House to Prioritize Passage of Remaining 26 Admin Bills

MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives is committed to prioritizing the approval of the remaining 26 out of 52 priority administration bills during the Second Regular Session of the 20th Congress. This commitment was announced by Majority Leader Ferdinand Alexander “Sandro” A. Marcos, who noted that 26 measures, or half of the target, have already been passed during the First Regular Session. “We have so far passed 26 measures, or half of our target, during the First Regular Session of the 20th Congress. We will work on approving the rest in the course of our Second Regular Session,” he said. These priority bills, agreed upon by the legislative and executive branches through the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (Ledac), are designed to support President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s programs and implement structural reforms that will benefit the Filipino people. Marcos emphasized that these legislative measures aim to make the lives of citizens more comfortable. “We will make sure that this proposed law will help our president, and especially our people in making their lives more comfortable,” the majority leader stressed. Among the proposed legislation is the amendment to the Universal Health Care Act, which is expected to bring general benefits to the public. The House also aims to streamline the implementation of these laws, ensuring that citizens can easily access the programs and benefits provided. “They also aim to streamline the implementation of these laws so the people can easily access the programs and benefits Congress has provided for them in these pieces of legislation,” he added. Other bills target specific sectors, including proposed changes to the Coconut Farmers and Industry Trust Fund Act and the Magna Carta for Small and Medium-Scale Enterprises. “Our country should receive and feel the benefits set aside for them under our laws,” Marcos said. Measures aimed at promoting transparency and good governance, such as proposed amendments to the Bank Secrecy Law and the Anti-Money Laundering Act, are also on the legislative agenda. According to a status report from the House Committee on Rules, headed by Marcos, the 26 priority bills already passed include the law resetting the first regular elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), which has been enacted into law. The bicameral conference committee report on the Amendments to the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act has also been ratified. Currently, three measures are under bicameral conference committee deliberations. Twenty-one bills have been approved on third and final reading. Of the remaining 26 pending priority measures, the Cybersecurity Act is on the calendar of business, and the bill disqualifying relatives of officials from government contracts (up to the fourth civil degree) is awaiting a committee report. Nine bills are pending comments or transmittal to the Committee on Appropriations, while the remaining 15 are under technical working group or committee deliberation.