Philippine Legislature

This article is about a historical legislature of the Philippines. For the current legislature, see Congress of the Philippines.

Philippine Legislature
Type
Type
HousesPhilippine Commission and Philippine Assembly (1907–1916)
Senate and House of Representatives (1916–1935)
History
FoundedOctober 16, 1907 (1907-10-16)
DisbandedNovember 15, 1935 (1935-11-15)
Preceded bySecond Philippine Commission
Succeeded byNational Assembly of the Philippines
Joint session of the Philippine Legislature, Manila. November 15, 1916
Philippine Legislature before 1924

The Philippine Legislature was the legislature of the Philippines from 1907 to 1935, during the American colonial period, and predecessor of the current Congress of the Philippines. It was bicameral and the legislative branch of the Insular Government.

From 1907 to 1916, under the Philippine Organic Act of 1902, the legislature's lower house was the elected Philippine Assembly and its upper house was the appointed Philippine Commission, headed by the American governor general (who also served as the executive of the Insular Government).

In 1916, the Jones Law abolished the Philippine Commission and reorganized the Philippine Legislature as a fully elected, bicameral legislature composed of the Senate and House of Representatives, precursors to current Senate of the Philippines and House of Representatives of the Philippines.

In 1935, the Commonwealth of the Philippines was established and the National Assembly of the Philippines replaced the Philippine Legislature.