House OKs 19 priority bills ahead of deadline

House OKs 19 priority bills ahead of deadline

The House of Representatives has approved all 19 priority bills of the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (Ledac) three months ahead of the deadline. All these measures were slated for passage by June this year.

House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez reported the fulfillment of their commitment in the Ledac meeting that President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. presided over in Malacañang on Tuesday.

“Mr. President, we have done our homework and all the 19 measures re-prioritized for target by June 2024 have been approved on the third and final reading by the House of Representatives,” Romualdez said.

The 19 measures included the Philippine Ecosystem and Natural Capital Accounting System bill; the creation of the Negros Island Region; the maritime zones bill; amendment of the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act; the defense industry development bill/self-reliant defense posture bill; the valuation reform bill; the waste-to-energy bill; the bill instituting a National Citizens Service Training program; the proposed E-Governance Act; the proposed Anti-Financial Accounts Scamming Act; the enabling measure for the natural gas industry; proposed Open Access in Data Transmission Act; the blue economy bill; amendment of the Government Procurement Reform Act; the creation of the water resources department; the proposed Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning Program Act; and Create More.

Romualdez also reported that the House has approved 56 of the 59 priority measures of the Ledac.

He said that the House has approved all 17 priority measures that the President mentioned in his State of the Nation Address in July 2023.

President Marcos on Tuesday met with the leaders of the Senate and House of Representatives to discuss the administration’s common legislative agenda (CLA) during the 4th Ledac meeting held in Malacañang.

The meeting was to brief the chief executive on the progress of the proposed 57 CLA that have been laid down since the start of the 19th Congress.

“We’ve enacted 14 of 57 priority bills and are reprioritizing measures to boost livelihood, protect the environment, and strengthen security,” Marcos said in a statement.

“With seven more bills slated for passage in June, we’re advancing towards a stronger Bagong Pilipinas,” he added.

Signed into law were SIM Card Registration Act, Postponement of Barangay/SK elections, Strengthening Professionalism in the AFP, New Agrarian Emancipation Act, Maharlika Investment Fund, Trabaho Para sa Bayan Act, Public-Private Partnership Code of the Philippines, Regional Specialty Centers, Automatic Income Classification of LGUs, Internet Transactions Act, Ease of Paying Taxes Act, Tatak Pinoy (Proudly Filipino) Act, Philippine Salt Industry Development Act and New Philippine Passport Act.

Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri made a commitment that the upper chamber would pass the remaining legislative measures by June.