Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri and House Speaker Martin Romualdez both promised President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. that they would work hard to pass bills that would have an impact on the economy.
‘’Yan ang mahalaga, na dapat maramdaman ng bawat Pilipino ang pag angat ng ating Bansa at pag asenso ng kanilang buhay (That is what is important, so that every Filipino feel the development of the country and the improvement of their lives),’’ Zubiri said Saturday, Jan. 28.
The Senate chief issued the statement after he and Romualdez met with President Marcos in Malacanang Friday, Jan. 27.
‘’Pinagusapan namin ang mga priority bills ng Gobyerno para mapabilis ang pagunlad ng ekonomiya at ang pag angat buhay ng bawat Pilipino (We talked of the priority bills designed to help improve the economy and the lives of every Filipino),’’ Zubiri said in a text message to Senate reporters.
To be acted favorably by Congress, according to Zubiri, is the ratification of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) which will give a wider market for Philippine products in other countries.
The RCEP agreement was to have entered into force on Jan. 1, 2022 for six members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) - Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Lao pDR, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam and five ASEAN trading partners namely Australia, China, Japan, Korea, and New Zealand.
Encompassing 15 nations and 2.2 billion people, the trade partnership offers broad economic and societal benefits that go beyond imports and exports.
Zubiri said the Senate is committed to ratify the RCEP Agreement very soon.
The Congress leaders also discussed with the President the Maharlika Investment Fund (MIF).
‘’Nag pasalamat ako kay Presidente sa pagsang-ayon niya na wag madaliin ang panukalang ito para ma paganda talaga namin ang mga ibat ibang probisyon ng MIF at malagyan ng mga sapat na safe guards na maproteksyonan ang pondong iyan na hindi matamaan ng korupsyon or mismanagement (I thanked the President that he would not rush the Senate on the passage of the MIF bill so that we could include appropriate provisions and proper safeguards to protect the sovereign fund in order that it would not be subject to corruption or mismanagement),’’ he explained.
Zubiri also emphasized that they discussed the priority measures taken up during the Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) meeting.
These include the Condonation of Unpaid Amortization and Interest on Loans of Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries; the AFP Amendment on Fixed Term; and a handful of health bills, namely the Medical Reserve Corps Act, the Center for Disease Prevention and Control Act, and the Virology Science and Technology Institute of the Philippines Act for the first quarter of this year.