Villafuerte appeals to Senate to act on several House-approved bills

Camarines Sur Rep. LRay Villafuerte Jr. is at the House of Representatives in this file photo taken on July 15, 2020. INQUIRER file photo / NIÑO JESUS ORBETA

MANILA, Philippines — Camarines Sur 2nd District Rep. LRay Villafuerte appealed to colleagues in the Senate to act on several bills that the House of Representatives has approved, as the session resumes on Monday after a five-week break.

Villafuerte, in a statement, mentioned five House bills (HB) approved by the House in 2023, which he believes are important for the inclusive growth that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s administration aspires for:

• HB No. 6557 (Magna Carta of Barangay Health Workers, transmitted to Senate last December 14, 2023)
• HB No. 8325 (Overseas Filipino Workers Hospital Act, transmitted to Senate last May 30, 2023)
• HB No. 9347 (Magna Carta of the Out-of-School Youth, transmitted to Senate last December 6, 2023)
• HB No. 8203 (Immigration Modernization Act, transmitted to Senate last May 30, 2023)
• HB No. 7240 (The National Government Rightsizing Act, transmitted to Senate last March 15, 2023)

“As both the Senate and House reopen this week following the five-week yearend recess, I am asking our senators to consider bills that the House passed separately last year to provide succor or relief to four sectors, in keeping with President Marcos’ goal of attaining inclusive growth and improving the lives of all Filipinos,” Villafuerte said.

“Millions of Filipinos and their families stand to benefit from the legislative approval and enactment into law of these bills that the House, under the leadership of Speaker Martin (Romualdez), had approved on third and final reading since the start of the Second Regular Session of the 19th Congress,” he added.

According to the Senate site, bills similar to the ones mentioned by Villafuerte are still pending with the committee:

• at least 10 bills similar to the proposed Magna Carta of Barangay Health Workers, all pending with a Senate committee
• at least six bills similar to the proposed Overseas Filipino Workers Hospital Act, all pending with a Senate committee
• at least one bill similar to the proposed Magna Carta of the Out-of-School Youth is still pending with a Senate committee
• at least six bills similar to the proposed Immigration Modernization Act, all pending with a Senate committee
• at least five bills similar to the proposed National Government Rightsizing Act, all pending with a Senate committee

Villafuerte said that the House has passed several bills that would fulfill the administration’s economic and policy goals, including bills set as urgent by the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (Ledac).

However, 600 of these bills by the House, Villafuerte noted, are still pending with the Senate.

“Under the very able leadership of the Speaker, the House has passed a sizable number of proposed laws meant to bring the Marcos administration closer to the President’s paramount goal of high and inclusive growth for Filipinos by way of accelerating poverty reduction, turbocharging the economy, and generating more and better jobs and livelihood opportunities for all,” he said.

READ: Act on bills for rightsizing of gov’t functions, Senate urged 

“Over 600 House bills have been passed by the bigger chamber and are now awaiting action by the Senate, enabling the House to process an average of 28 legislative measures for each of the 121 session days in the 19th Congress,” he noted.

READ: House work: Over 11,000 measures filed, with 600 bills pending in Senate 

This is not the first time that Villafuerte asked the Senate to act on bills approved by the House.  Last December 2023, the lawmaker stressed the importance of proposals to rightsize the government, as it can lead to better management of its resources.

The proposed National Government Rightsizing Act, approved on the House’s third and final reading last March 2023, is slated to result in a more efficient use of state resources as redundant or overlapping functions and personnel would be addressed.