roxas II
10.Recto Family : Claro M. Recto, son Rafael R. Recto,
grandson Rafael G. Recto
B. Four-Generation House of Representatives Legislators
(Direct Descendants)
1. Fuentebella Family : Jose Fuentebella, son Felix A. Fuentebella,
grandson Arnulfo P. Fuentebella, great grandson
Felix William B. Fuentebella
C. Husband-Wife-Son/Daughter House Legislators:
1. Antonino Family : Gaudencio Antonino, wife Magnolia Antonino,
son Adelbert Antonino
2. Gonzalez Family : Raul M. Gonzalez, wife Pacita T. Gonzalez,
son Raul T. Gonzalez, Jr.
3. Marcos Family : Ferdinand E. Marcos, wife Imelda R. Marcos,
daughter Imee R. Marcos
4. Villar Family : Manuel B. Villar, Jr., wife Cynthia A. Villar,
son Mark A. Villar
5. Villareal Family : Cornelio T. Villareal, wife Julita Lorenzo-Villareal,
son Raul L. Villareal
D. House Member Who Sat for Only One Session Date :
Former Representative Noel Cariño of Pasig City during the 12th
Congress of the Republic who won against Henry P. Lanot on 1/22/2004
and sat during Sine die 6/11/2004
Related Links :
A. Books
1. Roster of Philippine Legislators, 1907-1987,
published by the (Philippine) House of Representatives
Congressional Library, 1989
2. Assembly of the Nation: A Centennial History of the
House of Representatives, published by the (Philippine)
House of Representatives, 2007, page 266
(Note: Page 266 of this book edited by the Philippine House of
Representatives Congressional Library Bureau; official edited
version not released)
3. Batasang Pambansa (Interim) Official Directory,
published by the Public Relations Service, 1979
4. Official Directory: Regular Batasan, 1984 – 1986
(Note: this directory was not officially published due
to its being overtaken by the February 1986 People’s
Power Revolution; compiled by the Editorial Board
of the Batasang Pambansa composed of Deputy Secretary General
Alfredo E. D. Gallardo, Jr., Public Relations Board Director Romeo
T. Hernandez and Batasan Employee Lourdes Sevilla)
B. Websites (URL):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine Organic_Act_%281902%29
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_political_families_in_the_Philippines
http://www.congress.gov.ph/orphil/
C. Organization – Congressional Library Bureau,
House of Representatives
The Hrep Reference Librarian 