Speaker’s goal: Promises fulfilled

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is set to deliver his third State of the Nation Address (SoNA) today highlighting a new set of legislation that he wants Congress to pass.

The House of Representatives, led by Speaker Martin Romualdez — the President’s cousin — is keen on fulfilling the assignment on time, if not ahead of the deadline as the lower chamber, dominated by Marcos allies, has been very vocal about supporting the administration’s projects, especially his legislative priorities.

As early as March, the House leadership reported approving 19 of the 20 priority bills outlined by the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) that is chaired by Marcos himself, three months ahead of the June schedule.

This includes, among others, the Philippine Maritime Zones Act, the Blue Economy Act, the E-Governance Act, and amendments to the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act and the Government Procurement Reform Act.

The proposed Philippine Maritime Zones Act, which would define the extent of Philippine maritime zones in accordance with the standards set by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, is now up for Marcos’s signature.

Congress passed the measure with the President’s backing to further assert and safeguard the country’s maritime domain in light of China’s relentless aggressive maneuvers in the West Philippine Sea.

Meanwhile, the measure modifying the Government Procurement Reform Act, or Republic Act 9184, was signed into law just last Saturday, two days before the SoNA.

The law aims to strengthen the integrity and accountability of the government procurement process by promoting transparency, competitiveness, efficiency, proportionality, accountability, public monitoring, procurement professionalization, sustainability and value for money.

According to Romualdez, the measure’s principal author, the signing of the law “is a landmark achievement in our commitment to uphold good governance and transparency in government transactions.”

Moreover, he assured it would streamline and standardize procurement processes, “making them more transparent and efficient, and ensuring that public funds are spent wisely and judiciously.”

The proposed Blue Economy Act, the E-Governance Act, and amendments to the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act were among the measures listed by Marcos in his past two SoNAs.

The first two bills have hurdled the House but are pending in the Senate.

In late June, the LEDAC released its newest list of 28 priority bills that it wants the 19th Congress to pass before it exits in mid-2025. This increased the number of pivotal bills for the Marcos administration to 64 from the initial 59.

‘Bring it on’

Meanwhile, the House leadership is not threatened.

Prior to the release of the 28 LEDAC bills, the House had already passed 18 of them, while others are in their final stages.

These include amendments to the EPIRA Law, or the Electric Power Industry Reform Act, the proposed Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) Program Act, the aforementioned amendments to the Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Act, and the proposed Philippine Maritime Zone Act.

Romualdez had previously said that their commitment to the early approval of the priority bills was heavily rooted in the President’s confidence in Congress.

“The President has stressed the importance of passing these measures to advance the policies of the Marcos administration for the country’s continued economic recovery, progress and stability,” Romualdez said.

‘Homework done’

The House leadership has also boasted they have outperformed the Senate in approving LEDAC bills, with Romualdez saying that their “homework” is done.

“The House of the People has done its homework. Our accomplishments reflect our proactive stance in catering to the needs of the people by passing these much-needed legislation attuned to the Philippine Development Plan and the eight-point socio-economic agenda under the Medium-Term Fiscal Framework of the President,” said the Speaker.

Administration allies in Congress attributed the lower chamber’s accomplishments to the competent and effective leadership of Romualdez.

Deputy Speaker David Suarez said that under Romualdez’s guidance, the House has exemplified dedication and competence in fulfilling its legislative duties.

“His leadership has been instrumental in steering the chamber towards achieving legislative excellence… [his] steadfast leadership has inspired unity and collaboration among House members, leading to commendable achievements for the benefit of the Filipino people.”

Meantime, Camarines Sur Representative LRay Villafuerte, president of the National Unity Party, said Romualdez’s decisive and results-oriented leadership led to the “early final approval of all of the President’s priority bills for the year, three months ahead of schedule.”

Villafuerte added that these achievements indicate that the House is a “pivotal partner” of the Marcos administration “in its agenda of keeping our post-pandemic economy on a high-growth track to ensure more jobs and better living standards for Filipinos.”

In the same vein, Tingog Partylist Representative Jude Acidre said that the House has achieved landmark legislative milestones under Romualdez.

Apart from securing the early approval of all priority bills, Acidre noted that inflation remains a serious concern and a top priority of Romualdez, highlighting the actions Congress has taken to combat the skyrocketing prices of commodities, including rice.

In a bid to drive down the cost of the staple, which soared to as high as P60 per kilo in recent months, the House passed in May House Bill 10381, which seeks to modify the Rice Tariffication Law or Republic Act 11203.