446 measures approved by House of Representatives for 1st quarter 2012

MANILA, Philippines—The House of Representatives has approved 446 measures for the first quarter of 2012.

House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. said this in a statement Monday, further pegging the number of measures they processed to be 3,088 within the 123 session days.

An average of 25 measures per session day was worked on by lawmakers, he said, adding that they have also ratified the bicameral report on “Strengthening and Propagating Foster Care for Abandoned and Neglected Children and Children with Special Needs” during this period.

As of March 21, some 2,099 measures have been approved out of 6,057 bills and 2,349 resolutions submitted to the Committee on Rules for appropriate plenary action.

These include 11 national bills and two Joint Resolutions enacted into law; 202 national bills and 425 local bills approved on the third reading; 10 national and 57 local bills passed on the second reading; 10 Concurrent Resolutions, 251 Regular Resolutions and 1,101 Resolutions on Inquiries adopted; and nine reports on resolutions on inquiries recorded.

The Committee on Rules’ statistical record also included the Report on Impeachment and the endorsement to the Senate of the Verified Complaint versus Supreme Court chief Justice Renato Corona.

Meanwhile, pending before a bicameral conference committee are national measures House Bill No. 04807 or “An Act Prohibiting Racial, Ethnic and Religious Discrimination”; and HB 04667 or “An Act Creating the Department of Information and Communications Technology, defining its powers and functions, appropriating funds therefore, and for other purposes.”

The last two months before Lent saw the ratification of the separate bicameral reports on the conversion of the municipalities of Imus and Bacoor in Cavite and of Mabalacat in Pampanga and Cabuyao in Laguna into component cities. These four bills are now awaiting action by President Benigno Aquino III.

The most recent measure Aquino signed into law was Republic Act 10157 (HB 03826) now known as “An Act Institutionalizing the Kindergarten Education into the Basic Education System and
appropriating funds therefor” which was enacted on January 20.

Also under Aquino’s jurisdiction are six national bills namely House Bill No. 5640 or An Act Regulating the Practice of Geology in the Philippines, repealing for the purpose Republic Act 4209, otherwise known as “Geology Profession Law of the Philippines”; HB 5624 or An Act Establishing the Career Executive System; and HB 4936 or An Act Decriminalizing Vagrancy amending for this purpose Article 202 of Act No. 3815, as amended, otherwise known as the Revised Penal Code.

Aquino has vetoed the following measures: HB 06 (SB 02869) or “An Act prescribing a fixed term for the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and for other purposes”; and HB 05246 (SB 02802) – “An Act recognizing the early years from zero (0) to Six (6) as the first crucial stage of development and for this purpose strengthening the Early Childhood Care and Development Council, renaming the Day Care Center as Child Development Center, and for other purposes.”

Belmonte explained that despite their involvement with the ongoing impeachment trial on Chief Justice Renato Corona, “each member of the House of Representatives was never remiss in his/her responsibilities to their constituents.”