As the 19th Congress approaches its final stretch, the urgency to address pending legislative matters intensifies. With only around 14 session days remaining before the sine die adjournment on June 13, 2025, our lawmakers must maximize this limited time to pass critical bills under the Common Legislative Agenda (CLA) as agreed at the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC).
The upcoming long break from February 8 to June 1 (almost four months!) due to the mid-term elections further compresses the legislative calendar. This hiatus leaves the Senate and House of Representatives with a narrow window to deliberate and enact essential measures.
The first half of the third regular session of the 19th Congress was a record-breaker in the Senate, under the leadership of Senate President Chiz Escudero. From the start of the third regular session on July 23, 2024, up until the end of the year when the 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA) was signed by PBBM, a total of 73 laws were enacted—the most recorded in the 19th Congress.
In the first regular session, from July 25, 2022, to June 2, 2024, a total of 19 laws were enacted, including bills approved during the latter part of the 18th Congress. The second regular session, which ran from July 24, 2023, to May 24, 2024, saw the enactment of 54 laws, with five being vetoed by President Marcos.
The third regular session, led by Escudero, has been particularly productive. A total of 108 bills were approved by the Senate on third reading during this session, more than seven times the combined total of 14 in the first and second regular sessions under the previous leadership. Additionally, the Senate adopted 106 simple resolutions and nine concurrent resolutions in the first half of the third regular session.
Among the priority bills are those aimed at economic recovery, social welfare, and infrastructure development. The LEDAC has identified 28 priority bills for passage within the 19th Congress, including the Blue Economy Act, the amendments to the Universal Health Care (UHC) Act, the Liberalizing the Lease of Private Lands by Foreign Investors Act, and the Rightsizing the Bureaucracy Act, to mention a few.
The Senate’s commitment to these legislative priorities is crucial for ensuring that the country remains on track for sustainable development. Kudos to SP Escudero for driving the legislative agenda forward, and his continued guidance will be vital in the coming weeks.
As we count down the remaining session days, it is imperative for lawmakers to collaborate and focus on passing these critical bills. The success of the 19th Congress will be measured not only by the quantity of legislation passed but by the quality and impact of these laws on the lives of Filipinos.
The clock is ticking, and the responsibility lies with our legislators to make the most of the remaining time.
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An addendum to my last week’s column: I was surprised to receive a message from a reader branding me as a Marcos apologist—because I wrote positively about the “independent” foreign policy of President Bongbong Marcos in the January 13 online edition of The City Post.
I should not even compare the two, the reader said. “No brainer to compare BBM to FVR. Overall, his foreign policy is too weak,” he told me via Facebook messenger.
Acknowledging his message, I pointed out that supporting the current administration’s foreign policy does not make me a loyalist or an apologist. I wrote about it because I agree with his approach to international relations.
Let me point out that I do not belong to any political party, and I have no intention of getting involved in partisan politics now or in the future. I have expressed my opinions on government policies that I do not agree with, the latest of which was the revamp of the National Security Council and the removal of the Vice President and former Presidents as members.
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