By Ben Rosario BATANGAS CITY – With 204 congressmen in attendance, the House of Representatives made quorum and convened in a regular session here that swiftly adopted two legislative measures aimed at fast-tracking help for areas ravaged by the Taal eruption last week. (MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO) Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano lauded his Lower House colleagues for their presence as this speeded up action on legislative proposals and provided local and civil leaders and Taal victims the opportunity to air their grievances and pleas and give proposals on how best Congress and government can address their situation. Cayetano, who came up with the idea of holding an out-of-town session in the province worst hit by the volcanic disaster, was clearly inspired by the good attendance of his colleagues that he welcomed the idea of holding similar sessions elsewhere in the country. On the motion of Majority Leader and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez, the regular session was convened into a Committee on the Whole to allow local leaders of various areas in Batangas and Cavite, as well as selected evacuees, to speak out. The Lower House also started processing on second reading House Bill No. 5989 which consolidated at least a dozen bills seeking to create the Department of Disaster Resillience. Batangas Rep. Marvie Marino presented Committee Report No. 200 strongly endorsing approval of the measure. Meanwhile, House Resolutions No. 662 and 655 both gained swift approval. House Resolution No. 662 expressed the Lower House commitment to work with concerned government agencies “to pass the proposed supplemental budget to expedite effective and responsive assistance to” people affected by the Taal eruption. Aside from Cayetano and Romualdez, the other authors of the measure are Minority Leader and Manila Rep. Bienvenido Abante; Deputy Speakers Laguna Rep. Dan Fernandez and Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte; and Cavite Rep. Elpidio Barzaga. Also listed as co-authors were Deputy Speakers Vilma Santos-Recto and Raneo Abu, and Reps. Elenita Ermita-Buhain, Ma. Theresa Collantes, and Mario Vittorio Marino, all of Batangas. House Resolution No. 655, authored by the six incumbent Batangas legislators, called for the immediate release of funds for disaster and relief operations, and urged the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council to conduct a briefing to House members on its assessment of the situation prevailing in Taal-affected provinces. Abu said this gives lawmakers a better idea of the needs of the affected localities and the total budget needed to address the effects of the calamity. Batangas Gov. Hermilando Mandanas, a former congressman, addressed the Lower House, and said that for food alone, the evacuation centers in Batangas spend P150 million daily. Damage to various means of livelihood had also overshot P5 billion while destruction to property caused by the eruption could not yet be determined because of the dangerous situation in the affected areas. He also thanked the congressmen for showing their concern to his constituents. During the Committee of the Whole proceedings, barangay chairperson Jocelyn Bayanay of San Nicolas town spoke of the total destruction of her community. “Nakita ko po na walang natira ni isang ari-arian,” she said (I saw that nothing remained, not even one item of property). She also appealed to government authorities to allow them to return to fishing when everything is settled. Meanwhile, Agoncillo town Mayor Daniel Reyes said, “I am here exhausted, stressed, worried about the plight of our kababayans (countrymen). But I am convinced that the national government has ears to hear what we have to say,” He added that out of the 44,000 population of his town, 9,000 are now housed in various evacuation centers in Batangas and Cavite while the “rest are with relatives, friends, and even strangers.” READ MORE: House leaders meet to pass supplemental budget for disaster relief