1st Congress of the Philippines

The 1st Congress of the Philippines (Filipino: Unang Kongreso ng Pilipinas), composed of the Philippine Senate and House of Representatives, met from May 25, 1946, until December 13, 1949, during the 22-month presidency of Manuel Roxas and the first two years of Elpidio Quirino's presidency. The body was originally convened as the 2nd Congress of the Commonwealth of the Philippines. On August 5, 1946, Republic Act No. 6 was approved, renaming the body as the 1st Congress of the Philippines.

1st Congress of the Philippines
← 1st Commonwealth Congress 2nd →
Overview
Term	May 25, 1946 – December 13, 1949
President	Manuel Roxas (until April 15, 1948) Elpidio Quirino (from April 17, 1948)
Vice President	Elpidio Quirino (until April 17, 1948)
Senate
Members	24
President	Jose Avelino (until February 21, 1949) Mariano Jesus Cuenco (from February 21, 1949)
President pro tempore	Melecio Arranz
Majority leader	Vicente Francisco (until February 21, 1949) Tomas Cabili (from February 21, 1949)
Minority leader	Carlos P. Garcia
House of Representatives
Members	98
Speaker	Eugenio Perez
Speaker pro tempore	Francisco Ortega
Majority leader	Raul T. Leuterio
Minority leader	Cipriano Primicias Sr.

Sessions

2nd Congress of the Commonwealth of the Philippines

• Regular Session: May 25 – July 4, 1946

1st Congress of the Philippines

• First Regular Session: July 5 – September 18, 1946
• First Special Session: September 25–30, 1946
• Second Regular Session: January 27 – May 22, 1947
• Third Regular Session: January 26 – May 20, 1948
• Second Special Session: June 14–26, 1948
• Fourth Regular Session: January 24 – May 19, 1949
• Special Joint Session: December 13, 1949

Legislation

The Second Commonwealth Congress passed a total of 12 laws: Commonwealth Acts No. 721 to 733.

The First Congress of the Philippines passed a total of 421 laws: Republic Acts No. 1 to 421.

Leadership

Senate

• President:
  • Jose Avelino (Liberal), until February 21, 1949
  • Mariano Jesus Cuenco (Liberal), from February 21, 1949
• President pro tempore: Melecio Arranz (Liberal)
• Majority Floor Leader:
  • Vicente Francisco (Liberal), until February 21, 1949
  • Tomas Cabili (Liberal), from February 21, 1949
• Minority Floor Leader: Carlos P. Garcia (Nacionalista)

House of Representatives

• Speaker: Eugenio Perez (Pangasinan–2nd, Liberal)
• Speaker pro-tempore: Francisco Ortega (La Union–1st, Liberal)
• Majority Floor Leader: Raul Leuterio (Mindoro, Liberal)
• Minority Floor Leader: Cipriano Primicias Sr. (Pangasinan–4th, Nacionalista)

Members

Senate

The following are the terms of the senators of this Congress, according to the date of election:

• For senators elected on November 11, 1941: July 9, 1945 – December 30, 1947
• For the first eight senators elected on April 23, 1946: May 25, 1946 – December 30, 1951
• For the other eight senators elected on April 23, 1946: May 25, 1946 – December 30, 1949
• For senators elected on November 11, 1947: December 30, 1947 – December 30, 1953.

Senator	Party		Term ending
Alauya Alonto		Nacionalista	1947
Pablo Angeles David		Liberal	1953
Melecio Arranz		Liberal	1951
Jose Avelino		Liberal	1951
Tomas Cabili		Nacionalista	1949
Olegario Clarin		Liberal	1949
Tomas V. Confesor		Liberal	1951
Mariano Jesus Cuenco		Liberal	1951
Esteban de la Rama[a]		Nacionalista	1947
Ramon Diokno		Nacionalista	1949
Vicente Francisco		Liberal	1951
Carlos P. Garcia		Nacionalista	1951
Pedro Hernaez		Nacionalista	1947
Fernando Lopez[b]		Liberal	1953
Alejo Mabanag		Nacionalista	1949
Vicente Madrigal		Liberal	1947, 1953
Enrique Magalona		Liberal	1949
Camilo Osias		Liberal	1953
Geronima Pecson		Liberal	1953
Salipada Pendatun		Liberal	1949
Vicente Rama		Nacionalista	1947
Eulogio Rodriguez[c]		Nacionalista	1947, 1953
Jose E. Romero[d]		Nacionalista	1949
Prospero Sanidad[e]		Liberal	1949
Proceso Sebastian		Nacionalista	1947
Vicente Sotto		Popular Front	1951
Carlos Tan[f]		Liberal	1953
Lorenzo Tañada		Liberal	1953
Emiliano Tria Tirona		Liberal[g]	1947, 1953
Ramon Torres		Liberal	1951
Jose O. Vera		Nacionalista	1949

House of Representatives

House seats by province in the 1st Congress.

