LAWMAKERS on Tuesday said that with the 100-percent completion of the priority measures outlined in the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) slated for June 2024, the House of Representatives can now focus on other measures that are of national and local significance.

Lanao del Norte Rep. Mohamad Khalid Dimaporo, Negros Occidental Rep. Franscisco “Kiko” Benitez, PBA Rep. Margarita Ignacia “Atty. Migs” Nograles, and Taguig City 2nd District Rep. Amparo Maria “Pammy” J. Zamora all said the chamber will buckle down to discuss other equally important measures.

“I think with the LEDAC measures finally completed we can focus on local bills because that is of the utmost importance to most of us here in the House of Representatives. Iyong mga local needs ng mga constituents namin, and secondly, we also have other tasks,” Dimaporo, Chairman of the House Committee on Muslim Affairs, said during the regular daily press briefing at the House.

Speaker Martin G. Romualdez earlier reported of the 100-percent House approval of LEDAC priority bills slated for June 2024 passage, which is three months ahead of schedule.

He reported to the LEDAC meeting presided by President Bongbong Marcos Jr. in Malacañang Tuesday morning that the House of Representatives has fulfilled its commitment to pass all the 19 LEDAC priority measures three months ahead of the June 2024 target.

“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,” Speaker Romualdez said.

Dimaporo said that aside from local bills, other equally important pieces of legislation will now get the full attention of lawmakers in the House, such as the Second Congressional Commission on Education, or aptly known as EDCOM 2.

“One of the tasks that I have been assigned to by the Speaker is in EDCOM 2, so we will be digging deep into the problems of BARMM and the problems with education, why they have the poorest of the poor in terms of performance when it comes to education, statistics and indicators,” Dimaporo said.

Nograles said there are other committee hearings in the chamber that are ongoing, and the House is still very busy crafting and deliberating on proposed measures that will support President Marcos’ economic agenda.

“I think the CREATE MORE is being discussed and if I’m not mistaken there are about 10,000 bills that have been filed by various congressmen (that need to be discussed). So hindi po matatapos iyan and we are all trying our best to hear the various local bills, national bills, all other bills na gusto namin lahat mapasa sana, na maisabatas,” she said.

“You know the work really never stops even during the break,” Nograles added.

For Benitez, aside from those mentioned, there is still the mandate of the House in the exercise of its powers on oversight.

“Kasi sa oversight lang, kagaya ng EDCOM 2 halimbawa, marami hong lumilitaw na problema na hindi generally naka-capture in the normal year’s legislative process. So, there are many issues and many (pieces of) legislation that still need study beyond or outside the LEDAC priorities,” Benitez said.

“We have issues with local bills that still need legislation and those continue as the needs of our local constituents change and emerge over time. There are still bills of national importance that are not included in the LEDAC priority but are nonetheless important,” he added.

“Napakarami po talaga naming ginagawa. Sabay-sabay po ‘yung mga committee meetings namin. In fact, this week hindi lang naman po RBH7 ang ipapasa namin. May 45 local and national bills po na ipapasa ngayong linggo. So, kung naipagsasabay-sabay po namin iyun, siguro naman po malinaw na sabihin hindi lang naman namin pinaglaanan ng pansin ‘yung RBH 7. Sabay-sabay po, kinakaya po namin lahat,” Zamora said.