THE House of Representatives has approved a total of 13 priority measures of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. included in the common legislative agenda of the Legislative-Executive Advisory Council (Ledac).
The passage of the 13 bills in Monday’s caucus brought to 15 the total number of priority measures the House had approved since it resumed session last November 7.
Prior to the resumption of sessions, Speaker Martin G. Romualdez reiterated the “unwavering commitment” of the House to act swiftly on the proposed P5.26-trillion national budget for 2023 and the priority measures under the Ledac’s agenda.
Five weeks later, both Chambers ratified the bicameral conference committee report on the 2023 national budget, which is expected to be signed by the President when he returns this week from Belgium where he’s attending the EU-Asean Commemorative Summit.
“We will continue working on the passage of other Ledac-priority bills to ensure better public services for Filipinos and expedite economic growth,” Romualdez said.
The lawmaker believes the country is “on the first stage to full economic recovery, and we are marching in the right direction.”
“Judging from interests shown by global businessmen in our international roadshow with the President, the Philippines may soon become the favorite investment destination in Asia,” Romualdez added. “We, in Congress, are committed to bring this goal to reality. Stay the course with us, and share the benefits of progress and development.”
“The best is yet to come,” he said.
Bills approved
APPROVED on the third and final reading during Monday’s session included the establishment of a National Disease Prevention Management Authority and the condonation of agrarian reform debts. Also approved were the Philippine Passport Act and the Internet Transaction Act or e-Commerce Law.
The House, likewise, approved the following: Waste-to-Energy bill; Free Legal Assistance for Police and Soldiers; Apprenticeship Act; Public–Private Partnership (PPP) Act; Magna Carta of Barangay Health Workers; Valuation Reform Bill (Package 3); Eastern Visayas Development Authority; and, the Leyte Ecological Industrial Zone.
Last week, the House approved two other measures included in Ledac’s agenda, namely, the Virology Institute of the Philippines and the Passive Income and the Financial Intermediary Taxation Act. The latter is the fourth package under government’s tax reform program.
Apart from the passage of these measures, the House also approved last Monday night on second reading the “Government Financial Institutions Unified Initiatives to Distressed Enterprises for Economic Recovery” bill, another measure under the common legislative agenda.
Two other bills in the Ledac agenda—the SIM Registration Act and the Resetting of the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections—have been signed into law by the President.