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SOURCE: Press and Public Affairs Bureau

BILLS INSTITUTIONALIZING EXPANDED TERTIARY EDUCATION EQUIVALENCY AND ACCREDITATION PROGRAM, PROVIDING BETTER ACCESS TO SHARI’A COURTS HURDLE FINAL READING

 

18 September 2023 11:00:05 PM

The House of Representatives on Monday under the leadership of Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez on Monday approved on third and final reading House Bill (HB) 9015, which seeks to institutionalize the Expanded Tertiary Education Equivalency and Accreditation Program (ETEEAP) and appropriating funds therefor.
The bill principally authored by TINGOG Party-list Reps. Yedda Marie Romualdez and Jude Acidre unanimously garnered 251 affirmative votes. The ETEEAP is an equivalency and accreditation pathway for obtaining a bachelor's degree for high school graduates, post secondary technical-vocational graduates, and college undergraduates with at least five years of professional experience.
Other bills approved on final reading were 1) HB 9045 , or the proposed “Act Providing the Muslim Filipinos Better Access to Shari’a Courts, Amending for the Purpose Republic Act No. 9997, Otherwise Known As the “National Commission on Muslim Filipinos Act of 2009”, which was unanimously approved with 251 votes; 2) HB 4641, declaring the City of General Santos as the Tuna Capital of The Philippines, unanimously passed with 249 votes; and 3) HB 6933, declaring the Province of Pampanga as the “Christmas Capital Of The Philippines” unanimously approved with 250 votes.
The House also approved with amendments, HB 8937, seeking to enhance the fiscal regime for the mining industry. The bill would amend and create sections in Republic Act 8424 or the "National Internal Revenue Code of 1997," as amended. Salient features of HB 8937 include: 1) increasing the government's equal share of natural resource extraction; 2) implementing a rationalized fiscal regime for large-scale metallic mining and, 3) promoting accountability and openness in the handling of resources produced from extractive industries. The bill also imposes a three percent royalty fee on large-scale metallic mining operations with mineral reservations.
Under HB 8937, small-scale metallic mining companies would be subject to one-tenth of one percent of gross output of the mineral products extracted. The measure is principally authored by Albay Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda, Nueva Ecija Rep. Mikaela Angela Suansing, and Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Raymund Villafuerte, among others.
HB 9021 or the "Refund for Internet and Telecommunications Services Outages and Disruptions Act," hurdled Second Reading. Under this measure, Public Telecommunications Entities (PTEs), including Internet Service Providers (ISPs), would be required to issue a refund credit to a customer who was negatively affected by an internet service outage or interruption for an aggregate period of 24 hours or more, but within a month, on a pro-rated basis. In addition, the measure applies to consumers who are currently enrolled in a prepaid service. HB 9021 is primarily authored by House Committee on Information and Communications Technology Chairperson and Navotas City Rep. Tobias Tiangco, Negros Occidental Rep. Alfredo Marañon III and Parañaque City Rep. Gus Tambunting. The session was presided
Deputy Speaker Ralph Recto presided over Monday’s plenary session.

 
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