House of Representatives Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez (File photo by MARIANNE BERMUDEZ / Philippine Daily Inquirer)
MANILA, Philippines — With less than a month before the sine die adjournment of Congress, House of Representatives Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez has urged his colleagues to work towards the passage of the remaining priority bills of the current administration.
Romualdez, in his address during the resumption of the session on Monday said that he is scheduled to meet with House leaders regarding legislative concerns — including bills mentioned by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. as priority in his first State of the Nation Address (Sona) last July 2022.
“As we face the remainder of the First Regular Session, we have merely four weeks to complete our legislative agenda that has been prescribed by no less than our President in his first Sona plus those that have been identified as priority measures in the LEDAC (Legislative Executive Advisory Council),” Romualdez said.
“Later this afternoon (Monday) I will engage with our party leaders to see how we can make sure that the remainder of these four weeks before we adjourn sine die is used most efficiently and maximized so that we can achieve our goals in making sure that the common legislative agenda, not just of both Houses, but that of the Executive are achieved,” he added.
Romualdez previously announced that Marcos had approved 11 additional bills — including House Bill (HB) No. 6608 which or the proposed Maharlika Investment Fund which was passed by the House last December 2022 — as priority measures.
The 11 bills are:
- Amending the AFP Fixed Term Bill (transmitted to the President)
- Ease of Paying Taxes
- Maharlika Investment Fund
- Local Government Unit Income Classification
- Amendment to Universal Health Care Act (sent to the Senate)
- Bureau of Immigration Modernization
- Infrastructure Development Plan/Build Build Build Program (under committee report preparation)
- Philippine Salt Industry Development Act
- Philippine Ecosystem and Natural Capital Accounting System
- National Employment Action Plan
- Amendment to the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act (under committee/technical working group (TWG) meeting)
This means Marcos now has 42 priority bills, up from the original 31. Of the 31 bills, the House had passed 23 — including the SIM Registration Act which has been signed into law.
Under the legislative calendar for the 19th Congress, sessions would resume on Monday, and would have its last day on June 2.
Session would be adjourned from June 3 to July 23 — just before Marcos delivers his second Sona.
“I implore all of you to continue the hard work that has now become the hallmark of the 19th Congress, a most hard-working and diligent Congress we have been. And I believe that we can still do much, much more in the furtherance of the interest of the Filipino people,” Romualdez said.
“Maraming maraming salamat sa trabaho, sa paglingkod ninyo sa bayan. Mabuhay po ang Kongreso. Mabuhay po kayong lahat,” he added.
(Thank you very much for working hard, for serving the country. Long live to the Congress and all of you lawmakers.)