THE Senate and House of Representatives on Monday opened the second regular session of the 20th Congress, with priority bills and the 2027 national budget high on the agenda.
Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian pounded the gavel in the session hall shortly past 10 a.m. with 20 other senators present.
Sen. Camille Villar led the opening prayer, calling for wisdom, humility, unity and peace among lawmakers.
Senators are expected to work overtime as an impeachment court while continuing their legislative responsibilities.
Gatchalian vowed to prioritize measures that would lower the cost of living, increase workers’ take-home pay, reduce electricity costs, boost infrastructure spending, and create jobs.
“Our work begins with the economy, because no vision of national progress can take hold while families struggle to meet their basic needs,” he said.
He cited the Development Budget Coordination Committee’s downward revision of the country’s 2026 economic growth forecast to 3.5 percent to 4.5 percent from the earlier 5 percent to 6 percent, warning that slower growth means fewer jobs, lower incomes, and heavier burdens on Filipino families.
To address these challenges, Gatchalian said the Senate would prioritize the timely passage of the national budget along with measures to stabilize food prices, raise workers’ take-home pay, lower electricity and fuel costs, accelerate infrastructure development, and strengthen job generation.
Among the priority measures is the proposed amendment to the Rice Tariffication Law to help ensure adequate rice supply, stabilize prices, and protect farmers’ livelihoods. He noted that the average price of regular-milled rice rose by nearly 20 percent over the past year.
The Senate will also focus on the proposed Ginhawa Bill, which seeks to exempt workers earning up to P400,000 annually from income tax, raise the tax-free ceiling for bonuses, and remove taxes on overtime pay, holiday pay, night-shift differentials, hazard pay, and service charges.
To address rising power costs, the Senate will push for the Energy Regulatory Commission Strengthening Bill to improve industry oversight and consumer protection.
Gatchalian noted that residential electricity rates in Metro Manila rose to as much as P14.50 per kilowatt-hour in June from P12.20 a year earlier, while the Philippines recorded the highest average electricity rate among Asean countries.
Amendments to the Downstream Oil Industry Deregulation Act to promote greater transparency in petroleum pricing and protect consumers from unjustified price increases will also be prioritized.
Gatchalian said the Senate will prioritize the proposed Masterplan for Infrastructure and National Development (MIND) Bill, which seeks to establish a 30-year roadmap for major infrastructure projects, including roads, airports, hospitals, and energy pipelines.
The chamber will also seek amendments to the Magna Carta for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to expand access to financing, technical support, and government contracting opportunities. Gatchalian said the measure is crucial as MSMEs account for 99.7 percent of registered businesses nationwide.
Citing government data showing that more than 660,000 Filipinos lost their jobs between May 2025 and May 2026, he proposed creating an ad hoc committee to help coordinate the Senate’s economic agenda and advance reforms aimed at generating employment and easing the cost of living.
Gatchalian also reaffirmed the Senate’s commitment to education, health, and social protection, highlighting the historic P1.3 trillion education budget for 2026.
In the House, Majority Leader Ferdinand Alexander “Sandro” Marcos said in a media interview that “it speaks volumes that despite the political noise that we have been experiencing in the last few months, if not longer, Congress has still been able to exercise its functions as a legislative body.” Marcos cited the 26 of the 52 Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (Ledac) priority measures that were passed in the first regular session.” “We’re actually ahead of schedule. So we will hope to continue the momentum that we started in the first regular session on to the second regular session,” Marcos said.
Among the 26 priority measures the House has approved are the proposed Anti-Political Dynasty Act, a proposed extension of estate tax amnesty, the Department of Water Resources
