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Nograles identifies doable agenda
04 January 2010 02:21:06 PM
Writer: Gil Bugaoisan

Speaker Prospero C. Nograles today said the remaining legislative priorities would focus on socio-economic and human resource development measures and environment protection and management programs.

"Time may not be on our side, but we will do it. All the Standing and Special committees, led by the Committee on Rules, are up to their respective mandates," Nograles said, stressing "we have work to do."

Nograles, in constant consultations with the collective leadership - the Deputy Speakers, the Majority Leader and his deputies, the committee chairmen, coalition leaders, the Minority Leader and the House Secretariat - is confident the remaining three-week session starting January 18 should not be less than most fruitful.

In a summary of priority measures for consideration by the House from January 18 to February 5, 2010, issued by Majority Leader Arthur Defensor through Sec. Gen. Marilyn Barua-Yap, there are about sixteen (16) priority measures under the calendar of business and those in their advance stages of committee report preparations.

Per actual status of measures as of adjournment last December 18, 2009, under the calendar of business, for third reading approval:

  1. Free Legal Assistance; and
  2. Cybercrime Act

For second reading approval:
  1. Further strengthening the Anti-Money Laundering Law;
  2. Instituting a self-sustaining Forest Management Program;
  3. Instituting reforms in Land Administration; and, if the Senate would conform, the calling for a Constitutional Convention to propose amendments to the Constitution.

Now in their advance stages in committee deliberations, most of which for committee report preparation, include the following:
  1. Electricity Reduction Rate;
  2. Charging of P.05 centavos regulatory fee for Telecoms and installation of Electric Metering Device;
  3. Build-Operate-Transfer Law of 2007;
  4. Development of the Downstream Natural Gas Industry;
  5. Farmland as Collateral;
  6. Modernization of the Health Care Delivery System;
  7. National Student Loan Program;
  8. Rationalization of tuition fee increases;
  9. Magna Carta for Students; and
  10. Fair Competition Law (Anti-Trust)

"We have more in the legislative pipeline, but we have to trim the list to be practical because of time constraint," Nograles said.

Beating a self-imposed deadline, the House, simultaneous with the Senate, ratified the conference committee report on the proposed 2010 P1.541-trillion General Appropriations Act before the Christmas break.

"The usual political prophets of doom were proven false. The 2010 national recovery budget only needs the signature of the President," Nograles said.

Anticipating a successful 3rd regular session, Nograles noted the following measures under advance bicameral conference committee deliberations:
  1. the Witness Protection Program;
  2. National Disaster Management System;
  3. Mindanao Development Authority;
  4. Granting good conduct time allowance to prisoners who participate in literacy/skills and values development programs in penal institutions; and
  5. Mandating the wearing of Standard Protective Motorcycle Helmets while driving


Congress will resume its 3rd regular session on January 18 and adjourn on February 5, 2010 to give way to the much anticipated election campaign for the May national and local polls.

Session, as per House Concurrent Resolution No. 31, with the Senate concurring, will again resume on May 31, 2010, inclusive of the Presidential canvassing by Congress, until the sine die adjournment on June 4, 2010. The legislative calendar may change on consensus by both chambers.