House Speaker Martin Romualdez (left), Senate President Francis "Chiz" Escudero (Facebook)

House Speaker Martin Romualdez has requested Senate President Francis "Chiz" Escudero ahead of the start of the third and final regular session of the 19th Congress to tackle all pending local bills. 

Aside from the pending measures identified by the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC), the Escudero-led Senate is also facing a big stack of local bills that had been sent months ago by the House of Representatives. 

"Ito, isa pang importante. Marami kami ang local legislation, yung parochial concerns ng kada kongresista. So sinabi naman natin kay Senator Chiz Escudero, kung pwede matingin ninyo as a priority din," Romualdez said in a recent interview. 

(This is another important thing. We have a lot of local legislation, or parochial concerns from each congressman. So we've asked Senator Chiz Escudero, maybe you could also prioritize these.) 

From July 25, 2022 or the start of the 19th Congress up to June 30, 2024, the House has approved a total of 518 locals bills. They have all been transmitted to the Senate where they are awaiting action. 

As the term implies, a local bill isn't national in scope and usually just concerns the district of the filer. Romualdez noted that progress in these locals bills can help the solons with their election plans as they would have something to show to their constituents. 

The filing of the certificates of candidacy (COC) for the 2025 mid-term elections will begin in October. 

Despite the hundreds of pending local bills, Romualdez believes that the 23-member Senate would have no problem tackling them. 

He bared that there's already a commitment that the Senate will approve the top two parochial or local bill from each of the House members, if they have any. There are 306 members of the House. 

"Kaya maganda yung pag uumpisa natin ngayon sa mga meetings natin kasi approved agad ni Senate President Chiz, na tatapusin nila lahat ng mga top two prioritily legislation ng mga congressman of local significance, yung mga parochial concerns," Romualdez said. 

(That's why we're off to a good start with our meetings because Senate President Chiz has approved it, they will finish all of the congressmen's top two priority legislation of local significance, their parochial concerns.) 

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"At kasama rin si [Senate] Majority Leader [Francis] Tolentino. Kaya maganda yan kasi matutuwa lahat ng mga congressman. Lalo nga, may filing ngayon tapos anong ipapakita natin ng mga congressman sa kanilang distrito," said the House chief. 

(And we also have Senate Majority Leader Francis Tolentino. This is good because all of the congressmen are delighted. Especially now, we will be having a filing, so what would the congressmen show to their district.) 

The third regular session will start on Monday, July 22, which is also the day of President Marcos' third State of the Nation Address (SONA). 

Escudero, himself a former congressman, was installed as Senate President just before the adjournment of the second regular session.