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House passes vital measures including P5.2T GAB

October 3, 2022 Ryan Ponce Pacpaco 229 views

Prioritized bills for Filipinos’ welfare, needs

THE House of Representatives fulfilled its promise to pass vital measures, including the approval on the third and final reading of the proposed P5.268-trillion General Appropriations Bill (GAB) that is responsive to the needs of the Filipino people after processing 427 bills and resolutions or an average of 19 measures per session during the 23 session days from July 25 to September 28, 2022.

House Majority Leader and Zamboanga City 2nd District Representative Manuel Jose “Mannix” M. Dalipe said the focused and compassionate leadership of Speaker Martin G. Romualdez and “the teamwork and cooperation of their colleagues” helped the House of Representatives in pushing the legislative agenda of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.”

Dalipe hailed the hardworking House officials, secretariat, and other employees who have been helping the House leadership in shepherding the approval of pro-people priority legislations that cater to their needs, especially in these challenging times.

“The House record accomplishment would not be possible without the hard work of Speaker Romualdez, our colleagues both in the majority and minority, House secretariat, officials and employees,” Dalipe, chairman of the House Committee on Rules, said.

“The House of Representatives has worked efficiently and diligently for the timely passage of the proposed P5.268-trillion national budget for next year,” Dalipe said, adding that Speaker Romualdez has been spearheading the House to solid efficiency.

In his report to Romualdez, Dalipe said a total of 5,696 measures were filed in the House of Representatives, 5226 were bills, 470 were resolutions and 63 were committee reports.

Dalipe said the institution approved 37 bills on the third and final reading, passed 11 measures on the 2nd reading, and adopted 20 resolutions, including Concurrent Resolution No. 2, which supported the “2022-2028 Medium Term Fiscal Framework” of the Marcos administration.

On top of the passage of the proposed P5.268-trillion “Agenda for Prosperity” 2023 national budget, the most important legislative proposal Congress tackles every year, the House of Representatives also ratified two bicameral conference committee (bicam) reports – the proposed Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) Card Registration Act and the postponement of the December 2022 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE) that will soon be transmitted to Malacañang for President Marcos Jr.’s signature.

With the 427 total measures processed this 19th Congress, Dalipe said this is 96% higher than the 218 measures processed during the 18th Congress.

Compared to 11 measures processed per session day during the 18th Congress, Dalipe said the 19 measures processed per day in the present Congress is 70% higher.

Last Wednesday, Speaker Romualdez told his colleagues that since the start of their session, “we rolled up our sleeves and worked hand in hand to ensure collective and responsive action upon all pending bills and resolutions, including priority bills in the legislative agenda of our President, Ferdinand Marcos Jr.”

“Our mission from Day One is clear: Help resuscitate the pandemic-battered economy and make economic transformation the main engine to uplift the lives of the Filipino people,” Romualdez said in remarks before the House adjourned its session for the first recess of Congress.

Aside from the budget bill and the two bicam reports, comparative data from the House committee on rules showed a 106-percent increase in the passage on the third reading of 37 national bills compared to the 18 measures approved on the final reading by the 18th Congress and 517 percent higher than six measures approved on third reading during the 17th Congress over almost the same period.

The House processed a total of 427 measures, 96% more than the 218 tackled by the 18th Congress and 104% higher than the 209 measures discussed during the 17th Congress.

The number of bills the larger chamber handled per session day averaged 19, versus 11 in the previous Congress, or an improvement of 70% and 246% better than the 5% recorded during the 17th Congress

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