Congress resumes session today

MANILA, Philippines — Regular sessions resume at the House of Representatives today after the bicameral Congress took a five-week break, with specific attention on ratifying the 2024 national budget and passing 11 more priority bills of President Marcos.

“We are resolute in our mission to fulfill our legislative duties and responsibilities. Our primary focus continues to be the legislative agenda outlined by President Marcos, and we are fully committed to working diligently to pass these vital bills,” Speaker Martin Romualdez said.

The total 11 priority measures come from those listed under the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) as well as those mentioned by Marcos in his second State of the Nation (SONA) address last July 25.

LEDAC and SONA bills have a combined 17 pieces of legislation, but since there have been six “common” measures each in the LEDAC and SONA, these will be consolidated, plus four others that were mentioned on the LEDAC list, and another one on the SONA list – for a total of 11.

The six LEDAC-SONA bills are the proposed Department of Water Resources and Services and Creation of Water Regulatory Commission, Tatak-Pinoy (Proudly Filipino) Act, Blue Economy Law, Government Auditing Code, Government Procurement Reform Act and Amendment of the Cooperative Code.

The four other “equally important” measures on the LEDAC list are the proposed amendments to the Electric Power Industry Reform Act, Budget Reforms Modernization, National Defense Act and Philippine Defense Industry Development Act.

The last and eleventh one, which is on the SONA list, is the proposed Motor Vehicle User’s Charge/Road User’s Tax.

Romualdez expressed his commitment to ensuring the timely passage of the remaining priority bills, underscoring their vital contribution to resolving significant concerns and improving the welfare of Filipinos.

“The progress we’ve made is a testament to the cooperation between the legislative and executive branches through the LEDAC. Unity and collaboration are essential in developing effective policies and reforms for the benefit of the nation,” he said.

The Speaker also expects the immediate ratification of the P5.768-trillion national budget for 2024 and its enactment into law before the year ends.

“The budget is the lifeblood of our nation’s progress and development. The House is fully dedicated to the task at hand, ensuring that the national budget is ratified and enacted on time to guarantee the continuity of essential services, support economic growth and promote the well-being of our citizens,” Romualdez, who represents the first district of Leyte, said.

Over the weekend, the House submitted to the Senate the approved 2024 General Appropriations Bill with P194.5 billion in realignments for security, inflation protection and food security.