CAMARINES Sur Rep. LRay Villafuerte has cited Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez for steering through the House of Representatives the swift passage of the government’s priority legislative measures designed to sustain the robust post-pandemic growth, create more jobs and livelihood opportunities, and improve the lives of Filipinos.

Villafuerte, National Unity of the Philippines (NUP) president, said the substantial number of new laws and proposed legislation acted upon by the chamber halfway through this legislative session is the Christmas gift of the Speaker and House members to the Filipino people.

“Speaker Martin has traced the superb performance of the House of Representatives this year to the continued unity and cooperation of all of us in the bigger chamber in serving the highest interest of the Filipino people,” Villafuerte, who represents the second district of Camarines Sur, said.

“But the Speaker has looked past something in his recap, and this has to do with the remarkable role he has played in shepherding the passage of a fairly large number of priority bills identified by the President and LEDAC for urgent action,” he said.

“This record accomplishment marks the Christmas gift of the House under the Speaker’s leadership to our people,” Villafuerte added.

LEDAC refers to the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council, which is the consultative body created under Republic Act (RA) 7640 in 1992 to draw up with, and recommend to, the President socio-economic development goals, including helping identify the priority legislative measures for the Congress to pass in support of these objectives.

“The House has been productive and efficient more than ever, passing in record time most of the priority measures endorsed by President Marcos in his SONA (State of the Nation Address) and by LEDAC,” Villafuerte said.

He said that, “Under the very able leadership of the Speaker, the House has passed a sizable number of proposed laws meant to bring the Marcos administration closer to the President’s paramount goal of high and inclusive growth for Filipinos by way of accelerating poverty reduction, turbocharging the economy, and generating more and better jobs and livelihood opportunities for all.”

Villafuerte said the NUP, which, with 45 members, is the biggest power bloc in the House next to the Romualdez-led ruling Lakas-CMD, will, in the year ahead, remain fully supportive of the Speaker and of the legislative agenda of President Marcos, “in line with the Chief Executive’s commitment to not leave anyone behind in our country’s quest for high and inclusive growth.”

Earlier, the NUP formally declared its continued support for Romualdez till the end of the 19th Congress in 2025 and for the legislative agenda of President Marcos till the end of his term in 2028.

Citing House records, Villafuerte said that over 600 House bills (HBs) have been passed by the bigger chamber and now awaiting action by the Senate, enabling the House to process an average of 28 legislative measures for each of the 121 session days in the 19th Congress.

Of these House-passed measures, Villafuerte said that 34 have become laws, seven (7) more have already been ratified by both chambers and awaiting approval by the President, and another five (5) are being deliberated upon by their respective bicameral conference (bicam) committees for eventual ratification by the Senate and the House.

The new laws include those on debt condonation of Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries or ARBs (Republic Act or RA 11953), establishing the Maharlika Investment Fund or MIF (RA 11954), extending the period of availment of estate tax amnesty (RA 11956), establishing specialty centers in Department of Health (DOH) hospitals in all regions (RA 11959), institutionalizing the “One Town, One Product (OTOP) program (RA11960), and on the protection and welfare of caregivers (RA 11965).

Villafuerte has co-authored three of these laws—RA 11953 on ARB debt condonation, RA 11954 creating the MIF, and RA 11960 institutionalizing the OTOP program.

The six (6) enrolled bills that have been submitted to Malacañan Palace for the President’s approval and signature into law are those on easing of tax payments; prohibition on the “No Permit, No Exam” policy of schools; the magna carta of Filipino seafarers; grant of extra benefits to centenarians; the “Tatak Pinoy” (Proudly Filipino ) Act; and revival of the Salt Industry.

Villafuerte has co-authored four of these enrolled bills awaiting the President’s signing into law—Magna Carta of seafarers, revitalization of the moribund salt industry, institutionalization of the “Tatak Pinoy” program of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), and the grant of additional benefits to centenarians plus cash gifts to octogenarians and nonagenarians.

The former Camarines Sur governor has authored or co-authored 23 bills from among the 20 LEDAC and 17 SONA priority bills passed by the House so far in the second regular session of the 19th Congress.

Under Romualdez’s leadership, the House had passed all 17 SONA-endorsed bills by September, or three months ahead of the end-December 2023 target.

Of the 20 LEDAC-identified priority measures, four have been signed into law, namely, The National Employment Master Plan or “Trabaho Para sa Bayan Act” (RA 11962), Local Government Unit (LGU) Income Classification Act (RA 11964), Internet Transactions Act (RA 11967), and Public-Private Partnership Code of the Philippines (RA 11966).

Villafuerte has co-authored these four laws.

The other SONA and LEDAC priority bills co-authored by Villafuerte are:

· National Disease Prevention Management Authority

· Mandatory Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) and National Service Training Program (NSTP)

· New Philippine Passport Act

· Waste-to-Energy Bill

· Tax Package 3: Valuation Reform bill

· Medical Reserve Corps

· Creation of the Virology Institute of the Philippines

· E-Government Act/E-Governance Act

· National Government Rightsizing Program (NGRP)

· Amendments to the Bank Deposits Secrecy Law

· Anti-Financial Accounts Scamming Act (AFASA)

· Amendments to the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act

· Unified System of Separation, Retirement and Pension of MUPs

· Creation of the Department of Water Resources Management

· Philippine Immigration Act

· Anti-Financial Accounts Scamming

· Blue Economy Law

· Motor vehicle tax

· Rationalization of mining fiscal regime

Bicol solons led by Villafuerte earlier lauded Romualdez for his “decisive, result-oriented leadership” that has transformed the House of Representatives into a “pivotal partner” of President Marcos’ goal of making growth sustainable and inclusive for all Filipinos.

The NUP chief, along with fellow CamSur Reps. Miguel Luis “Migz” Villafuerte and Tsuyoshi Anthony Horibata, issued the earlier statement in underlining their strong, continued support for Romualdez at the helm of the bigger chamber.

“Because of his decisive, result-oriented leadership, Speaker Martin has managed to shepherd through the 300-plus strong House this early the final approval of all of the President’s priority bills for the year—three months ahead of schedule,” Villafuerte said.

“The House has certainly been a highly productive legislative chamber on the Romualdez watch, crafting a substantial number of social protection measures in support of the commitment of President Marcos not to leave any Filipino behind in his Administration’s quest for a peaceful and prosperous nation,” Migz Villafuerte, also a former governor, said.

Horibata said, meanwhile, that, “Under the Speaker’s leadership, the bigger chamber has likewise passed a substantial number of measures meant to further stimulate the economy post-pandemic, and create more jobs and livelihood opportunities in step with the Marcos administration’s goal of inclusive high growth.”

Villafuerte and the two other CamSur congressmen said the earlier-than-expected passage in the chamber of the SONA and LEDAC bills, along with the Speaker’s active participation in Mr. Marcos’ successful investment missions overseas, has “transformed the House into a pivotal partner of this Administration in its agenda for keeping our post-pandemic economy on a high-growth track to ensure more jobs and better living standards for Filipinos.”