683 House bills filed on day one of 20th Congress

MANILA, Philippines — Incoming members of the 20th Congress hit the ground running as they filed a total of 683 legislative measures at the House of Representatives on the first official day of filing yesterday.

Records from the House showed that 666 of these were bills, while 16 were resolutions and one was a joint resolution.

Leading the legislative push was Speaker and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez, who filed the first five measures that were officially recorded as House Bills 1 to 5.

Among these, House Bill 1 or the proposed “Rice Industry and Consumer Empowerment (RICE) Act” seeks to restore the regulatory powers of the National Food Authority in order to help lower rice prices and protect farmers. The measure supports President Marcos Jr.’s goal of ensuring affordable food and strengthening local agriculture.

Romualdez also filed bills seeking to exempt overseas Filipino workers from paying premium contributions to the Philippine Health Insurance Corp., establish the Philippine Centers for Disease Prevention and Control, update assistance programs for private school students and create the Eastern Visayas Development Authority (EVDA).

Based in Tacloban City, the EVDA would coordinate development across Region VIII and oversee post-Yolanda rehabilitation. It aims to boost investment, disaster resilience and poverty reduction through a long-term regional plan. It would also manage major projects, endorse permits and liaise with foreign aid agencies and private investors.

Tingog party-list Reps. Andrew Julian Romualdez and Jude Acidre were listed as co-authors of the five proposed measures.

Several other lawmakers also filed key measures on the opening day. Valenzuela City Rep. Gerald Cloyd Alexis Galang, serving his first term, submitted seven bills, including House Bill 154 or the proposed “Magna Carta for Senior Citizens,” HB 155 or the proposed “Social Pension of Senior Citizens Act,” and HB 156, which proposes amendments to the qualifications under Republic Act 11768 or the “Sangguniang Kabataan Reform Act of 2015.”

Returning Parañaque City Rep. Eric Olivarez filed 10 measures, including HB 144, which also seeks to establish the Philippine CDC; HB 148, which aims to exempt senior citizens from paying parking fees in commercial establishments and government buildings; and HB 150, which proposes to exempt senior citizens and persons with disabilities from paying travel taxes.

Kabataan party-list Rep. Renee Co also submitted 10 priority measures aligned with the youth and people’s agenda, including eight bills and two resolutions.

These include the Delivery of Accessible Services in Universities Bill, which aims to eliminate non-tuition education costs such as housing, health, and food, and the Students’ Rights and Welfare Bill, which affirms democratic rights within educational institutions.

Other bills filed by Kabataan include the Anti-Red-Tagging Bill, Human Rights Defenders Bill, the Presyo Ibaba Bill and the Sahod Itaas Bill or P1,200 Living Wage Bill, in response to the country’s worsening economic conditions.

The long-stalled SOGIESC Equality Bill was also refiled, alongside proposed amendments to strengthen the Anti-Rape Law and the Anti-EVAWC Act for better protection of women and children.

Kabataan also filed resolutions seeking accountability for human rights violations, opposing former president Rodrigo Duterte’s interim release from the ICC and calling for an investigation into alleged war crimes by state forces.

Speaker support

Amid the filing of priority legislation, momentum is also building behind the leadership of Romualdez.

A total of 58 out of 63 party-list groups have expressed support for Romualdez to retain the speakership in the 20th Congress, according to Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Alfredo Garbin, a member of the Party-list Coalition Foundation Inc. (PCFI).

“At least 58 of us, members of the coalition, have signified our support to Speaker Romualdez to continue his leadership. I was the first one who signed the manifesto of support,” Garbin told House reporters.

Quezon Rep. Jayjay Suarez also noted that Romualdez enjoys backing from more than two-thirds of the elected lawmakers, while Manila Rep. Ernesto Dionisio Jr. said that 287 members of the 20th Congress have already pledged support for the incumbent Speaker.

The PCFI is chaired by Ako Bicol Rep. Elizaldy Co. — Miriam Desacada