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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Enough of status quo! House 'Young Guns' prod Senate to pass economic Cha-cha 

Enough of status quo! House 'Young Guns' prod Senate to pass economic Cha-cha 

Published Jun 2, 2024 07:10 am

At A Glance

  • Members of the so-called "Young Guns" bloc in the House of Representatives are banging  on the door of the Senate to approve the economic Charter change (Cha-cha) bill that the lower chamber approved early this year.  

20240508_085247.jpgHouse "Young Guns" bloc huddle up. From left to right: La Union 1st district Rep. Paolo Ortega V, 1-Rider Party-list Rep. Rodge Gutierrez, Deputy Speaker Quezon 2nd district Rep. David "Jay-jay" Suarez, Zambales 1st district Rep. Jefferson "Jay" Khonghun, Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Jil Bongalon, and Lanao del Sur 1st district Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong. (Ellson Quismorio/ MANILA BULLETIN)

Members of the so-called "Young Guns" bloc in the House of Representatives are banging on the door of the Senate to approve the economic Charter change (Cha-cha) bill that the lower chamber approved early this year.

They reiterated this call on the heels of the results of the latest survey of reputable pollster Tangere, wherein nearly six out of 10 or 57 percent of Filipinos expressed support for the moves to amend the 1987 Constitution for economic reasons.

Invoking this pulse of the people, Zambales 1st district Rep. Jefferson "Jay" Khonghun, chairman of the House Committee on Bases Conversion, said: “In this era of fast global digitalization, the Philippines needs to level up by trying to compete, or at least be at par with advanced economies. We are sorely lacking infrastructure, which is why our Asian neighbors left us behind.”

La Union 1st district Rep. Paolo Ortega V agreed with Khonghun in that the country must do its best to close the distance with its neighbor-countries.

“After nearly 40 years since the post-Marcos Sr. era, do we need a status quo? We have seen our neighbors progress. We have been a laggard; that’s the hard truth. But do we need to be a laggard forever?” Ortega, a House Assistant Majority Leader, asked.

Last March, the House of Representatives approved Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) No.7--the economic Cha-cha measure--on third and final reading.

However, the Senate’s counterpart version, RBH No. 6, remains pending at the subcommittee level. Ironically, the senators were first to file RBH No.6, which was essentially copied by the House members to facilitate faster legislation.

“We urge the Senate to join us in unlocking our nation's full potential and ensuring sustained economic growth through constitutional economic amendments," said Assistant Minority Leader 1-Rider Party-list Rep. Rodge Gutierrez.

"By attracting foreign investments and fostering a competitive, inclusive business environment, we can generate more jobs for Filipinos,” he said.

“Don’t we need to catch up? Can we not entertain change at all? Can we not try something new?” another "Young Gun" in Lanao del Sur 1st district Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong, chairman of the House Ad Hoc Committee on Marawi Rehabilitation and Victims Compensation.

“Status quo is the last thing we need. We have to wake up from our long slumber, so to speak," he said.

Assistant Majority Leader Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Jil Bongalon opined: “We need some economic adjustments to keep pace with the demands of the global economy. Opening specific economic provisions can create a more dynamic and resilient economy facing future challenges."

"The proposal will help attract more foreign direct investments crucial for the Philippines' financial expansion and infrastructure development,” he said.

Based on the answers of 1,500 respondents nationwide, where the survey was held from May 21 to 25 this year, Tangere indicated that 57 percent – or a slight two percent increase from April’s figures – wanted key economic provisions in the fundamental law of the land tweaked.

“Strong support is observed among respondents from Metro Manila, Southern Luzon, and Bicol Region, while disagreement is more common among respondents from Mindanao and Central Luzon, and from the upper-income classes,” Tangere stated in its report.

Related Tags

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