Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 23) — Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri on Sunday said the upper chamber targets to pass 20 priority bills by December and it is set to tackle the measures once the second regular session of the 19th Congress opens on Monday.
“We made a commitment that, on the part of the Senate, we will pass 20 priority bills by December 2023,” Zubiri said in a statement. “We need to hit the ground running.” Zubiri said among the priority bills are the following:- Public-Private Partnership Act, which will amend Republic Act No. 6957 or the “Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT)” Law- the creation of a National Disease Prevention Management Authority- Internet Transactions Act- the establishment of the Medical Reserve Corps and the Virology Institute of the Philippines- the reinstatement of the mandatory Reserve Officers’ Training Corps Program- the bill revitalizing the Philippines’ salt industry.- Waste-to-Energy Act- Magna Carta of Filipino Seafarers- Trabaho Para Sa Bayan Act- Anti-Financial Scamming Act- the proposed amendments to the Bank Secrecy Law- Property Valuation and Assessment Reform Act- E-Governance and E-Government Act- Ease of Paying Taxes Act- National Government Rightsizing Act- Automatic Income Classification of Local Government Units- bills providing for a Unified System for Separation, Retirement and Pension of Military and Uniformed Services- New Philippine Passport Law.
Zubiri added lawmakers would also push for a legislated nationwide wage hike.
He is also pushing for the third reading passage of the Philippine Defense Industry Development Act, Cybersecurity Act, and proposed amendments to the procurement provisions of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Modernization Act.
