1st Isabela Youth Parliament

The Hotel Sophia

Cauayan City, Isabela

RULES OF PROCEDURES (ROP)

1ST ISABELA YOUTH PARLIAMENT

WHEREAS, Art. II, Sec. 13 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution provides that “The State
recognizes the vital role of the youth in nation-building and shall promote and protect their
physical, moral, spiritual, intellectual, and social well-being. It shall inculcate in the youth
patriotism and nationalism and encourage their involvement in civic affairs”;

WHEREAS, Sec. 13 of RA 8044 or the Youth in Nation-Building Act of 1995, mandates the
National Youth Commission (NYC) to convene the National Youth Parliament;

WHEREAS, Sec. 23 of RA 10742 creates the Local Youth Development Council to ensure
wide and multi-sectoral youth participation in local governance;

WHEREAS, Sec. 8 (h) of RA 10742 mandates the Sangguniang Kabataan to “Partner with
the LYDC in planning and executing projects and programs of specific advocacies.”

WHEREAS, the Local Youth Development Office is the Secretariat to the Local Youth
Development Council;

NOW THEREFORE, be it resolved, as it is hereby resolved, in a session duly assembled by

the delegates to the 1st Isabela Youth Parliament:

RULE I
COMPOSITION

Section 1. The 1st Isabela Youth Parliament (IYP) shall be composed of 150 qualified
applicants screened and selected by the Provincial Youth Development Office.

RULE II
THE PARLIAMENT MACE

Section 1. The Mace shall be the symbol of authority of the Parliament. It shall serve as the
warrant of the Sergeant-at-Arms in enforcing order in the Parliament.

Section 2. The Mace shall be displayed at the right side of the President/Presiding Officer’s
rostrum when the Parliament is in session. The Mace shall be removed when the Parliament
is not in session.
 RULE III
THE COMMITTEES

Section 1. The Parliament shall organize the following committees:

 Health and Environment

 Education, Economic Empowerment and Global Mobility
 Social Inclusion and Equity
 Peace building and Security
 Governance and Active Citizenship

Section 2. The Official List of Members of the Committees shall be certified by the 1 st IYP
Facilitators.

Section 3. The Committees shall be in charge of crafting a Resolution proposing youth

development-related projects, programs, activities, policies and/or amendments to the
current Isabela Youth Code and Provincial Youth Development Plan (2020-2022). Such may
be based from existing bills or policies on youth development and shall be presented and
deliberated by the Parliament during plenary sessions.

Section 4. The Committees shall conduct business in accordance with the prescribed
schedule. The meetings shall only be conducted when there is a quorum. A simple majority
(50% + 1) of the committee members based on the Official List of Members shall constitute a
quorum.

If there is no quorum, the Chairperson shall announce the same immediately and declare the
suspension of its proceedings until such time that there is sufficient number of committee
members that will constitute a quorum.

RULE IV
COMMITTEE OFFICERS

Section 1. The officers of the Committees shall be as follows:

a) Committee Chairperson;
b) Committee Vice Chairperson;
c) Committee Secretary; and,
d) Committee Deputy Secretary.

Section 2. The election of committee officers shall be governed by the guidelines formulated
by the IYP Facilitators.

Section 3. The officers of the committees shall be elected at the start of the first committee
session.

In case of vacancies on the positions of Chairperson and Secretary, the Vice Chairperson
and the Deputy Secretary shall assume said positions, respectively. In case of vacancies on
the positions of Vice Chairperson and Deputy Secretary, the candidate who received the
second highest number of votes shall assume said positions, respectively.
A special election shall be conducted when the IYP Facilitators deem it necessary.

RULE V
THE DUTIES AND FUNCTIONS OF THE COMMITTEE CHAIRPERSON

Section 1. The Committee Chairperson shall have the following duties and responsibilities:

a) Presides over committee sessions;

b) Decides on all questions of order subject to appeal by any member;
c) Puts question/s to a vote and announce decisions;
d) Enforce rules and guidelines provided under this ROP; and,
e) Imposes proper disciplinary measures in consultation with the committee officers.

Section 2. The Committee Chairperson has the right to act at his/her own discretion to
ensure the smooth operation of the Committee. To this end, he/she has the authority over
the Committee’s proceedings and the maintenance of order therein. The Chairperson has
the power to entertain, deny, or question the propriety of any motion.

RULE VI
THE DUTIES AND FUNCTIONS OF THE COMMITTEE VICE-CHAIRPERSON

Section 1. The Committee Vice-Chairperson shall act as the presiding officer in the absence
of the Committee Chairperson.

Section 2. The Committee Vice-Chairperson shall ensure the attendance of Committee

members.

