Senate of the Philippines

Senate of the Philippines Senado ng Pilipinas
19th Congress of the Philippines
Seal of the Senate of the Philippines
Flag of the Senate of the Philippines
Type
Type	Upper house of the Congress of the Philippines
Term limits	2 consecutive terms (12 years)
History
Founded	October 16, 1916 (1916-10-16)
Preceded by	Second Philippine Commission
Leadership
President of the Senate of the Philippines	Francis Escudero, NPC since May 20, 2024
President pro tempore	Jinggoy Estrada, PMP since May 20, 2024
Majority Leader	Francis Tolentino, PFP since May 20, 2024
Minority Leader	Koko Pimentel, NP since July 25, 2022
Structure
Seats	24 senators
Political groups	Majority bloc (15)   Nacionalista (4)   PDP (3)   NPC (2)   Lakas (1)   PFP (1)   PMP (1)   Independent (3) Minority bloc (2)   Nacionalista (1)   Akbayan (1) Independent bloc (6)   NPC (3)   UNA (1)   Independent (2) Vacant (1)   Vacancies (1)
Committees	41 standing committees
Length of term	6 years, renewable once
Authority	Article VI, Constitution of the Philippines
Elections
Voting system	Plurality-at-large voting
Last election	May 9, 2022 (12 seats)
Next election	May 12, 2025 (12 seats)
Meeting place
GSIS Building, Financial Center, Jose W. Diokno Boulevard, Pasay
Website
senate.gov.ph
Rules
Rules of the Senate (English)

Politics of the Philippines
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Executive President of the Philippines Bongbong Marcos (PFP) Vice President of the Philippines Sara Duterte (HNP) Cabinet (lists) Executive departments Local government
Legislature Congress of the Philippines 19th Congress Senate President Francis Escudero (Independent) House of Representatives Speaker Martin Romualdez (Lakas) Districts Party-list representation Bangsamoro Parliament Provincial boards City councils Municipal councils Barangay councils
Judiciary Supreme Court of the Philippines Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo Court of Appeals Court of Tax Appeals Sandiganbayan Ombudsman Regional Trial Courts Barangay justice
Constitutional commissions Civil Service Commission Chairperson Marilyn Barua-Yap Commission on Audit Chairperson Gamaliel Cordoba Commission on Elections Chairperson George Garcia
Elections General 2019 2022 2025 Barangay 2013 2018 2023 Referendums
Political parties Akbayan Aksyon Lakas LDP Liberal Nacionalista NPC NUP PFP Reporma PDP UNA
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The Senate of the Philippines (Filipino: Senado ng Pilipinas) is the upper house of Congress, the bicameral legislature of the Philippines, with the House of Representatives as the lower house. The Senate is composed of 24 senators who are elected at-large (the country forms one district in senatorial elections) under a plurality-at-large voting system.

Senators serve six-year terms with a maximum of two consecutive terms, with half of the senators elected in staggered elections every three years. When the Senate was restored by the 1987 Constitution, the 24 senators who were elected in 1987 served until 1992. In 1992, the 12 candidates for the Senate obtaining the highest number of votes served until 1998, while the next 12 served until 1995. Thereafter, each senator elected serves the full six years. From 1945 to 1972, the Senate was a continuing body, with only eight seats up every two years.

Aside from having its concurrence on every bill in order to be passed for the president's signature to become a law, the Senate is the only body that can concur with treaties and try impeachment cases. The president of the Senate is the presiding officer and highest-ranking official of the Senate. They are elected by the entire body to be their leader and are second in the Philippine presidential line of succession. The current officeholder is Francis Escudero.