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THE 14th Congress of the House of Representatives under the watch of
House Speaker Prospero Nograles approved 398 national and local
bills, which is more than ten times the 30 bills approved by the
Senate.
According to Nograles, before the House
adjourned Wednesday, it still managed to pass on third reading 20
measures of national importance and 31 local bills; and on second
reading six national measures and 31 measures of local application.
A total of 17 resolutions were also adopted.
“We have worked so hard to fast-track measures
that are designed to alleviate the lives of our people especially in
these times of food and fuel crisis,” Nograles said.
Included in the vital bills passed by the House
are socioeconomic legislations that includes House Bill 3819, which
increases the take-home pay of government employees by 10 percent;
and HB 4193, for the development of the country’s vast renewable
energy resources.
Under the watch of Nograles, the House also
forced the National Telecommunications Commission to study moves to
reduce the cost of text messaging by the country’s major
telecommunication companies.
Although the life of the Comprehensive Agrarian
Reform Program was not extended, the House approved Joint Resolution
21, which extends up to the end of this year the land distribution
component of the agrarian program. Also approved was Joint
Resolution 18, which mandates the re-distribution of the
government’s tax windfall from the value- added tax or EVAT to
subsidize power and fuel consumption.
-- Jomar Canlas
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