Senate President Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri lauded Thursday, Dec. 7, the Senate's ratification of the bicameral committee reports on four measures he considers as products of meticulous and thorough formulation.

“I am confident that these measures will provide convenience, much-need assistance and enhanced benefits to their intended beneficiaries. Hindi po yan buzzer beater, kundi produkto ng masinsin at maselang pagbabalangkas ng mga panukala para sa ating mga kababayan (These are not buzzer beaters, but products of meticulous and thorough crafting of proposals for our countrymen),” the Senate chief said.

The four measures ratified by the Senate were the proposed No Permit, No Exam Prohibition Act, the New Philippine Passport Act, Expanding the Coverage of the Centenarians Act, and the Philippine Salt Industry Development Act.

The measures are envisioned to aid indigent or disadvantaged students, update the old passport law, increase the benefits of senior citizens even before they reach the age of 100, and revitalize the country’s salt industry.

“It brings me immense pride and pleasure to have participated and witnessed the progression of these measures in the Senate and I am quite certain that our senators have done an outstanding job meticulously crafting even the minute details of these pieces of legislation,” Zubiri said.

“We hope that these will be signed into law before our holiday break, including the national budget for 2024. This will certainly cap a very productive year for the Senate,” Zubiri said.

No exam, no permit prohibition policy

The No Permit, No Exam Prohibition Act mandates that public and private educational institutions allow disadvantaged students with unpaid tuition and fees to take periodic and final examinations.

Zubiri said this measure is “close to his heart", as it ultimately redounds to the benefit of students and the Philippine education system as well, which are part of his advocacies as a lawmaker.

“Isa ito sa mga panukalang tinutukan natin dahil direkta itong makaka-benepisyo sa madami nating estudyante na nahihirapang tustusan ang kanilang pag-aaral sa ilang pagkakataon (This is one of the proposed measures that we focused on because it directly benefits a lot of students who are having a hard time paying for the studies in different instances),” Zubiri said.

The bill prohibits the practice of many schools to disallow their students who haven't paid their tuition and other fees from taking their examinations.

“Hindi porke’t walang pambayad ng tuition ngayon ay hindi na makakabayad sa mga susunod na panahon. Kailangang matigil itong practice na ito at para sa akin ay maling-mali ito. Nakaka-trauma pa ito sa mag-aaral na hindi sasabay sa pagsusulit kasama ang kanyang mga kaklase (It doesn't mean they can pan now they can't pay in the future. We have to stop this practice which for me is very wrong. It also causes trauma to students who cannot take exams at the same time with their classmates),” Zubiri noted.

The measure also directs the Municipal, City or Provincial Social Welfare and Development Officer, or the Regional Office of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), as the case may be, to issue the necessary certificate on the disadvantaged status of the student due to calamities, emergencies, force majeure and other good or justifiable reasons.

“They can demand promissory notes or withhold records and credentials of students and other legal and administrative remedies,” Zubiri explained.

New Philippine Passport Act

The New Philippine Passport Act, meanwhile, harmonizes the Passport Law with recently enacted laws, such as Republic Act (RA) 101713, or The Data Privacy Act; RA 11055, the Philippine ID System (PhilSys Act); RA 11767, or the Foundling Recognition and Protection Act; and RA 11641, or the Department of Migrant Workers Act.

It provides for the issuance of emergency passports to traveling Filipinos who lost their passport while abroad, as well as the issuance of a Convention Travel Document to a stateless person who is likewise a permanent resident of the Philippines or a refugee granted such status or asylum in the country.

It also mandates the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to establish a passport database, which will contain (a) applicants’ biographic data, biometric data, and demographic data; (b) record of denials, cancellations, stolen, and lost passports.

The measure also establishes offsite and mobile passport services in areas outside of the consular offices and foreign service posts.

Centenarians Act Expanded

Another measure, Expanding the Coverage of the Centenarians Act, benefits senior citizens who will receive financial grants even before reaching the age of 100.

All Filipinos, whether residing here or abroad, upon reaching the ages of 80, 85, 90 and 95 will receive a cash gift of P10,000. The grantees shall be eligible to receive the cash gift within one year upon reaching the ages specified.

Upon reaching 100, a senior citizen is entitled to P100,000 in financial grants and a letter of felicitation from the President of the Republic of the Philippines.

Salt Industry Development Measure

Finally, the Philippine Salt Industry Development Act hopes to revitalize the salt industry, especially in coastal communities, by addressing the gaps in the country’s salt industry and making it more competitive in local and international markets.

It mandates the establishment of the Philippine Salt Industry Development Roadmap tasked to formulate programs, projects, and interventions for the development, processing, and utilization, among others, of the Philippine salt.