Congress on track to pass 20 priority bills

THE 19th Congress is right on target for the December passage of the 20 priority measures being pushed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., including the General Appropriations Bill, Malacañang said on Wednesday.

Presidential Communications Secretary Cheloy Garafil said the leaders of both houses of Congress informed Marcos about the status of the bills during the third Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (Ledac) meeting in Malacañang on Wednesday.

In an interview after the Ledac meeting, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said the Senate has finished about half of the 20 priority legislations requested by the President for passage before the end of the year.

«These will become law, and those that are pending will become law within the next few weeks, and hopefully, the President will be able to sign it,» Zubiri said.

The 20 priority measures include the National Employment Action Plan, LGU Income Classification, Internet Transaction Act, BOT/PPP Act, Salt Development Industry Act, Ease of Paying Taxes, Real Property Evaluation and Assessment Reform Act, Magna Carta for Seafarers, and Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act.

Other measures are the Waste-to-Energy Bill, the National Disease Prevention Management Authority, Amendments to the Banking Act or the Fund Secrecy Law, the Medical Reserve Corps, Virology Institute of the Philippines, E-Governance Act, New Philippine Passport Act, the National Government Rightsizing Act, the National Scamming Act, the National Citizens Service Training Program Act, and the Military and Uniformed Personnel Pension System Act.

«The legislative agenda of the President is good, and we will pass this as soon as possible,» Zubiri said, adding the President wants the quick passage of