By Jovee Marie N. dela Cruz
THE leadership of the House of Representatives on Monday said measures promoting “genuine peace” in the country and sustaining inclusive growth will be prioritized in the remaining months of the 16th Congress.
House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. said both chambers of Congress wrestle with time to craft and pass measures in their common list of legislative priorities before the current Congress ends in June next year.
“The BLBar [Basic Law on Bangsamoro Autonomous Region] is now on second reading and being fine-tuned to ensure greater inclusiveness and greater efficiency in practice,” Belmonte said.
“We want to ensure a more meaningful autonomy while, likewise, paving the way toward a more effective provision of vital services to our people. We want a peace that is lasting and sustainable,” Belmonte added.
The BLBar is now in the period of interpellation in the House of Representatives’s plenary, while a similar measure is still under committee consideration in the Senate.
According to Belmonte, Congress’s priority measures promote economic development and trade; national security, public order and safety; promotion of good governance; revitalizing education for a more competitive human resources; enhancement of social protection; expanding access to health to achieve higher productivity; unleashing land productivity; sustainable energy; climate-change adaptation; and peace.
Belmonte said the amendments to the build-operate-transfer law have been approved by the Committee on Public Works and Highways and referred to the appropriations panel for its funding provision, while the proposed Rationalization of Fiscal Incentives is undergoing refinement by a Technical Working Group (TWG), like the proposed grant of broader protection to consumers by amending the Consumer Act.
Also under the TWG is the proposed restructuring and decreasing the income taxes imposed on individuals and corporations or the income-tax bracket adjustment.
Belmonte said the proposed amendments to the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act is already undergoing the period of interpellation in plenary and proposed Rationalization of the Mining Revenue, or Excise Tax on Mining, awaits approval at the committee level.
The Speaker’s pet initiative to ease the restrictive economic provision in the Constitution, by inserting the phrase “unless otherwise provided by law,” has passed the second reading and is now pending for plenary final approval.
The House also approved on third reading the measures providing for the establishment of the No Calls and No Text Registration System; the provision of a centralized accounting of all tax incentives granted by investment-promotion agencies and other government agencies; acquisition of right of way of government infrastructure projects; and the establishment of information and communications technology hub in every legislative district.
Furthermore, notable of those passed on third reading are bills increasing the prescriptive period from 15 years to 30 years/20 years for the violation of Republic Act (RA) 3019, otherwise known as the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act; and the Act Promoting Micro-Enterprise Development.
The proposed and equally vital measure establishing the Archipelagic Sea Lanes in Philippine Waters to rationalize the passage of ships and ensures the safety and security of navigation within these waters have been approved and transmitted to the Senate, the Speaker said.
Also approved at committee level are the Whistle Blowers Protection Act; the Amendments to the Witness Protection Act; and the measure seeking to introduce structural and institutional reforms in the 74-year- old Immigration Act.
Belmonte also said the Freedom of Information Act is awaiting second reading passage.
Approved by their mother committees and referred to the appropriations panel for their funding provisions are the proposed Land Administration Reform bill; the Regulation of Water Utilities; National Food Authority Reform Act; and the proposed creation of the Department of Information and Communications Technology, the Speaker said.
Also awaiting final committee approval are the Barangay Officials Welfare and Incentives Act; Amendments to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Charter; and the Sangguniang Kabataan reform bill.
Still under committee deliberation is the bill establishing the emergency Management Agency, separate from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, it allocates quick response and calamity funds for local emergency management offices, Belmonte said.
Relative to human resource development through education, Belmonte said awaiting the President’s signature is the proposed act providing for an Open High School System for out-of-school youth, while under bicameral consideration is the proposed Unified Student Financial Assistance for Higher and Technical Center.
Approved on third reading and pending in the Senate are the Special Education Center; Establishment of a Voluntary Student Loan System; and the National Identification System, he said.
To correct the provisions earlier vetoed by the President are two bills approved on third reading—Protecting the Rights of internally displaced Persons and Penalizing the Act of Arbitrary Internal Displacement; and the Magna Carta for the Poor.
On the matter of expanding access to health to achieve higher productivity is the enactment of Republic Act (RA) 10643, or the Picture-Based Health Warning Act, as complemented by the third reading approval of the proposed Healthcare Services Price Disclosure Act and the HIV and AIDS Prevention, Treatment, Care and Support, and establishing the Philippine National HIV and AIDS program, the lower chamber leader said.
Related to the vital concern of unleashing land productivity is the approval on third reading of the proposed National Land Use Policy and the bill defining what constitutes forestlands, providing guidelines in determining specific limits of forestlands.
Promoting the very important energy sector, the House Committee on Energy has recently approved the proposed amendments to the Electric Power Industry Reform Act law, while the proposed Energy Efficiency and Conservation Policy, among other energy-related bills is pending with the panel.
Also in the legislative pipeline is the enactment of the amendments to the country’s Fisheries Code, which gives focus on issue related to climate-change adaptation.
Accomplishment
Meanwhile, on the realm of economic development and trade, the Speaker credited his colleagues for the enactment of the liberalized entry and scope of operations of foreign banks in the Philippines (RA 10641), the amendments to the Lemon law (RA 10642) and the extension of the corporate life of the Philippine National Railways (RA 10638).
On national security, public order and safety, Belmonte noted the enactment of RA 10639—Mandating telecommunications service providers to send free mobile alerts in the event of natural and man-made disasters and calamities (RA 10640), the Strengthening of the Anti-Illegal Drugs law, and Joint Resolution No. 5 or the the Armed Forces of the Philippines Subsistence Allowance.
On the persistent efforts to achieve good governance, Belmonte said there are RA 10635, or the Amendments to the Maritime Industry Authority Charter; RA 10644, or the so-called Go Negosyo program; and RA 10660, which amended the Sandiganbayan Law.
Belmonte also noted the enactment of RA 10647 or the Ladderized Education Program (post secondary), RA 10648, or the Iskolar ng Bayan Act, and RA 10650 or the Open Learning through Distance Education in Post Secondary and Tertiary Levels Act.
Likewise, Belmonte said Congress has already transmitted to the President for his signature the proposed amendments to the Cabotage law and the long-awaited Philippine Fair Competition Act or the Anti-Trust Act.
1 comment
So does this mean the Political Anti-dynasty Bill is dead?