Senate seeks passage of 20 priority bills before session adjourns

Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said on Sunday that the Senate was eyeing to finish deliberations on 20 other Marcos Jr. administration priority measures before the second regular session of the 19th Congress ends in May.

In a statement, Zubiri said that four of these 20 priority bills listed under the Common Legislative Agenda of the Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council (CLA-LEDAC) were nearing enactment into law.

The rest, he said, were either awaiting bicameral committee approval, second and final reading approval, or awaiting committee approval.

“We are right on track when it comes to the approval of priority measures of the President both in the LEDAC and in his SONA (State of the Nation Address). We are confident that the Senate can pass 20 of these measures before the 2nd Regular Session ends, and the rest of our commitment before this year ends,” the Senate President said.

“Rest assured, all of the measures that passed Senate scrutiny have been carefully considered and thoroughly deliberated upon so that the resulting law is as near-perfect as humanly possible,” he added.

The second regular session of the 19th Congress is set to adjourn on May 24. It will resume sessions this coming Monday, April 29, after an almost five-week-long break.

Zuburi said that one of these bills, the Philippine Ecosystem and Natural Capital Accounting System (PENCAS) Act— a framework that accounts for the country’s natural capital and its economic impact—was pending the signature of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.

Meanwhile, the bicameral report on the Philippine Maritime Zones Act and the measure establishing the Negros Island Region had been ratified and were in the process of enrollment.

The bicameral report on the Real Property Valuation and Assessment Reform Act had also been ratified by the Senate.

The Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Act and the Self Reliant Defense Posture Act are also both awaiting bicameral conference committee approval, while the Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) Program Act was approved on final reading and was transmitted to the House of Representatives for action.

The following priority measures, on the other hand, were still pending approval on second reading:

1. Anti-Financial Accounts Scamming Act
2. VAT on Digital Services/Transactions Act
3. Amendments to the Government Procurement Reform Act
4. Blue Economy Act
5. Waste-to-Energy Act
6. Mandatory Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) Act
7. Unified System of Separation, Retirement and Pension of MUPs/New Separation, Retirement and Pension System for the Military and Uniformed Personnel
8. Enterprise-Based Education and Training Program Act
9. Amendments to the Universal Health Care Act

Three other priority measures—the E-Government/E-Governance Act, the Department of Water Resources Act, and the Konektadong Pinoy Act—-were all pending committee approval.

Meanwhile, the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises Maximize Opportunities for Reinvigorating the Economy (CREATE MORE) Bill, which had been passed on third and final reading in the House of Representatives, was transmitted to the Senate for proper action.

“We will focus all our energies on these 20 measures before we adjourn for the 3rd Regular Session. After that, it is the President’s SONA again and the national budget season. But we are confident we can fulfill all of our legislative commitments to the President and the people before this year ends,” Zubiri said. — DVM, GMA Integrated News