Salceda appeals to Senate anew: Discuss CDC bill, people are waiting

Albay 2nd District Rep. Joey Salceda. (INQUIRER FILE PHOTO)

MANILA, Philippines — Albay 2nd District Rep. Joey Salceda has appealed to the Senate anew to discuss another bill — this time, a proposal to create the country’s version of the Center for Disease Control (CDC) — as a lot of stakeholders are waiting for the bill’s enactment.

Salceda, in a statement on Thursday, claimed that foreign governments and other agencies who want to assist the Philippines in its CDC are waiting for the Senate to approve the proposal.

The House of Representatives approved the CDC bill last December 12, 2022.  Salceda, however, pointed out that the Senate has not even started discussions at the plenary level.

“The Department of Health has been talking to the governments of the US and New Zealand. I’ve also talked to our colleagues in the multilateral banks and development agencies. They just want certainty that it’s going to pass this time,” Salceda, one of the authors of the House bill, said.

“I hope they finish it before sine die adjournment. That would be the second major legislative achievement of President Marcos among his Sona (State of the Nation Address) priorities after the New Agrarian Emancipation Act,” he added.

READ: House panel OKs bills creating Center for Disease Prevention and Control

Congress is set to adjourn by June 3, and would resume session on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s second Sona.

Salceda reiterated that Marcos had already certified the bill as urgent, which means it can be deliberated on second and third reading on the same session day — avoiding the requirement of three session days before bills are voted upon.

READ: DOH urges Marcos to certify disease control center bill as urgent 

“All these agencies really need is the approval of the Senate version, because they were prepared to give support last Congress. Unfortunately because the Senate version didn’t pass the last time, the grant funds would have gone to waste. So, they need more certainty this time around,” he said.

“It’s certainly wasting so much goodwill if we don’t get this bill done. Besides, the 2023 GAA already enshrines the setting up of a CDC as policy. And OIC Vergeire has also made it a priority and a key talking point in talks with foreign partners.  The next pandemic is always just around the corner. We already have one of the major tools and consensus around getting it done,” he added.

This is not the first time that Salceda prodded the Senate to pass the bill.  Last March 28, the lawmaker urged his colleagues in Congress’ other chamber to prioritize the proposed measure, especially in the face of a looming El Niño season.

READ: Salceda hopes Senate passes CDC bill: El Niño poses risk to people’s health 

Moreover, this is not the first time that Salceda urged the Senate to attend to bills already passed by the House.  Last Monday, he called on the Senate to pass quickly a bill that would extend the estate tax amnesty deadline to two years, before Congress goes on a sine die adjournment.

In response, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said the House should have approved the measure earlier, before Congress adjourned session for the Holy Week break.

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Salceda urges Senate to quickly pass bill extending estate tax amnesty 

Zubiri: House should’ve OK’d estate tax amnesty bill earlier if it wants Senate’s quick passage 

JPV