Dy on Marcos’ special session call: House ready to act on priority bills

MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives “stands ready to heed” the call of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for a special session of Congress on June 17, Speaker Faustino Dy III said in a statement on Monday as he welcomed the move.

“The House has already laid much of the groundwork for these priority reforms. We stand ready to work with the Senate and the Executive Branch to complete the legislative process and deliver meaningful benefits to the Filipino people,” Dy said.

“The work of the House does not end with the passage of bills. Our responsibility is to help ensure that these measures become law and ultimately translate into better lives, better opportunities, and a more secure future for our people,” he added.

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As Dy pointed out, the priority measures are aimed at strengthening social protection, expanding access to education and healthcare, and improving the quality of life of Filipino families.

Following are some of the measures identified by President Marcos in Proclamation No. 1318, calling for a special session of Congress, which the House has already approved:

National Center for Geriatric Health Act

Amendments to the Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education (GASTPE) Act

Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) Act

Amendments to the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act (UAQTEA)

Last Mile and Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged and Conflict-Affected Areas Schools (GIDA) Act

Amendments to the Masustansyang Pagkain Para sa Batang Pilipino Act

Anti-Political Dynasty Law

Presidential Merit Scholarship Program Act

Before adjourning sine die on June 3, the House had already acted on 26 measures under the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (Ledac) Common Legislative Agenda.

Of these, one measure has already been enacted into law, one has completed bicameral conference committee action, three are currently undergoing bicameral conference committee deliberations, and 21 have been approved on third and final reading.

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Of the 52 LEDAC priority measures, the House has already acted on half, underscoring its commitment to advancing the administration’s legislative agenda and delivering reforms that benefit Filipino families.

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Apart from the measures listed in the proclamation for a special session, the House has also approved the following other Ledac priority measures:

National Land Use Act

Right to Information Act

Amendments to the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps)

Department of Water Resources Act

Restructuring of the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC)

Waste-to-Energy Act

Digital Payments Act

Anti-Fake News and Disinformation Act

For his part, House Majority Leader Ferdinand Alexander “Sandro” A. Marcos said: “The president’s call underscores the urgency of legislation that expands educational opportunities, strengthens assistance programs for vulnerable sectors, improves healthcare services, and promotes greater social protection.”

“We welcome the opportunity to continue the work already undertaken by the House and move these priority measures closer to enactment,” he added.

He stressed that the House maintained a productive legislative pace throughout the First Regular Session of the 20th Congress and remains prepared to continue work on the priority measures identified by the president.

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“The House has demonstrated its readiness to act decisively on important reforms. We look forward to working with our colleagues in the Senate and our partners in the Executive Branch to complete these measures and deliver real, lasting benefits to the Filipino people,” Marcos said. /atm