The Manila Times
TWO of the Marcos administration's priority measures are up for final approval when the House of Representatives resumes session today, March 4. House Majority Leader Ferdinand Alexander Marcos identified the two bills as the proposed National Land Use Act, and proposed amendments to the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program Act. "These are not theoretical proposals anymore. These are measures that have already moved through key stages, and what they need now is sustained floor work so we can bring them across the finish line before adjournment," Marcos said in a statement Sunday. The House had passed or advanced 18 of the over 50 priority measures that had been stamped as priority by the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (Ledac). The measures were passed before the Holy Week break, Marcos said. The bills included one resetting the first regular elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, and the National Center for Geriatric Health bill, which is under consideration by a bicameral conference committee. The others are the proposed Electric Power Industry Reform Act amendments related to strengthening the Energy Regulatory Commission; waste-to-energy measure; proposed amendments to the Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education Act; proposed Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations Act; proposed amendments to the National Building Code; proposed Blue Economy Act; the National Reintegration Bill; proposed amendments to the Teachers Professionalization Act; the proposed extension of the estate tax amnesty period; the Department of Water Resources Bill; proposed amendments to the Bank Deposits Secrecy Law; the proposed abolition of the travel tax; the proposed Digital Payments Act; proposed amendments to the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act; the Presidential Merit Scholarship Program bill; and the proposed amendments to the Biofuels Act. Marcos said the proposed Anti-Political Dynasty Act had also been calendared, and the House started debates on the bill last March. Two measures have been approved by the committee, which were referred to the House Committee on Appropriations — the Classroom-Building Acceleration Program bill and the right to information bill. Already at the committee deliberation stage or technical working group deliberation stage were the proposed amendments to the Rice Tariffication Law; proposed amendments to the Masustansyang Pagkain Para sa Batang Pilipino Act; the Anti-Fake News and Disinformation bill; proposed amendments to the Coconut Farmers and Industry Trust Fund Act; proposed Citizen Access and Disclosure of Expenditures for National Accountability or Cadena Act; proposed Party-list System Reform Act; the expanded anti-child sexual abuse law; and the bill aiming to create the Independent People's Commission. "Our job now is to keep the momentum and make sure that the measures that are already close do not get left behind. The work has already been done in many of these bills,” Marcos said. “What we need now is the time and discipline to bring them to final approval."
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