iRealtee OS Glossary

Congress of the Philippines

Congress serves as the legislative branch under the 1987 Philippine Constitution. It exercises the following powers:

Congress of the Philippines

Congress of the Philippines is the bicameral legislature of the Philippine national government responsible for enacting laws, approving the national budget, and conducting oversight of executive agencies.

Core Mandate

Congress serves as the legislative branch under the 1987 Philippine Constitution. It exercises the following powers:

  • Legislative power - Drafting, debating, and passing bills into law
  • Power of the purse - Approving the General Appropriations Act (national budget)
  • Oversight function - Investigating government agencies and conducting public hearings
  • Confirmation power - The Commission on Appointments confirms key executive appointments
  • Impeachment power - The House initiates impeachment; the Senate acts as the trial court

Key Services

Congress provides several public resources relevant to the Philippine real estate industry:

  • Congressional Policy and Budget Research Department (CPBRD) - Publishes fact sheets and policy briefs on housing, infrastructure, and economic data
  • Legislative Information System - Public access to filed bills, committee reports, and session records
  • Committee hearings - Regular inquiries on housing policy, land use, and urban development

Structure and Jurisdiction

Congress comprises two chambers:

Chamber Members Term Jurisdiction
Senate 24 senators 6 years National legislation, treaty ratification
House of Representatives ~316 district and party-list representatives 3 years Revenue bills originate here, local district concerns

The current session is the 19th Congress (July 2022 – June 2025), operating under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s administration.

Relevance to Philippine Real Estate

Congressional research provides critical market intelligence for real estate market insights and investment decisions. According to CPBRD data sourced from DHSUD, the Philippines had 6.66 million units of unmet housing demand as of December 2022.

The regional breakdown of housing needs:

  • Luzon - 2.67 million units (40.2%)
  • Mindanao - 1.75 million units (26.2%)
  • Visayas - 1.54 million units (23.1%)
  • NCR - 0.70 million units (10.5%)

This structural housing deficit represents a long-term growth indicator for property developers, real estate brokers, and investors using property analytics tools. You can use this data when conducting property financial analysis to assess demand-side fundamentals.

Congressional budget allocations also affect socialized housing programs. The housing sector received only 0.44% of total public expenditure in 2024 (PHP 24.4 billion), signaling continued reliance on private sector development and Pag-IBIG Fund financing.

Official Resources

References

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