RULE VII
THE DUTIES AND FUNCTIONS OF THE COMMITTEE SECRETARY
AND THE DEPUTY COMMITTEE SECRETARY

Section 1. The Committee Secretary shall have the following duties and responsibilities:

a) Calls the roll of Committee members;

b) Records Committee meetings and prepare reports thereafter and submit to
Committee Chairperson and IYP Facilitators;
c) Prepares all required documents of the Committee;
d) Provides support to the Secretary General during the Parliament; and,
e) Submits the Committee’s Proposal/s to the IYP Facilitators.

Section 2. The Deputy Secretary shall have the following powers and responsibilities:

a) Assists the Committee Secretary in the performance of his/her functions;

b) Serves as the timekeeper of the committee and ensure that the Committee will be
able to comply with the prescribed schedule; and,
c) Acts as the Committee Secretary in the absence of the Committee Secretary.

RULE VIII
RIGHTS AND DUTIES OF THE PARLIAMENT MEMBERS

Section 1. The members of the Parliament shall have the following rights and duties:
 a) The right to vote and be voted upon;
b) The right to be informed on any matter pertaining to the membership of the
Parliament;
c) The right to access parliament documents; and,
d) The duty to attend and participate in all sessions.

RULE IX
PARLIAMENT OFFICERS

Section 1. The following shall be the officers of the Parliament:

a) One (1) President;

b) One (1) Vice President;
c) Two (2, one Majority and one Minority) Floor Leaders;
d) One (1) Secretary General; and,
e) Two (2, one male and one female) Sergeant-At-Arms.

RULE X
ELECTION OF PARLIAMENT OFFICERS

Section 1. The election of the Officers of the Parliament shall be governed by the guidelines
formulated by the IYP Facilitators.

RULE XI
THE DUTIES AND FUNCTIONS OF THE PRESIDENT

Section 1. The President of the Parliament, as the Speaker of the Parliament, shall have the
following duties and functions:

a) Calls the session to order;

b) Recognize the member obtaining the floor or seeking recognition;
c) Makes rulings particularly on points of order, parliamentary inquiry, requests and
other procedural matters;
d) Maintains order, decorum, and discipline and impose appropriate disciplinary action
to erring parliament member;
e) Puts the pending question to vote and announce the result thereof;
f) Signs Proposals for the Isabela Youth Code and the Provincial Youth Development
Plan upon the approval of the majority of the members of the parliament; and,
g) Exercises discretion to vote in case of a tie.

RULE XII
DUTY OF THE VICE PRESIDENT

Section 1. The Vice President shall act as the presiding officer in the absence of the
President/Presiding Officer.

RULE XIII
THE DUTIES AND FUNCTIONS OF THE FLOOR LEADERS

Section 1. The Floor Leaders shall have the following responsibilities:

 a) Ensure the orderly flow of the business on the floor during the plenary sessions; and,
b) Assist the Secretary General in the preparation of the Parliament’s Order of
Business.

RULE XIV
THE DUTIES AND FUNCTIONS OF THE SECRETARY GENERAL

Section 1. The Secretary General shall have the following responsibilities:

a) Records the proceedings of the Parliament and prepare a report thereafter;

b) Determines and report to the President the presence of a quorum;
c) Leads the preparation of the Parliament’s Calendar of Business in coordination with
the Floor Leaders;
d) Prepares and certify all required documents of the Parliament;
e) Serves as the custodian of all the required documents of the Parliament;

RULE XV
THE DUTIES AND FUNCTIONS OF THE SERGEANT AT ARMS

Section 1. The Sergeant at Arms shall perform the following functions:

a) Enforce rules pertaining to order and decorum during sessions;

b) Ensure general control over the session hall of the Parliament;
c) Implement orders and serve all processes issued by the Parliament President; and,
d) Keep custody of the mace and shall ensure its proper display and positioning.

RULE XVI
THE PERIOD OF THE PARLIAMENT

Section 1. The Parliament shall be in session on December 13-14, 2019 after which it shall
be deemed expired.

RULE XVII
PLENARY QUORUM

Section 1. The Parliament shall conduct business in accordance with the prescribed
schedule. The session shall only be conducted when there is a quorum. A simple majority of
the Members of the Parliament based on the Official List of Members shall constitute a
quorum.

Section 2. If there is no quorum, the President shall announce the same immediately and
declare the suspension of its proceedings until such time that there is sufficient number of
Members of the Parliament that will constitute a quorum.

The President may direct the Sergeant-at-Arms to compel the attendance of members not
present in the plenary, based on the Official List of Members.

