A total of 20 legislative measures were approved on Tuesday during the 2nd Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) full meeting presided by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. in Malacañan Palace for legislative approval before the year ends.
Among these measures include the Amendments of the BOT Law/PPP bill, National Disease Prevention Management Authority, Internet Transactions Act/E-Commerce Law, Health Emergency Auxillary Reinforcement Team (Heart) Act, formerly Medical Reserve Corps, Virology Institute of the Philippines, Mandatory ROTC and NSTP, Revitalizing the Salt Industry, Valuation Reform, E-Government/E-Governance, and Ease of Paying Taxes.
Also being targeted to be passed late this year are the National Government Rightsizing Program, Unified System of Separation/Retirement and Pension of MUPs, LGU Income Classification, Waste-to-Energy bill, New Philippine Passport Act, Magna Carta of Filipino Seafarers, National Employment Action Plan, Amendments to the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act, and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas-endorsed Bank Deposit Secrecy, and, Anti-Financial Account Scamming Act (AFASA) bills.
18 of the 20 bills were part of the 42 priority legislative measures during the first LEDAC meeting in October 2022.
Of the 42 bills, three (RA 11934 or An Act Requiring the Registration of Subscriber Identity Module; RA 11935 or the Postponement of Brgy./SK elections and RA 11939 or Amendment to AFP Fixed Term) had been signed into law while three (RA HB 6608 or the Maharlika Investment Fund Act, HB 7751 or the Department of Health Specialty Centers Act and HB 6336 or New Agrarian Emancipation Act) are for the President’s signature.
The other priority measures include the Passive Income and Financial Intermediary Taxation Act (PIFITA), National Land Use Act (NALUA), Enabling Law for the Natural Gas Industry, Apprenticeship Law, Philippine Ecosystem and Natural Capital Accounting System (PENCAS), Government Financial Institutions Unified Initiatives to Distressed Enterprises for Economic Recovery (GUIDE), Free Legal Assistance for Police and Soldiers, Negros Island Region, Leyte Ecological Industrial Zone, Eastern Visayas Development Authority, Philippine Immigration Bill, Comprehensive Infrastructure Development Master Plan, and, Magna Carta of Barangay Health Workers.
Five bills are in various stages of the legislative process: Budget Modernization Bill, Amendments to the Electric Power Industry Reform Act, Department of Water Resources, National Defense Act, and, Amendments to the Universal Healthcare Act.
Speaker Ferdinand Romualdez said of the remaining 36 priority measures from the first LEDAC, they have passed 32 measures on third and final reading in the House of Representatives.
On top of the SONA priority bills, several legislative measures are also being proposed for inclusion in the common legislative agenda (CLA).
Pursuant to Republic Act No. 7640, LEDAC serves as a consultative and advisory body to the President on certain programs and policies essential to the realization of the goals of the national economy.
The CLA is a list of priority legislative measures of the Executive and Legislative branches of government, which the Council has agreed to actively pursue to be passed in Congress. *PND*
