For our courts and quasi-judicial agencies to eliminate the alarming number of backlogs, so many laws have to be amended or created.

In terms of overall economic development and delivery of services from government agencies, it has been a great year for the Philippines and the Filipino people. As a public servant, I’ve also had so many things to be grateful for, as I shared in last week’s column. This time, I’d like to share with you some of the things that I’m looking forward to in 2020.

We government officials cannot fulfill our duties without the continued support of the people, so it is necessary that our endeavors address our people’s needs and are reflective of their own aspirations. It is therefore crucial to continually communicate our policy agenda, plans and programs to our people.

Before the Senate took a Christmas break, I filed three bills that are of utmost significance. Both the government and the people need the changes that the bills seek to accomplish. I hope the Senate, as well as the House of Representatives, acts promptly on them so that they will become laws in 2020.

The first one is the proposed National Building Act, which seeks to repeal the National Building Code, so that we can have stricter regulations on the planning, design, construction, occupancy and maintenance of all public and private buildings and structures. Our buildings should be resilient to fire, flood, storm, earthquake and multiple hazards.

I consider the bill a personal crusade because, in 2019 alone, I’ve seen firsthand dozens of times the devastating effects of disasters, not only to properties but to the emotional and mental condition of the affected families. Next to sessions and hearings in the Senate, my first priority has been visiting the victims of disasters all over the country to provide financial aid and relief assistance. I discovered that I had to make such a trip two to three times a week for fire victims alone.

Adding to the heartbreak is the fact that such disasters could have been prevented if owners, builders and inspectors had adhered to building regulations. I’m sure that the bill that I filed will save countless lives and prevent loss of properties once turned into a law.

The two other bills that I filed are justice-related. One seeks to add an additional division, comprising three commissioners, in the National Labor Relations Commission, for the faster adjudication of labor and management disputes. The other seeks to create an additional division in the Court of Appeals and increase the number of Court of Appeals justices from 69 to 78 for faster reviews of the decisions of lower courts and quasi-judicial agencies.

We’ve seen how slow the justice system of our country is in the case of the Maguindanao massacre. The Regional Trial Court assigned to the case was only able to issue a verdict less than two weeks ago, 10 years after the gruesome crime happened, and we don’t know how many years more it would take for the final verdict to be issued if the case reaches the Court of Appeals and then the Supreme Court.

For our courts and quasi-judicial agencies to eliminate the alarming number of backlogs, so many laws have to be amended or created. I’m sure the two bills that I filed will have a significant contribution to attaining the goal. I’m hoping they will become laws next year because justice delayed is justice denied.

I’m also excited, of course, for the Malasakit Center, a one-stop shop for medical and financial assistance, in case you don’t know yet what it is. Through the Malasakit Center Act, one of the only two laws created during the 18th Congress so far, we can now open a Malasakit Center in each of the 73 hospitals run by the Department of Health (DoH) all over the country.

We have opened 56 Malasakit Centers in different kinds of public hospitals, and at the rate we are going, it’s certain that in 2020, many more ailing Filipinos will be able to conveniently seek financial assistance from the DoH, PhilHealth (Philippine Health Insurance Corp.), Department of Social Welfare and Development and Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office in the one-stop shop.

I will continue to work for the health care, safety and overall welfare of the Filipino people in the coming year. As your kuya in the government and voice in the Senate, it won’t just be a new year for me — it will be a bigger and busier year. Together, let us overcome challenges, make the most of our opportunities and create more success stories.