The 17th Congress is capping its six months in office with only two laws passed and a slew of controversial investigations in both the Senate and House of Representatives, government records showed.

Congress went on Christmas vacation last week with just the 2017 national budget and the measure on the postponement of the 2016 village elections becoming law.

Since the 17th Congress convened in July this year, the House Bills and Index Division received a total of 6,029 measures, comprising of 5,360 bills and 669 resolutions, according to the House Committee on Rules.

But the number of bills processed only totaled to 321, with around six measures processed per session day.

Of this number, 18 were passed on third and final reading, 11 were approved on second reading while 32 were adopted as resolutions. The House also produced 26 committee reports.

Among the measures approved on third and final reading are those mandating lower penalties for certain crimes (HB 335), creating crime prevention committees in colleges and universities (HB 4100), declaring January 23 as a special non-working holiday (HB 477), strengthening occupational safety and health standards (HB 64), and imposing a two-tier excise tax structure on cigarettes (HB 4144).

The highly anticipated measure to jack up Social Security System (SSS) pensions was also left pending on the floor as it was among the 11 measures only approved by the House on second reading.

Among the notable resolutions adopted by the House is the House panel report on the proliferation of drug syndicates in the New Bilibid Prison.

OVER AT THE SENATE

On the other hand, senators since the start of the 17th Congress had filed a total of 1,283 bills and 253 resolutions, which are in different stages of legislation.

It had also adopted 33 resolutions, most noteworthy of which is the ratification of the Articles of Agreement of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, which Senate President Koko Pimentel said had provided "the government access to more sources of funding so we can usher in a golden age of infrastructure for the Philippines."

Critics, however, said Congress could have passed more worthwhile measures considering the number of allies President Rodrigo Duterte has in both Houses.

"(They) could have passed a more expansive social reform agenda... a big segment of the House is there to make sipsip (suck up)... to brown nose as far as the President is concerned," said political analyst and University of the Philippines professor Ranjit Rye.

Congress, however, spent too much time politicking, said Rye.

"Sinayang sa pulitika pa-pogi so much vilification," he said.

"I think the institution's image went down because of the things that happened...which isn't a big surprise because the President doesn't have big party to start with," he added.

Kabayan Party-List Rep. Harry Roque admitted that there is room for improvement but noted that there are definitely good things going on in Congress.

He specifically said that in the 17th Congress, there was never an instance when there was no quorum in the House of Representatives.

"That, by itself, is an achievement kasi kung kukumpara mo sa 16th Congress yung mga kongresista di talaga pumapasok," he said.

(That by itself is an achievement. In the 16th Congress, congressmen really didn't go to work.)

Rye, meanwhile, said he hopes the President can take action on other things aside from the war on drugs.

"I think he could spend more time talking about bigger problems like the peace process," he said.