MANILA, Philippines — The Senate said it approved a record 166 bills on third reading on Monday, the most number of measures it cleared in a single day in the past ten years.
Many of the bills call for the creation of state universities and colleges, primary and secondary schools, hospitals, and marine hatcheries; and the establishment of provincial offices for the Commission on Higher Education, the Land Transportation Office, and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board.
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"I thank our presiding officer, Senate President Vicente Sotto III, for his guidance and leadership, allowing us to become incredibly productive. And I thank all our colleagues for diligently studying and voting on each and every measure," Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri, who led the approval of the bills, said in a statement on late Tuesday.
"I can say without a doubt that this Senate body has been one of the most hardworking groups in Senate history," he added.
Nine out of 166 measures have national applications. Some of these include: the Marawi Siege Victims Compensation Act, the COVID-19 Benefits and Allowances for Health Workers Act, the Extended Producer Responsibility Act, and the Act declaring Aug. 30 as National Press Freedom Day in honor of Filipino journalist Marcelo H. Del Pilar.
"I am glad that everyone has been amenable to working overtime, so we can pass these important bills before adjournment—especially bills like the Marawi Compensation Act and the Allowances for Health Workers Act, which a lot of people have been waiting for. This really is a working Senate, and I am so proud to be part of it," Zubiri said.
Once a bill is cleared on the third reading, it is submitted to the House of Representatives for consideration.
In case of differences in counterpart bills, a bicameral conference committee is formed to reconcile these.
When both chambers give their final approval, the measure will be signed by the speaker of the House and the Senate president.
A bill may lapse into law without President Rodrigo Duterte's signature, if he does not sign it within 30 days of receipt. The bill can also become a law if two-thirds of the members of the Congress overrule a presidential veto.