House to resume session on Aug. 23, with or without ECQ in Metro Manila

(FILE PHOTO) Screenshot from the House of Representatives Youtube account

MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives is set to resume its session on August 23, with or without the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) imposed in Metro Manila, Speaker Lord Allan Velasco said Thursday.

As in the past, Velasco said House session will resume under a hybrid set-up — with a small number of lawmakers physically attending at the Batasan Pambansa in Quezon City, while the rest will be in attendance through videoconferencing.

In an earlier memorandum released by House Secretary-General Mark Llandro Mendoza, Velasco ordered the suspension of plenary sessions from August 6 to 20 after Metro Manila was placed under ECQ amid the threat of COVID-19.

During this period, all committee hearings and meetings were held through videoconferencing.

The upcoming weeks are crucial for the House as the deliberation for the proposed 2022 national budget is set to begin, with the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) expected to hand over their recommended proposal in the coming days.

Meanwhile, Senate President Vicente Sotto III has also announced that the Senate will resume sessions next week regardless of the quarantine status imposed in Metro Manila.

According to Sotto, only a limited number of Senate employees will be allowed inside the chamber’s building in Pasay City.

Sotto said the Senate will tackle and pass “urgent” legislation like the amendments to the Retail Liberalization Act and the Public Services Act, among others.

EDV