Senate President Juan Miguel “Migz” F. Zubiri (Bibo Nueva Espaٌa / Senate PRIB).
MANILA, Philippines — Four new laws recently signed by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. will positively impact the lives of the Filipino people, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said on Monday.
The four measures signed are Republic Act No. 11958 or An Act Rationalizing the Disability Pension of Veterans; Republic Act No. 11960 or the OTOP Philippines Act; Republic Act No. 11961 or An Act Strengthening the Conservation and Protection of Philippine Cultural Heritage and Republic Act 11959 or the Regional Specialty Centers Act.
“Sa titulo pa lang ng mga bagong batas na ito, makikita na natin na may direktang benepisyo ito sa mamamayang Pilipino (Just from the title of these new laws, we can already see that it has a direct benefit to the Filipino people.) These laws have been exhaustively deliberated in the halls of the 19th Congress to meet the increasing demands of the changing times and enhance public service to Filipino citizens,” Zubiri said.
RA 11958 will improve veterans’ benefits with disabilities, adjusting rates for varying disability ratings and addressing unresponsive rates since the law was enacted over 30 years ago.
The new law also includes P1,000 for spouses and unmarried minor children from the previous rate of P500. If a veteran reaches 70 and has not been granted benefits, they will be deemed disabled and receive a monthly pension of P1,700.
RA 11960, also known as the OTOP Philippines Act, on the other hand, aims to support local industries, particularly rural ones, by encouraging entrepreneurship and promoting local products for economic growth.
It requires the DTI to develop a six-year strategic plan and provide product promotion programs.
Meanwhile, RA 11961 amends Republic Act No. 10066 to strengthen the protection and conservation of the Philippines’ cultural heritage through cultural mapping, establishing a Philippine Registry of Heritage to register all cultural properties and natural properties.
The fourth law, RA 11959, aims to establish specialty centers in government hospitals across the country, aiming to decongest national centers in Metro Manila and provide criteria for regional centers.
Zubiri thanked the President for signing these measures into law and commended fellow senators for deliberating these measures and ensuring that the intended benefits reach the intended beneficiaries.
He added that the People’s Senate is determined to pass additional legislation that will help Filipinos. (Harold Hernandez, INQUIRER.net trainee)