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Press Release - Key Cayetano bills pass Senate Final Reading

Several key bills championed by Senator Alan Peter Cayetano were approved on Third and Final Reading in the Senate on Monday as the 19th Congress nears its conclusion.

The bills were passed during the Senate session on February 3, 2025, highlighting Cayetano's efforts to address key issues in economic development, education, and healthcare.

BCDA charter amendments One of the major measures passed was Senate Bill No. 2647 which seeks to amend the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) charter. Cayetano, who sponsored the bill during his time as chair of the Senate Committee on Government Corporations and Public Enterprises, emphasized the importance of the amendments in driving economic development.

"If we develop Bulacan and Clark economic zones correctly, it could really be a twin engine of development in our country, and it could really pull the massive urbanization out of Metro Manila and spur development in Central Luzon," Cayetano said during deliberations.

The bill includes provisions to extend the BCDA's corporate term by another 50 years, allow strategic land sales of some portions of former military bases, and allocate a portion of the proceeds from land sales to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Pension Fund, among other reforms.

Access to quality education As chair of the Senate Committee on Higher, Technical, and Vocational Education, Cayetano's vision of improving access to quality education is becoming a reality with the passage of key education bills.

The Senate advanced Senate Bill No. 2669 which amends the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) Charter to establish PUP as the National Polytechnic University of the Philippines.

The bill would grant the university greater autonomy, expand its academic offerings, and create a Center for Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technologies.

"During the budget hearing, we found out that PUP is basically P12 per unit, while UP (University of the Philippines) is P1,500 per unit... yet, when it comes to awards and accomplishments, PUP has done an equally amazing job," Cayetano said.

In addition, the Senate passed House Bill No. 9989 contained in Committee Report No. 434, which

Read more on legacy.senate.gov.ph
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