The Senate, under the leadership of Senate President Francis ‘Chiz’ G. Escudero, has passed several priority measures of the administration that will improve the investment climate of the country, strengthen the nation’s territorial and maritime claims, and improve the competitiveness of Filipinos.
The Senate was able to act on 12 key measures, all in just a little over 30 session days since Escudero was elected as the new Senate President on May 20, 2024.
“During this period, we even had to deal with work stoppages due to weather disturbances, as well as national holidays. Nevertheless, we made sure that we were able to dispose of the matters before us, with the support of all our members,” Escudero said.
Nine of the 12 bills are up for signing by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., three are awaiting action at the bicameral conference committee level, and one is up for approval by the House of Representatives.
All-in-all, a total of 106 bills, including those that are local in scope, were approved on the third reading, 26 of which have been enacted into law since May 20.
“We acted with urgency on the priority measures of the President, which were also part of the common legislative agenda of both chambers of Congress. Again, this is more about the quality of laws rather than quantity. These are high-impact laws that Malacanang and Congress agreed upon to prioritize,” Escudero said.
As he noted upon his assumption as Senate President, Escudero said the Senate will apply the three-way test in prioritizing bills: Will it make the lives of the people easier? Will it help us move faster? Will it make our people’s burdens lighter?
This test, according to Escudero, is the basis for deciding what to legislate and if amendments are to be entertained.
The priority bills up for signing by the President are the following:
- SBN 1604 or the Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning Program (ARAL) Act addresses the learning deficiencies of learners by assigning qualified tutors;
- SBN 2221 or the Magna Carta of Filipino Seafarers strengthens the protection and promotion of the welfare of the close to half a million seafarers on board ships globally;
- SBN 2432 or Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Economic Sabotage Act imposes heavy fines against smugglers and hoarders of agricultural products;
- SBN 2455 or the Self-Reliant Defense Posture Revitalization Act seeks to revitalize and strengthen the defense posture of the country while promoting the development of a national defense industry;
- SBN 2492 or the Philippine Maritime Zones Act delineates the maritime domain of the Philippines and declares the rights and entitlements of the country over its maritime zones, including the underwater features for the enjoyment and cultivation by Filipinos in compliance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea;
- SBN 2528 or VAT on Digital Transactions imposes value-added tax on digital transactions for non-resident digital service providers and is envisioned to help the development of the local creative industry;
- SBN 2762 or the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises to Maximize Opportunities for Reinvigorating the Economy (CREATE MORE) clarifies the tax incentives for registered business enterprises to encourage new investors to come into the country and help domestic enterprises grow;
- SBN 2779 or Amendments to the Rice Tariffication Law provides the National Food Authority the power to ensure that prices are stable and the supplies are regulated; and
- SBN 2587 or the Enterprise-Based Education and Training Framework Act aims to strengthen the connection between education and industry by institutionalizing enterprise-based education and training programs thus improving the employability of Filipinos.
Even as several committees of the Senate are in the thick of investigating issues of national interest, Escudero assured that the chamber will not be distracted from its duty “to pass laws for the benefit of our people.”
“In the remaining days before the Senate starts to focus exclusively on the proposed 2025 national budget, we are looking at passing about three to four more of the priority measures of the President. There is no time to waste, and we will strive to accomplish even more under my watch,” Escudero said.