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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Senate aims to pass 20 priority bills by December 2023—Zubiri  ​

Senate aims to pass 20 priority bills by December 2023—Zubiri  ​

Published Jul 23, 2023 04:37 am
  The Senate is ready to hit the ground running and pass priority bills and other key pieces of legislation when it opens the Second Regular Session of the 19th Congress on Monday, July 24, 2023, according to Senate President Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri.                           Senate of the Philippines (Photo by Ali Vicoy/MB) Among the priority bills the Senate intends to pass before the end of the year includes the proposed Public-Private Partnership Act, which will amend Republic Act No. 6957 or the “Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT)” Law; the creation of a National Disease Prevention Management Authority; the proposed Internet Transactions Act; the establishment of the Medical Reserve Corps and the Virology Institute of the Philippines; the reinstatement of the mandatory Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) Program; and the bill revitalizing the country’s salt industry.   Also up for deliberations, specifically: the proposed Real Property Valuation and Assessment Reform Act; the proposed E-Governance and E-Government Act; Ease of Paying Taxes Act; the National Government Rightsizing Act; Automatic Income Classification of Local Government Units; and the bills providing for a Unified System for Separation, Retirement and Pension of Military and Uniformed Services; and a New Philippine Passport Law.   The Senate is also aiming to pursue the passage of the proposed Waste-to-Energy Act; Magna Carta of Filipino Seafarers; the proposed “Trabaho Para Sa Bayan” Act; as well as the Anti-Financial Scamming Act, and proposed amendments to the Bank Secrecy Law.    “We made a commitment that, on the part of the Senate, we will pass 20 priority bills by December, 2023,” Zubiri said.    “We need to hit the ground running,” the Senate leader stressed.    Zubiri also said the Upper Chamber is determined to pursue the bill increasing the daily minimum wage of workers through a legislated nationwide wage hike to help uplift the lives of Filipinos.    The Senate leader has been pushing for a P150 minimum wage hike for Metro Manila workers and other regions.    The Senate will also push for the third reading passage of the Philippine Defense Industry Development Act (PDIDA), Cybersecurity Act, and proposed amendments to the procurement provisions of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Modernization Act.   The Senate will also continue to uphold and stand for the Philippines’ sovereign rights over the West Philippine Sea by passing a resolution supporting calls for the government to bring the country’s grievances against China’s incursions in Philippine waters before the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). “The Senate is the last bastion of democracy.  It is important to maintain independence,”  the Senate chief reiterated. 

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Senate of the Philippines Senate President Juan Miguel F.  Zubiri
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