The President’s legislative agenda

“Many, if not all, of the reforms the President want were aimed at making every Filipino’s life easier.

The State of the Nation Address (SoNA) is one opportunity for the President of the Philippines to lay out his legislative agenda for the coming year.

During his third SoNA last Monday, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte effectively articulated the direction he wanted to take for the next 12 months and mentioned vital pieces of legislation he wanted to be passed. Many, if not all, of the reforms the President want were aimed at making every Filipino’s life easier.

Foremost among these reforms is the Universal Health Coverage Act which I authored, sponsored and defended during my tenure as a member of the House of Representatives. The President called on Congress for the speedy passage of the bill to close the gap of healthcare access between the rich and the poor.

The Universal Health Coverage Act is remarkable in that it allows every Filipino access to quality and affordable health care simply by virtue of his citizenship. As the President said during his SoNA, much needs to be done to improve our healthcare system and passing the Universal Health Coverage Act is a giant leap forward in this respect. Soon, no Filipino will be denied healthcare just because he does not have the means to pay.

Another historic piece of legislation that the President is keen on signing into law is the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL). Both the Senate and the House of Representatives have already ratified the bicameral conference committee report for the said bill and the President said he was ready to sign the BOL into law within 48 hours of its approval by Congress.

The BOL is a milestone in the quest for lasting peace in Mindanao. As the President said, his administration will never deny our Moro brothers and sisters the basic legal tools to chart their own destiny within the constitutional framework of our country. For President Duterte, the BOL not war is the key towards peace and prosperity in Mindanao. He does not want a repeat of what happened in Marawi.

To help stabilize rice prices and to ease the burden of millions of Filipinos, the President said there is a need to address the issue of rice shortage. In line with this, he certified as urgent the Rice Tariffication Bill. This proposed law will lift quantitative restrictions on rice imports and will allow us to import rice more freely. Doing so will reduce the price of rice and make this most basic commodity more accessible to more Filipinos. This will also help lower inflation significantly as one of the driving factors of inflation is the high price of rice.

“The BOL is a milestone in the quest for lasting peace in Mindanao.

Environmental protection and ensuring the health of our people, the President said, cannot be over-emphasized. President Duterte stressed the rehabilitation of Boracay was only the beginning. What happened to Boracay, the President said, was an indication of the long-overdue need to rationalize, in a holistic and sustainable manner, the utilization, management and development of our lands. He therefore urged the Senate to pass the National Land Use Act, which will address the competing land requirements for food, housing, business and environmental conservation. This law is part of the government’s initiative to reduce our vulnerabilities to natural hazards and bolster our resilience to the impact of natural disasters and climate change.

The President said our farmers, especially our coconut farmers, form a significant part of the basic sectors of society and he wanted to honor and recognize their contributions. He asked Congress to pass the bill establishing the Coconut Farmers’ Trust Fund.

Finally, the President urged Congress to focus on the second package of his tax reform measures (TRAIN 2). It aims to lower corporate income taxes, especially for small business owners. Lower taxes, the President said, mean more money to invest and create more jobs.

Since most of our businesses are micro, small or medium enterprises and employ around 65 percent of our workers, the President said the enactment of TRAIN 2 is what stands between today and millions of jobs in the near future.

When the President ran for public office, he promised to do whatever it would take to give all Filipinos a comfortable life, even if it would mean fighting powerful interests. His legislative agenda for his third year in office is a proof of that commitment.

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