Senat History

History of the Senate
The legislature in any society performs the important function of deliberating policies for the people and passing them in the form of statutes.
Although the Philippine Legislature was organized only in 1916, it had deep roots in the past. Long before the Spanish rulers came to the Philippines, the people in their barangays were already governed by a set of rules by their chief. Over the long span of Spanish and American rule, various forms of legislative structures were set up to perpetuate the colonial rulers’ desire to rule the country.
The Filipinos, just like other colonized people, fought for independence from colonial rule. During this struggle, they also recognized the critical role that a legislature could play in the movement for independence. After the victory over Spain, they established the Malolos Congress, based on their Constitution. The Philippine Legislature, composed of the Philippine Senate and the House of Representatives, was created under the Philippine Autonomy Act, popularly known as the Jones Law, which was passed by the Congress of the United States and became law on August 29, 1916. It served as the legislative body of the Philippines from October 1916 to November 1935, until it was succeeded by the National Assembly upon the inauguration on November 15, 1935 of the Commonwealth provided in the Constitution of the Philippines.