The House of Representatives will prioritize measures granting income tax relief to workers, easing the tax burden on small businesses and reducing electricity costs as lawmakers begin work on the legislative agenda outlined by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in his fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA).
Speaker Faustino ‘Bojie’ G. Dy III said the House would give priority to proposals exempting employees earning up to ?350,000 annually from income tax, reducing taxes for other workers, and granting tax relief to small businesses.
The proposed reforms also include exempting small enterprises from the minimum corporate income tax and providing tax amnesty for unpaid income tax, estate tax, donor’s tax, value-added tax (VAT) and related penalties.
Dy said the House is prepared to translate the President’s policy priorities into legislation.
‘The House fully supports the President’s call to provide meaningful tax relief to our people. We will carefully study these proposals and work to pass measures that will allow Filipino workers to keep more of what they earn, help small businesses grow, and give qualified taxpayers a fresh start through a fair and responsible tax amnesty,’ he said.
‘The SONA sets the direction of the administration. The role of the House is to ensure that its priorities receive the necessary support through orderly, thorough, and timely deliberations,’ Dy added.
Apart from tax reforms, Dy said lawmakers would prioritize measures aimed at lowering electricity costs.
These include the proposed Sariling Kuryente Act, which seeks to make rooftop solar panels and battery storage systems more affordable and accessible to households, and amendments to the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA).
The proposed EPIRA amendments would prohibit power distributors from passing system-loss charges and the corresponding value-added tax on to consumers.
‘The president has made it clear that bringing down electricity costs is a national priority, and the House stands ready to do its part. We will give due priority to the proposed Sariling Kuryente Act and the amendments to the EPIRA to ensure that consumers are no longer made to shoulder charges that should not be passed on to them,’ Dy said.
He said the House’s legislative agenda remains focused on measures that provide direct and tangible benefits to ordinary Filipinos.
‘The challenge now is to ensure that every measure considered by the House delivers clear and tangible benefits to every Filipino. That will be the measure of our work,’ Dy said.
The Speaker also underscored the need for close coordination between the executive and legislative branches to implement the administration’s priorities.
‘These are practical reforms that respond to the everyday concerns of Filipino families. The House is committed to working closely with the executive to turn these priorities into laws that will ease the cost of living, strengthen our economy, and improve the quality of life of every Filipino,’ he said.
Dy added that the House would continue to pursue responsible and people-centered lawmaking.