Batasang Pambansa

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The Batasang Pambansa (English: National Assembly), also known by its nickname, the Batasan, was the former parliament of the Philippines, established as an interim assembly in 1976 and finally as an official body in 1981. Under the 1973 constitution, it replaced the former Congress established under the 1935 Commonwealth constitution. The Batasan was one of two unicameral parliaments in Philippine history, the other being the Malolos Congress under the 1899 constitution.

Today, the term refers to the Batasang Pambansa complex, where the former parliament convened, and now where members of the Philippine House of Representatives hold their sessions. Comprising 212 members elected by first past the post and 23 members elected by party list proportional representation, the legislators debate economic, social and other issues inside the complex. The Batasang Pambansa is located in Batasan Road, Batasan Hills, Quezon City.

The Batasang Pambansa plenary hall is also used for joint sessions of the Philippine Congress, such as election results confirmation meetings, and addresses by the President or other guests of honor. The annual State of the Nation Address delivered by the President of the Philippines in a joint session of Congress is one example of such a speech.

[edit] History

[edit] The Batasang Pambansa

Martial law was declared by President Ferdinand Marcos on September 23, 1972. He imposed a curfew, banned public assemblies, silenced the free press, outlawed protest movements, arrested opposition politicians, dissolved the bicameral Congress and created "citizen's" or "barangay" assemblies to ratify his decrees, including the 1973 constitution. Beginning in 1976, he began to implement the provisions of the 1973 Constitution, including the organization of an Interim Batasang Pambansa, roughly translated as "National Assembly." In 1981, the semi-parliament was formally convened as the "Batasang Pambansa." In 1984, the Batasan tried to impeach Marcos, but was unsuccessful. After the ratification of the 1987 constitution, the Batasang Pambansa was subsequently dissolved, however it was declared dissolved as far back as the 1986 amendments to the 1973 constitution, known as Presidential Proclamation No. 3.

[edit] The Batasang Pambansa complex

The Batasang Pambansa complex started construction in the 1950s following the naming of Quezon City as the new capital city. However, due to lack of funding, only the foundation was initially completed, and the complex was not completed until the 1970s under the Marcos Administration to house the Batasang Pambansa, a unicameral parliament. However, under the 1987 constitution, the legislative branch again became bicameral. The numerically larger House of Representatives retained the Great Hall and the offices of the old Batasang Pambansa on the grounds of the complex. The smaller, newly-reinstated Senate returned to the original Legislative building in Manila until the complex was turned over to the National Museum of the Philippines under the administration of Fidel Ramos, and has since moved to the GSIS Building on reclaimed land on Manila Bay in Manila.

Batasan Road, the road on which the walled and heavily guarded complex lies, is lined with squatter dwellings, a telling sign of the little progress made within the complex's walls.