THE Senate and the House of Representatives will officially convene today for the historic first State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Ferdinand “Bonggong” Marcos Jr.

Acting Senate President Juan Miguel “Migz” F. Zubiri is expected to lead the opening of the First Regular Session for the 19th Congress and the election of officers at the Senate Plenary Hall tomorrow.

Zubiri will bang the ceremonial gavel at 10 a.m. to symbolize the opening of the session.

The senators are expected to elect their officers for the new Congress, including its Senate President, Senate President Pro-Tempore, Majority Leader, Secretary, and Sergeant-at-Arms.

The losing candidate for Senate President is traditionally elected as Minority Leader.

Zubiri will likely take the helm at the Upper Chamber as its 24th Senate President.

In his earlier statements, Zubiri said the Senate will prioritize passing the national budget which includes funding for a stimulus package that will provide assistance to distressed industries and sectors affected by the pandemic and current economic issues.

Zubiri said the Senate is looking forward to passing legislative measures to combat the rising inflation, reinvigorate the economy, lower the prices of basic goods, and strengthen education policies.

Aside from Zubiri as Senate President, the other top two positions will go to Senator Loren Legarda as Senate President Pro Tempore and Majority Leader Joel Villanueva.T

he positions will be formalized before naming the committee chairmanships.

The list of the committee chairmanship are the following:

Sen Joel Villanueva- Rules

Sen. Juan Edgardo Sonny Angara- Finance; Youth

Sen. Nancy Binay- Accounts; Tourism

Sen. Ronaldo Bato dela Rosa- Public Order and Dangerous Drugs; Special Committee on Marawi Rehabilitation and Victim’s Compensation

Sen. JV Victor Ejercito- Local Government; Urban Planning, Housing, and Resettlement

Sen. Francis Chiz Escudero- Higher, Technical and Vocational Education

Sen. Jose Jinggoy Estrada Ejercito- Labor, Employment, and Human Resources Development (Domestic Labor); National Defense and Security, Peace, Unification and Reconciliation

Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian- Ways and Means; Basic Education, Arts and Culture

Sen. Christopher Bong Go- Health and Demography; Sports

Sen. Manuel Lito Lapid- Games and Amusement

Sen. Imee Marcos- Foreign Relations; Cooperatives; Social Justice, Welfare, Rural Development; Electoral Reforms and People’s Participation

Sen. Robinhood Padilla- Constitutional Amendments and Revision of Codes; Public Information and Mass Media

Sen. Grace Poe- Public Services; Economic Affairs

Sen. Ramon Bong Revilla- Public Works; Civil Service, Government Reorganization, and Professional Regulation

Sen. Francis Tolentino- Accountability of Public Officers and Investigation (Blue Ribbon); Science and Technology; Justice

Sen. Raffy Tulfo- Energy; Migrant Workers (OFWs)–still to be created

Sen Cynthia Villar- Agriculture, Food and Agrarian Reforms; Environment, Natural Resources, and Climate Change

Sen. Mark Villar- Trade Commerce, and Entrepreneurship; Banks, Financial Institutions and Currencies

Sen. Risa Hontiveros–Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality

Sen. Pia Cayetano- Sustainable Development Goals, Innovation, and Future Thinking

There is no committee chairmanship offered yet to Senator Alan Peter Cayetano and Senator Aquilino Koko Pimentel.

The possible members of the Senate Minority bloc will be Hontiveros, Cayetano siblings, and Pimentel.

According to the Senate Rules, the Minority floor leader is usually critical and is expected to speak for the bloc, constructively criticize the majority’s programs and policies, and pay close attention to all proposed laws.

Hontiveros, who is the lone senator identified in the opposition, said she is not bothered if they have only two, three, or four members only in the minority bloc.

“As long as we stay true to our mandate as fiscalizers and perform our checks and balances function.” Hontiveros was quoted as saying.

Earlier Sen. Alan Cayetano expressed his interest to hold the powerful Senate blue ribbon committee which was reportedly his condition to join the super majority bloc in the Senate.

Also part of the procedure will be the welcoming of 12 of its newly elected senators – three first-time senators, four reelected lawmakers, and five former legislators. Customarily, senators participate in ceremonial oath-taking and a photoshoot with their colleagues and spouses. By Camille P. Balagtas