Province/City	District	Representative	Party
Abra	Lone	Quintin Paredes		Liberal
Agusan	Lone	Marcos M. Calo		Liberal
Albay	1st	Eulogio V. Lawenko		Nacionalista
	2nd	Toribio Perez		Liberal
	3rd	Marcial O. Rañola		Nacionalista
Antique	Lone	Emigdio Nietes		Nacionalista
Bataan	Lone	Bonifacio Camacho		Popular Front
Batanes	Lone	Anastacio Agan		Nacionalista
Batangas	1st	Felixberto M. Serrano		Nacionalista
	2nd	Pedro P. Muñoz		Nacionalista
	3rd	Jose Laurel Jr.		Nacionalista
Bohol	1st	Luis T. Clarin[h]		Liberal
		Genaro Visarra[i]		Nacionalista
	2nd	Simeon G. Toribio		Liberal
	3rd	Cosme P. Garcia		Nacionalista
Bukidnon	Lone	Remedios Ozamis Fortich		Liberal
Bulacan	1st	Jesus Lava[j]		Democratic Alliance
		Florante C. Roque[k]		Liberal
	2nd	Alejo Santos		Nacionalista
Cagayan	1st	Conrado V. Singson		Nacionalista
	2nd	Paulino A. Alonzo		Nacionalista
Camarines Norte	Lone	Esmeraldo Eco		Young Philippines
Camarines Sur	1st	Juan Q. Miranda		Liberal
	2nd	Sebastian C. Moll Jr.		Liberal
Capiz	1st	Ramon A. Arnaldo		Liberal
	2nd	Cornelio Villareal		Liberal
	3rd	Jose M. Reyes		Liberal
Catanduanes	Lone	Francisco A. Perfecto		Nacionalista
Cavite	Lone	Justiniano Montano		Nacionalista
Cebu	1st	Jovenal Almendras		Nacionalista
	2nd	Vicente Logarta		Nacionalista
	3rd	Maximino Noel		Nacionalista
	4th	Agustin Kintanar		Nacionalista
	5th	Leandro Tojong		Liberal
	6th	Nicolas Rafols[l]		Nacionalista
		Manuel A. Zosa[m]		Nacionalista
	7th	Jose V. Rodriguez		Nacionalista
Cotabato	Lone	Gumbay Piang		Liberal
Davao	Lone	Apolinario Cabigon		Nacionalista
Ilocos Norte	1st	Damaso T. Samonte		Liberal
	2nd	Pedro A. Albano		Liberal
Ilocos Sur	1st	Floro Crisologo		Nacionalista
	2nd	Fidel Villanueva		Liberal
Iloilo	1st	Jose Zulueta[n]		Liberal
		Mateo M. Nonato[o]		Liberal
	2nd	Oscar Ledesma		Nacionalista
	3rd	Tiburcio Lutero		Liberal
	4th	Mariano Peñaflorida[p]		Nacionalista
		Gaudencio Dimaisip[q]		Nacionalista
	5th	Juan Borra		Liberal
Isabela	Lone	Domingo Paguirigan		Liberal
La Union	1st	Francisco Ortega		Liberal
	2nd	Manuel T. Cases		Liberal
Laguna	1st	Eduardo A. Barreto		Liberal
	2nd	Estanislao Fernandez		Liberal
Lanao	Lone	Manalao Mindalano		Nacionalista
Leyte	1st	Carlos Tan[r]		Liberal
		Jose R. Martinez[s]		Liberal
	2nd	Domingo Veloso		Liberal
	3rd	Francisco M. Pajao		Liberal
	4th	Juan R. Perez		Liberal
	5th	Atilano R. Cinco		Liberal
Manila	1st	Jose Topacio Nueno		Popular Front
	2nd	Hermenegildo Atienza		Liberal
Marinduque	Lone	Timoteo P. Ricohermoso		Liberal
Masbate	Lone	Emilio B. Espinosa		Liberal
Mindoro	Lone	Raul T. Leuterio		Liberal
Misamis Occidental	Lone	Porfirio G. Villarin		Liberal
Misamis Oriental	Lone	Pedro S. Baculio		Liberal
Mountain Province	1st	George K. Tait		Nacionalista
	2nd	Jose B. Mencio		Liberal
	3rd	Gabriel Dunuan		Nacionalista
Negros Occidental	1st	Vicente F. Gustilo Sr.		Nacionalista
	2nd	Carlos Hilado		Liberal
	3rd	Elisio M. Limsiaco		Liberal
Negros Oriental	1st	Lorenzo Teves		Nacionalista
	2nd	Enrique Medina		Liberal
Nueva Ecija	1st	Jose A. Cando[j]		Democratic Alliance
	2nd	Constancio Padilla[j]		Democratic Alliance
Nueva Vizcaya	Lone	Leon Cabarroguis		Liberal
Palawan	Lone	Sofronio Española		Liberal
Pampanga	1st	Amado Yuzon[j]		Democratic Alliance
	2nd	Luis Taruc[t]		Democratic Alliance
Pangasinan	1st	Juan G. Rodriguez		Nacionalista
	2nd	Eugenio Perez		Liberal
	3rd	Pascual Beltran		Liberal
	4th	Cipriano Primicias Sr.		Nacionalista
	5th	Narciso Ramos[u]		Liberal
		Cipriano S. Allas[v]		Liberal
Rizal	1st	Diaz Ignacio Santos		Liberal
	2nd	Lorenzo Sumulong		Popular Front
Romblon	Lone	Modesto Formilleza		Liberal
Samar	1st	Agripino Escareal		Liberal
	2nd	Tito V. Tizon		Liberal
	3rd	Adriano D. Lomuntad		Liberal
Sorsogon	1st	Pacifico F. Lim		Liberal
	2nd	Tomas Clemente		Liberal
Sulu	Lone	Ombra Amilbangsa		Liberal
Surigao	Lone	Ricardo Navarro		Nacionalista
Tarlac	1st	Jose Roy		Liberal
	2nd	Alejandro Simpaoco[j]		Democratic Alliance
Tayabas	1st	Fortunato Suarez		Liberal
	2nd	Tomas Morato		Liberal
Zambales	Lone	Ramon Magsaysay		Liberal
Zamboanga	Lone	Juan S. Alano		Liberal

