MEMBERS of the House of Representatives are eyeing to pass more pending bills in the remaining nine session days of the 17th Congress, even as they prodded the Senate to act on priority bills earlier approved on third reading in the House.
Assistant Majority Leader Rep. Bernadette Herrera-Dy said lawmakers are moving to get more laws passed when session resumes on Monday (May 20).
Assistant Majority Leader Michael Romero of 1-Pacman party-list also said Congress is now awaiting the signing into law of bills on the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program and Magna Carta for the Poor.
“Another imminent law is the proposed Philippine Innovation Act for micro, small and medium scale enterprises,” the lawmaker said.
“Working with our colleagues in the House and the Senate, we placed our mark on these three significant pieces of legislation, especially the two anti-poverty measures wherein we pushed for systems, processes, standards, and funding meant to make the government implement its social programs better than ever before,” Romero said.
Meanwhile, Herrera-Dy urged the Senate to act on the pending bills that the lower chamber transmitted to them before Congress went on recess last February 5.
“If the Senate is able to approve some of those bills, the House would swiftly act on them so they can be sent to Malacañang at the soonest,” Herrera-Dy said.
Earlier, Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo urged the House to now focus on all pending local bills as these are intended to address persistent concerns of every legislative district.
Arroyo said this as the House passed the President’s entire legislative agenda as he announced in his 2018 State of the Nation Address.
Vital bills
Before Congress went on a break, the House of Representatives passed and endorsed for Senate approval the necessary legislative measures which are vital to “uplift the lives of the people, ensure peace and order in the country, strengthen the campaign against drugs, provide more jobs to the people, lure more investments and enhance national development,” the HOR leadership noted.
Among these bills are those on Security of Tenure (SOT), Trabaho bill or TRAIN 2, as well as taxes on Mining, Alcohol and Tobacco; and the proposed revision of the Constitution.
House Bill 8858 or a measure amending “The Juvenile Justice And Welfare Act Of 2005”, HB 8837 or an Act “Creating The National Commission Of Senior Citizens,” and HB 8961 or An Act Mandating The Institutionalization, Development, Training, Organization And Administration Of Basic Reserve Officers Training Corps (Rotc) In Grades 11 And 12 In Public And Private Educational Institutions are also pending in the Senate.
Second reading
Meanwhile, some of the measures approved recently on second reading and may be approved on third reading by the House are:
HB 8909 or An Act Strengthening Drug Prevention And Control, Amending For The Purpose Republic Act 9165, As Amended, Otherwise Known As The “Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act Of 2002”;
HB 9025 or “An Act Creating The Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) Sovereign Fund” HB 9061 or “An Act Encouraging Corporate Social Responsibility, Providing Incentives Thereof”;
House Resolution 1855 or “Resolution Expressing The Sense Of The House Of Representatives On The Need To Convene The National Security Council In Order That A National Policy On The West Philippine Sea May Be Formulated And Defined”;
HB 9051 or “An Act Reorganizing The Cooperative Development Authority”;
HB 9023 or “An Act Strengthening The Polytechnic University Of The Philippines By Declaring It As The National Polytechnic University, And Appropriating Funds Therefor”;
HB 9042 or “An Act Establishing The Scope And Procedure For Philippine Ship Registry, Recognition And Enforcement Of Maritime Claims, And Limitation Of Liability”;
HB 8960 or “An Act Providing For A Single Classification Society Or A Consortium Of Single Classification Societies For Certain Vessels”; and
HB 6138 or “An Act Granting Travel Tax Exemption To Dependents Of Married Or Solo Parent Overseas Filipino Workers.”