Section 3. If in any part of the session a question of quorum is raised, the President shall
direct the Secretary General to call the roll of Members.
 RULE XVIII
ORDER OF BUSINESS

Section 1. The Order of Business for the Plenary Sessions shall follow the sequence
hereunder:

a) Call to Order
b) Invocation
c) National Anthem
d) Roll Call of Members
e) Approval of the Order of Business
f) Transacting Business
i. Sponsorship Speech
ii. Presentation of Resolutions
iii. Period of Interpellations
iv. Period of Amendments
v. Adoption of Resolutions
g) Suspension of Session to give way to:
i. Turn-over Ceremony and Public Hearing of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan
Committee on Youth and Sports
h) Matters of Information
i) Adjournment

RULE XIX
SPONSORSHIP SPEECH

Section 1. The Presiding Officer shall recognize the Chairperson of the Committee
concerned for his/her Sponsorship Speech.

Section 2. The Chairperson of the Committee concerned shall only be given a maximum of
three (3) minutes to deliver his/her Sponsorship Speech.

RULE XX
PRESENTATION OF PROPOSED RESOLUTION

Section 1. Any member of the Committee can present the Committee’s proposed
Resolution. It shall be the discretion of the Committee members who among them shall read
the Resolution before the Parliament.

Section 2. The Sponsoring Committee shall only be given a maximum of ten (10) minutes to
present the Committee’s Proposal/s.

RULE XXI
PERIOD OF INTERPELLATION

Section 1. Each non-sponsoring committee shall only be allowed to have one (1)
interpellator per proposed Resolution.
After careful deliberation within their respective committees, Chairpersons of non-sponsoring
Committees who wish to have more than one (1) interpellator shall address the request to
the President/Presiding Officer.

Other non-sponsoring Committees who opt not to interpellate shall inform the same to the
President/Presiding Officer. Their right to interpellate shall be transferred to non-sponsoring
Committees who wish to have more than one (1) interpellator.

The first non-sponsoring Committee to request additional interpellator shall be the first one to
be granted such once a non-sponsoring Committee waved their right to interpellate.

Section 2. Each non-sponsoring committee shall only be allowed one (1) additional
interpellator.

Section 3. The Presiding Officer shall recognize the interpellator who wishes to question the
Sponsoring Committee.

Each interpellator shall only be given two (2) minutes to interpellate which he/she shall
address to the Sponsor/Chairman of the Sponsoring Committee.

Section 4. The Sponsor of the Resolution, or any member of the Sponsoring Committee,
shall only be given two (2) minutes to answer the questions asked by each interpellator.

Section 5. Each Sponsoring Committee shall only be given a maximum of thirty (30)
minutes for the entire period of interpellation.

RULE XXII
PERIOD OF AMENDMENT

Section 1. The Parliament shall deliberate on each and every suggested amendment to the
Resolution presented by each Committee.

Section 2. Any amendment may be withdrawn any time before a vote is taken thereon.

Section 3. When the proponent of the original motion withdraws his/her proposed
amendment, other proponents of the same amendment may appeal to the body. They shall
only be given a maximum of two (2) minutes to address the plenary with their position on the
proposed amendment.

The presiding officer may opt to divide the body through voting by viva voce.

Section 4. Each Sponsoring Committee shall only be given twenty (20) minutes for the
entire period of amendment.

RULE XXIII
ADOPTION OF RESOLUTIONS

Section 1. After the period of amendments, the Parliament shall vote on the adoption of the
Resolution.
Section 2. The Sponsor of the Resolution may move for its adoption after the presentation
of the proposed resolution to the Parliament.

RULE XXIV
VOTES AND VOTING

Section 1. Voting shall be by viva voce, raise of hand, or by standing.

Section 2. A vote by viva voce is when the question has been put by the Presiding Officer in
a clear, precise and simple language, the votes shall be taken by voices of “Ayes” and
“Nays”

Section 3. If the Presiding Officer doubts the result of the voting by voice, to require a more
precise method of counting, voting shall be by raise of hand or by standing.

Section 4. In voting, the affirmative votes shall be counted first, and then the negative votes.

Section 5. If there is any question to the result of the voting, any member, with the
agreement of the simple majority of members present based from the Official List of
Members, may move for the recounting of affirmative and the negative votes.

Section 6. Results of the voting shall be announced to the members of the Parliament by
the Presiding Officer immediately after the tabulation of the Secretary General.

Section 7. No member shall be permitted to vote on any measure after the Presiding Officer
has announced the result of the voting.

RULE XXV
ASSIGNMENT OF SEATS

Section 1. Except for the President, Vice President, Floor Leaders, Secretary General and
Sergeant-at-Arms, delegates shall sit according to their respective committees.

RULE XXVI
EFFECTIVITY

Section 1. These rules shall take effect on the date of adoption.

Adopted: December 07, 2019.