See also

• Congress of the Philippines
• Senate of the Philippines
• House of Representatives of the Philippines
• 1946 Philippine general election

Notes

1. Esteban de la Rama died on November 30, 1947.
2. Fernando Lopez resigned on December 30, 1949, upon taking office as Vice President of the Philippines.
3. Eulogio Rodriguez initially lost reelection in 1947. He later took office on December 27, 1949, after winning an electoral protest against Carlos Tan.
4. Jose E. Romero was removed by the Senate Electoral Tribunal on May 8, 1947, after an electoral protest.
5. Prospero Sanidad took office on May 22, 1947, after winning an electoral protest against Jose E. Romero.
6. Carlos Tan was removed by the Senate Electoral Tribunal on December 16, 1949, after an electoral protest.
7. Affiliated with the Nacionalista Party until 1947.
8. Luis T. Clarin was removed by the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal on February 15, 1949, after an electoral protest.
9. Genaro Visarra took office on March 4, 1949, after winning an electoral protest against Luis T. Clarin.
10. Representative-elects from the Democratic Alliance were prevented from taking office due to electoral protests.
11. Florante C. Roque won an electoral protest against Jesus Lava.
12. Nicolas Rafols died on May 2, 1947.
13. Manuel A. Zosa was elected on November 11, 1947, to succeed Nicolas Rafols.
14. Jose Zulueta was appointed as Secretary of the Interior on May 28, 1946.
15. Mateo M. Nonato was elected on March 11, 1947, to succeed Jose Zulueta.
16. Mariano Peñaflorida was elected as Governor of Iloilo on November 11, 1947.
17. Gaudencio Dimaisip was elected on March 23, 1948, to succeed Mariano Peñaflorida.
18. Carlos Tan took office as Senator of the Philippines on December 30, 1947.
19. Jose R. Martinez was elected on March 23, 1948, to succeed Carlos Tan.
20. Luis Taruc resigned on June 1, 1946, to resume the leadership of the Hukbalahap Rebellion.
21. Narciso Ramos was appointed as minister-counsellor to the United Nations on July 15, 1946.
22. Cipriano S. Allas was elected on March 17, 1947, to succeed Narciso Ramos.

External links

• "List of Senators". Senate of the Philippines. Archived from the original on September 14, 2006. Retrieved September 16, 2006.
• "The LAWPHiL Project – Philippine Laws and Jurispudance Databank". Arellano Law Foundation. Archived from the original on September 1, 2006. Retrieved September 16, 2006.

Further reading

• Philippine House of Representatives Congressional Library
• Paras, Corazon L. (2000). The Presidents of the Senate of the Republic of the Philippines. ISBN 971-8832-24-6.
• Pobre, Cesar P. (2000). Philippine Legislature 100 Years. ISBN 971-92245-0-9.