House OKs 10 of 20 priority bills – Malacañang

MANILA, Philippines — Half of the priority bills enumerated by President Marcos during his first State of the Nation Address (SONA) have hurdled the House of Representatives and have been transmitted to the Senate, Malacañang said yesterday.

Citing data from the Presidential Legislative Liaison Office, Presidential Communications Secretary Cheloy Garafil said 10 out of 20 SONA priority legislative measures have hurdled the House as of Jan. 18.

They include the Tax Package 4 or the proposed Passive Income and Financial Intermediary Taxation Act, Government Financial Institutions Unified Initiatives to Distressed Enterprises for Economic Recovery bill, Tax Package 3 or the proposed Real Property Valuation and Assessment Reform Act, the proposed Internet Transaction Act or E-Commerce Law and the bill condoning the unpaid amortization and interests of loans of agrarian reform beneficiaries.

Also approved on final reading at the House were the bills creating the Medical Reserve Corps, Philippine Centers for Disease Prevention and Control and the Virology Institute of the Philippines, proposed amendment to the Build-Operate-Transfer Law and the proposed National Service Training Program Act.

The priority bills are essential in implementing the administration’s programs, particularly the eight-point socioeconomic agenda, she added.

The remaining 10 SONA priority measures are pending at the committee level in the House and the Senate.

They include the bill creating the Department of Water Resources, the proposed E-Government and E-Governance Acts, the government rightsizing program bill, proposed National Land Use Act, budget modernization bill, proposed natural gas industry enabling law and proposed amendments to the Electric Power Industry Reform Act.

Among the measures Marcos has certified as urgent are the 2023 budget, amendments to Republic Act 11709 or the law that seeks to strengthen professionalism and promote continuity of policies in the military by prescribing fixed terms for key officers and the bill establishing the Maharlika Investment Fund.

Garafil said there are bills certified as urgent by the President and priority bills of the Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) that have been passed by the House but are still pending in the Senate.?

The LEDAC priority bills include the New Passport Law, Leyte Ecological Zone bill, waste treatment technology bill, free legal assistance for military and uniformed personnel, Eastern Visayas Development Authority bill, Revised National Apprenticeship Program and the proposed Magna Carta of Barangay Health Workers.

Measures being pushed by Malacañang based on Marcos’ directives include the bill on the Maritime Industry Authority’s regulatory functions, ASIN Law amendment, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, which has been submitted to the Senate for ratification and the proposed Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act.

The Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC) said Marcos has committed to certify the proposed E-Governance Act of 2022 as urgent.

In a statement, the council said the President gave the assurance during a meeting with its digital infrastructure sector last Jan. 12.

“The certification as urgent of the E-Governance Act is a vital step in the right direction toward becoming a digital nation. It also provides the impetus to the PSAC Digital Infrastructure Sector’s work plan,” PSAC digital infrastructure sector lead and Union Bank of the Philippines chief technology and operations officer Henry Aguda said in a statement.

“We are encouraged by the President’s commitment to shaping a future-ready nation and look forward to seeing the positive impact it will have on every Filipino,” he added.

The proposed E-Governance Act of 2022 aims to institutionalize the transition of the government to e-governance.

It also encourages government cooperation with the private sector in providing resources, assets and services and transforming agency operations by using best practices from public and private sector organizations.

The bill was introduced last June by Speaker and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez, House Senior Deputy Majority Leader and Ilocos Norte Rep. Sandro Marcos and Tingog Sinirangan party-list Reps. Yedda Marie Romualdez and Jude Acidre. It is pending at the House committee level.