Senate passes 5 key measures

SENATE President Juan Miguel «Migz» Zubiri on Tuesday commended his colleagues for approving on third and final reading five bills, four of which were priority measures of the Marcos administration expected to help boost the country's economy.

«These pieces of legislation were carefully studied and deliberated on by the senators to help improve the lives of every Filipino in line with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s governance agenda,» Zubiri said in a statement.

The passage of the measures came less than a week after Zubiri, House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez and other leaders of both chambers of Congress met with the President in Malacañang during the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (Ledac) meeting.

The measures' approval took place five days before the legislative body goes on a monthlong break starting September 30 and will resume its session on November 6.

Zubiri said he is confident that the 19th Congress will be able to approve all the 20 priority bills that the President wants enacted before the year ends.

«While we recognize the importance of the Marcos administration's legislative agenda, we still have to carry out our responsibilities as lawmakers to ensure the quality of the products of the Senate's legislative mill,» the Senate President said.

Five national bills

Five of the 17 measures that were approved on Monday were national bills that include Senate Bill (SB) 1846, or the proposed «Internet Transactions Act»; SB 2224, or the «Ease of Paying Taxes Act»; SB 2233, to be known as the «Public Private Partnership Act»; SB 2001, or the «New Philippine Passport Act»; and SB 2028, «An Act Recognizing the Octogenarians, Nonagenarians and Centenarians.»

Zubiri helped shepherd the passage of all