Senate ratifies bicam report on Philippine salt industry development bill

Sen. Cynthia Villar (File photo from the Senate Public Relations and Information Bureau)

MANILA, Philippines — The Senate ratified on Wednesday the bicameral conference committee report on the disagreeing provisions of Senate Bill No. 2243 and House Bill No. 8278 — measures proposing the Philippine Salt Industry Development Act.

“On behalf of the Senate panel to the bicameral conference committee on the disagreeing provision of SBN 2243 and HBN 8278, I am pleased to report on the successful outcome of the bicameral conference. The bicameral conference agreed to adopt the Senate version as the working draft of the discussion,” said Sen. Cynthia Villar in a plenary session.

SBN 2243 states that there would be a need to formulate and establish a salt industry roadmap, including but not limited to programs, projects, and interventions for the development and management, research, processing, utilization, business modernization, and commercialization of salt.

READ: Salt industry development bill hurdles House on third reading

Villar did not detail the consolidated changes made during the bicameral conference committee meeting. She noted, however, that the changes in the working draft were already inserted into the joint explanatory statement of both Senate and House panels.

“The joint explanatory statement has now been filed already with our bills and index service. I move that such joint statement be read into the record,” Vilar said.

She later filed a motion to adopt and ratify the report. Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva seconded the motion

With no objections from all senators present, the upper chamber approved, adopted, and ratified the committee report.