by Ellson Quismorio, Manila Bulletin
Of the 30 proposed laws to come out of the recent Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) as Common Legislative Agenda (CLA) between the House of Representatives and Senate, at least six are targeted for passage before year’s end, at least from the lower chamber’s part.
Thus, said Marikina City 2nd district Rep. Stella Quimbo in a recent interview with House reporters.
Quimbo, the senior vice-chairperson of the House Committee on Appropriations, identified the six as the proposed creation of the Virology Institute of the Philippines, Medical Reserve Corps, National Disease Prevention Management Authority or the Center for Disease Control and Prevention; the amendment to the Build Operate Transfer Law; the National Service Training Program; and the Agrarian Reform Debt Condonation Law.
The 311-stong lower chamber is still on recess and won’t hold sessions until Nov. 7. However, the lady solon’s identification of the six measures give the public and pundits alike an idea of the direction of Congress for the rest of 2022.
The Philippine legislature is bicameral in nature, with the House and Senate representing the lower and upper chamber, respectively.
Two national laws have been produced by the solons in the 19th Congress so far: first, the Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) Registration Law; and second, the postponement of the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE) to October 2023.
The third measure that is expected to be signed by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. is the proposed 2023 General Appropriations Bill (GAB) worth P5.268 trillion.
The GAB is currently undergoing scrutiny by senators, although much of the work had already been done by the House members. The House and Senate versions of the GAB will be harmonized in a Bicameral Conference Committee meeting, afterwhich the enrolled bill will be signed by the President.
House Speaker Martin Romualdez had earlier said the chamber would “act with dispatch” on the priority measures of the Marcos administration.
Romualdez said Rule 10, Section 48 of the House authorizes the committees to dispose of priority measures already filed and approved on third reading in the immediately preceding Congress.
“We have the internal mechanism for an expeditious approval process that is enshrined in Rule 10, Section 48 of the House rules of procedure,” Romualdez said, noting that the use of this particular rule would greatly hasten consideration and endorsement by any committee of any covered bill, and its eventual plenary approval.
“The House is in full support of the President’s entire legislative agenda, including the key priority measures for legislation he has asked Congress to consider. We will act on these with dispatch,” he said.
