THE House of Representatives announced that it is nearly done with half of the priority measures of the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., a few days before adjournment.
In Tuesday’s plenary session, the House approved on second reading five of the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (Ledac) priority measures. These measures were still subject to voting on third reading, which is expected before the session adjourns on Wednesday.
The legislation includes House Bill (HB) 9257, which aims to strengthen the Bases Conversion and Development Authority; HB 9297, or the proposed right to information law; HB 9461, or the proposed Child Online Safety and Protection Act; HB 9465, or the proposed Act Prohibiting the Deliberate Dissemination of False Information that Poses Verifiable Public Harm or Serious Threat to National Security, Establishing Digital Platform Accountability and Transparency Mechanisms, and Promoting Media and Digital Literacy; and HB 9466, or Converting the National Feeding Program into a National Nutrition Program.
”While we near the adjournment of session, the House’s commitment to maximize the time left to push forward proposed laws that are important to the lives of our countrymen is clear,” Speaker Faustino Dy III said in Filipino and English in a statement.
”We are focused on being productive and maximizing the remaining session days. While there is time, we continue to perform the job and mandate entrusted to us by the Filipino people,” Dy said.
Among the 20 Ledac priority measures that the House has already approved on third and final reading were the National Center for Geriatric Health law, which is under deliberation by a bicameral panel; amendments to the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program Law; amendments to the Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education Act; Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations Act; extension of the estate tax amnesty period; Department of Water Resources law; travel tax abolition; amendments to the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act; and amendments to the Biofuels Act.
Included in the Ledac priority measures were the resetting of the first regular elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (already law), the proposed National Land Use Act, proposed amendments to the Electric Power Industry Reform Act which seek to strengthen the Energy Regulatory Commission, a proposed Waste-to-Energy Act, proposed amendments to the National Building Code, proposed Blue Economy Act, proposed amendments to the Teachers Professionalization Act, proposed amendments to the Bank Deposits Secrecy Law, proposed Digital Payments Act and the Presidential Scholarship Program bill.
