THE leadership of the House of Representatives on Tuesday vowed to pass next year the 12 remaining bills endorsed by the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council, particularly those that ensure job creation, improve the health system and sustain economic growth.
House Speaker Martin G. Romualdez said they will pass the remaining 12 priority measures of the current administration when Congress resumes session on January 23, 2023.
The 12 priority measures under LEDAC’s common legislative agenda are: The Enactment of an Enabling Law for the Natural Gas Industry, Amendments to the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA). The Unified System of Separation, Retirement and Pension, The E-Governance Act and E-Government Act, The National Land Use Act, The National Defense Act, The National Government Rightsizing Program, The Budget Modernization Bill, The Department of Water Resources, Establishing the Negros Island Region, Magna Carta Filipino Seafarers, and The Establishment of Regional Specialty Hospitals.
“You can count on the House to work harder next year to do our part in improving the lives of our people. I truly believe it is the best way to express our gratitude for the greatest gift all public officials have received — the opportunity to serve our country,” Romualdez said in a statement.
“The House leadership reiterates its unwavering commitment to support the Agenda for Prosperity of President Marcos. And we have backed that commitment with tangible results,” Romualdez added.
Romualdez pointed out that the House of Representatives passed a total of 19 priority measures of Marcos Jr. in just five months of the 19th Congress.
“We approved the 19 bills under LEDAC’s CLA because we are in agreement with the Chief Executive that these measures will directly alleviate poverty, trigger economic progress, and harness competencies in government for the delivery of no less than the highest degree of service to the Filipino people. We are set to deliberate and approve the rest of the priority measures when we resume next year,” he said.
The 19 bills that are part of the LEDAC’s CLA which the House has passed on third and final reading are: Passive Income and Financial Intermediary Taxation Act or PIFITA (The fourth package under the Comprehensive Tax Reform Program or CTRP), Virology Institute of the Philippines, Agrarian Reform Debts Condonation, Philippine Passport Act, Waste-to-Energy Bill, National Disease Prevention Management Authority or Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Medical Reserve Corps (HEART), Internet Transaction Act / E-Commerce Law, Leyte Ecological Industrial Zone, Eastern Visayas Development Authority (EVDA), Government Financial Institutions Unified Initiatives to Distressed Enterprises for Economic Recovery (GUIDE) bill, Free Legal Assistance for Police and Soldiers, Public–Private Partnership (PPP) Act, Magna Carta of Barangay Health Workers, Valuation Reform Bill, Apprenticeship Act, and National Citizens Service Training Program (NCSTP).
Completing the 19 LEDAC’s CLA were two measures signed into law recently: Republic Act (RA) No. 11934 or An Act Requiring Registration of Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) and RA 11935 or An Act Postponing the December 2022 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections to October 2023.
The HOR processed a total of 1,150 bills and resolutions or an average of 28 measures per session during its 41 session days from July 25 to December 15, 2022, Romualdez said.
In his report to Romualdez, House Majority Leader and Zamboanga City 2nd District Rep. Manuel Jose Dalipe said a total of 7,402 measures were filed in the House: 6,716 were bills, 685 resolutions and 263 committee reports.
The HOR approved 173 bills on third and final reading, passed 21 measures on 2nd reading, and adopted 43 resolutions, including Concurrent Resolution No. 2, which supported the 2022-2028 Medium Term Fiscal Framework of the Marcos administration.