House passed only 7 laws last year

Philippine Congress. AP FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—So, did the House of Representatives truly represent the interests of their constituents in 2014?

Not as much as the people would have wanted, it would seem, judging from the number of laws passed since the start of the second regular session of the current Congress in July 2014.

Out of more than 5,000 bills filed by the lawmakers, the record showed that only seven national laws were passed, including the P2.6-trillion national budget for 2015, Republic Act No. 10645 which provides mandatory health insurance coverage for senior citizens, and Republic Act No. 10648, which grants scholarships to top public high school graduates.

However, if the entire 16th Congress, which opened in July 2013, were considered, statistical records released by the House rules committee would indicate that the House approved a total of 19 national laws, two local laws and two joint resolutions.

In total, since the start of the 16th Congress, lawmakers have filed 5,352 bills and 1,871 resolutions, of which only 545 were approved by House committees and reported to the plenary for deliberation by the 290-strong chamber.

Approved on third or final reading are 347 measures, while 30 others were approved on second reading, House records showed.

In the third and last quarters of 2014, the House prioritized the passage of the 2015 budget, which put other urgent measures on the back burner, including the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law, amendments to the restrictive economic provisions of the Constitution, and bills on fair competition and freedom of information.