By Anna Leah Gonzales | Philippine News Agency
The 19th Congress passed 40 out of the 64 priority bills under the Common Legislative Agenda (CLA) identified by the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC).
In a statement on Wednesday, the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev) said this is the highest number of priority measures passed since the 10th Congress during the administration of former President Fidel Ramos.
LEDAC is the President’s consultative and advisory body on programs and policies essential to the realization of the goals of the national economy.
Before the 19th Congress adjourned sine die on June 11, the Senate and House of Representatives ratified the reconciled versions of seven priority bills under the CLA which include the Government Optimization Act, Liberalizing the Lease of Private Lands by Foreign Investors, E-Governance Act, Konektadong Pinoy Act, Virology Institute of the Philippines, Accelerated and Reformed Right-of-Way (ARROW) Act, and the Enhanced Fiscal Regime for Large-Scale Metallic Mining Act.
Once signed by the President, these bills will be added to the 33 measures already enacted under the CLA, raising the total to 40.
“This achievement would not have been possible without the heightened synergy between the Senate and the House of Representatives. We extend our sincere gratitude to Senate Presidents Francis Escudero and Juan Miguel Zubiri, and House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, for their unwavering commitment to advancing our country’s legislative agenda for a brighter future for all Filipinos,” DEPDev Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said.
The 33 enacted measures include landmark economic and tax reforms such as the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Code of the Philippines, the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises to Maximize Opportunities for Reinvigorating the Economy (CREATE MORE) Act, the Real Property Valuation and Assessment Reform Act, the Capital Markets Efficiency Promotion Act, the Trabaho Para sa Bayan Act, and the Tatak Pinoy Act.
Measures on social development, particularly in education, such as the Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning Program Act and the Enterprise-Based Education and Training Framework Act, as well as measures to boost agricultural productivity such as the New Agrarian Emancipation Act, the Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Act, and the Amendments to the Agricultural Tariffication Act were also signed into law.
“As we look ahead to the 20th Congress, we are hopeful for continued momentum in advancing our legislative agenda. In particular, DEPDev fully supports the passage of the Department of Water Resources Bill and the proposed National Land Use Act, as part of our thrust to complete the groundwork for more efficient governance and sustainable development in the years ahead,” Balisacan said.
