THE House of Representatives on Tuesday pushed for the inclusion of eight additional reform bills in the administration’s priority legislative agenda.
In his first Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (Ledac) meeting, Speaker Faustino ‘Bojie’ Dy III said the House agenda for the 20th Congress is anchored on economic growth, stronger social protection, and governance reforms, with a focus on ensuring affordable food, creating sustainable jobs, expanding digital connectivity, and improving public services for Filipinos.
The meeting, held in Malacañang, was attended by House leaders, including Majority Leader Sandro Marcos.
Dy affirmed the chamber’s commitment to work closely with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., Senate President Vicente ‘Tito’ Sotto III, and other government leaders to fast-track the passage of vital measures.
‘We meet today in a spirit of collaborative governance to align our legislative agenda with the Administration’s Philippine Development Plan and its 8-point Socioeconomic Agenda,’ Dy said.
According to Dy, 32 of the 33 measures identified by the executive branch have already been filed in the House, which he said ‘sets a positive tone for our productive collaboration with all branches of government.’
During the meeting, Dy presented eight new measures for possible inclusion in the Ledac priority list, among them a Disaster Risk Financing and Insurance Framework to ensure swift and transparent calamity response and a bill to strengthen the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) by extending its corporate life and opening select lands for development.
The House is also pushing a Presidential Merit Scholarship Program to reward outstanding graduates from low- and middle-income families and a bill disqualifying relatives of officials up to the fourth degree from government contracts to strengthen integrity in public service.
To safeguard democracy, the chamber seeks to regulate digital campaigning through a fair use of social media, AI, and internet technology in elections. It also proposes to modernize the Bureau of Immigration by professionalizing its ranks, adding visa categories, and upgrading border security.
The proposed Rice Industry and Consumer Empowerment (RICE) Act, on the other hand, aims to stabilize prices and empower the National Food Authority, while the Magna Carta for Barangays will institutionalize long-overdue benefits and ensure resources for local officials and communities.
‘With the President’s leadership and the collective will of this Council, we are confident that we can achieve these legislative goals,’ said Dy.
‘The House of Representatives is responding to the call of the people by crafting laws that directly improve their lives,’ he added.