THE House of Representatives, under the leadership of Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy III, will prioritize passing the remaining 26 of the 52 priority administration bills, Majority Leader and Ilocos Norte 1st District Rep. Ferdinand Alexander “Sandro” Marcos said Sunday.
Marcos said the measures, identified by the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (Ledac) during the First Regular Session, contain structural reforms that will support the administration’s programs and deliver benefits to the public.
“We have so far passed 26 measures, or half of our target, during the First Regular Session of the 20th Congress. We will work on approving the rest during our Second Regular Session,” the lawmaker said.
Among the pending bills are proposed amendments to the Universal Health Care Act, which Marcos said will improve access to government health services and streamline the implementation of existing programs.
Other priority bills seek to strengthen support for specific sectors, including proposed amendments to the Coconut Farmers and Industry Trust Fund Act and the Magna Carta for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.
Rep. Marcos also said the House will continue working on measures intended to promote transparency and good governance, including proposed amendments to the Bank Secrecy Law and the Anti-Money Laundering Act.
A status report from the House Committee on Rules showed that of the 26 priority measures already acted upon, one has been enacted into law — the bill resetting the first regular elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
Both chambers have ratified one bill, three are under bicameral conference committee deliberations, and 21 have been approved on third and final reading.
Among the 26 remaining priority measures, one has been placed on the House calendar for plenary action, another is awaiting a committee report, nine are pending comments or transmittal to the Committee on Appropriations, and 15 remain under technical working group or committee deliberations.
In an earlier statement, Dy said many of the remaining bills are in the advanced stages of the legislative process.
One such legislation is the proposed Cybersecurity Act, which is scheduled for second reading, and eight other measures await action by the Committee on Appropriations or the Committee on Ways and Means.
“We therefore appeal to our counterparts in the Senate to help us enact the other bills into law before the year ends,” Dy said.
