By Ellson Quismorio A ranking lady lawmaker expressed hope on Thursday for the swift enactment of her pet measure calling for the provision of a "Timbangan ng Bayan" or weighing scale in every public market in the country. This, as Misamis Oriental 2nd district Rep. Juliette Uy noted that her House Bill (HB) No.7857 has essentially similar provisions as its counterpart measures in the Senate, namely Senator Ralph Recto's Senate Bill (SB) No. 1970 and Senator Grace Poe's SB No. 2050. "Dahil halos magkakatulad ang tatlong panukalang batas, hindi na mahihirapan ang Senado na pag-isahin ang tatlong bill. Malamang maipasa ng Senado ang consolidated bill sa unang tatlong buwan ng susunod na taon," said Uy, who serves as vice chairman of the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship Development. (Since the three proposed laws are almost similar, the Senate won't find it difficult harmonizing the three bills. I think the Senate will submit the consolidated bill during the first quarter of next year.) The House of Representatives approved HB No.7857 on third and final reading back on August 29, 2018. Under the measure, the Timbangan ng Bayan--essentially an anti-fraud device--will be placed under the supervision of the local market supervisor. With the Timbangan ng Bayan, Uy said consumers can check the accuracy of the weight of food and other goods purchased in their city or municipal public markets. At the same time, this discourages merchants from committing any irregularity or dishonesty. The House measure seeks to amend the Consumer Act of the Philippines by providing stiffer penalties against fraudulent practices relative to weights and measures. For example, from the virtually insignificant P200 penalty in the current law, fraudsters stand to be penalized with a fine worth P50,000 to P300,000 or imprisonment of one to five years if found guilty of tampering with weighing scales. "The House version has its origins in HB 2957 of Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. In the Committee on Trade and Industry, I, as vice chairman, gave my full support and voted in committee and in plenary," Uy said. "The consolidated bill from Senate would, in turn, be swiftly concurred to or ratified by the House, and from there, onward it goes to Malacanang. Before this current session of Congress is over, this bill will become law," she added.