Business Insight
Monday, Juty 29,20119
ROMUALDEZ
tees led bytlle des panel, which
is headed by Romualdez.
The apptoptiations panel is
chaired by Davao City Rep. isi&o
Ungab; accounts. Tagaytay City
Rep. Abraham "Bambol" Tolen-
tino; constitutional amen&nents,
Cagyao de Oro City Rep. Rufus
Rodriguez; energy, Marinduque
Rep. Lord Allan Velasco; legislative
ftanchise, Palawan Rep. Franz Aj-
ratez; public wotks and highuzys,
Romblon Rep. Iran&o Madtona;
and ways and meaos, Albay Rep.
Joey Salceda.
The eiection of the committee
chairmen came aftel the appoint-
ment of l4 depury speakers led by
presidential son Davao Ciry Rep.
Paolo Duterte.
Romualdez said the House vrill
try to would approve "in record
time" about a third of the 26
priority measutes oudined in the
President's fourth State-of-the-
Natioa Ad&ess (SONA).
He said the committee reports
orr these measures may reach ple-
naty deliberations as eady as the
6rst week of August.
"Iifith the innovations that
we are planning to implement in
committee deliberations, I am
Romualdez: AIJ svstems
go for Rody's priodty bills
BY WEI{DEII VIGIUA
THE House of Representatives
under the leadership of Speaker
Alan Peter Cavetano will now he
able to work on President duterte,s
legisiative priorities after Glling up
key posrsons.
'Tfe are now organized to delib-
optimistic that we can approve
about a dozen of
the President's
ptiodry measwes in record time,"
Romualdez said.
Romualdez noted tlat
Section
48 of the Horrse rules provide thar
"In case of bills or resolutions that
are identified as priodty measutes
of the House, which were previ-
ously 6led in the immediately pre-
ceding Congress and have already
been approved on 3rd reading, thl
same maybe disposed of as matters
already rcpoted upon tlre approval
of majodty of the Members of the
committee pfesent, there being a
quorum."
Once constituted, he said the
committees may meet fof just one
session and immediately refet the
committee reports for plenary
deliberation-
'Afiet plenary deliberations, the
House may el.en pull a sutprise and
approve these measwes on third
reading by the last week of August
or eady September," he added.
Deputy Speaker Luis Raymond
"Ltay" Villafrrerte of Camatines
Sur said among the pdority bills
are the proposa.l for a new Salary
Standard.ization l-aw (SSL) ro clear
the way to anotlertpay i+crease
and the creations of the depart-
ments of overseas Filipino work-
tt
frr-rl" FAqa ol
erare President Duterte's prioriry
qreasures. The plenary has already
elected ourcolleagues to dre maiot
positions," said malority leader
Martin Romualdez.
The House last rveek elected the
chairmen of eight major commit-
See ROMUALDEZ > Page
ers (OFWs); disaster resilience
(DDR) and of v/ater resources
@,i(/R).
The President earlier issued a.n
executive order @O) ameod;"g
the SSL by modi$ing the sdary
schedulE to au*rotize a fourth pay
increase since the law was sigoed
by fotmer President Aquino in
2076.
Finance Sectetary Carlos
Dominguez has said the gor,.em-
ment "can affotd' another increase
after the founh one that Duterte
approved this yeat
Villafuerte, a former vice chair
of the committee on appropria-
tions, said the chamber would
also put on the ftont-butner the
Ptesident's SONA proposals on
the creation of the three new
departments which Dominguez
said would not cost the govern-
ment a lot.
"fte House of Represenatives,
undet the leadership of Speaker
(Alan Peter) Cayetano, would
make a big push for the immediate
consideution of the nevr salary
hike and the creation of three
new depattments-as endorsed
by President Duterte in his 4th-
SONA-mote so now that the
head of the state economic tearn
has neither raised any obiection to
83
oor funding concens over these
proposals," he said.
Romualdez said also included
in the House lisr of priority. mea-
sures are the proposed Naiional
Land Act; Coconut Lery Fund;
TRABAHO bill; alcohol taxes;
property valuation; capital income
tax; mandatory ROTC for Grades
11 ard 121, goveroment rightsiz-
ing bill; energizing micrq small
a:ed medium enterpdses; a::d the
National Transport Act and the
Nuclea! Regulatory Commission
which wete mefltioned io the
Ptesident's 2018 SONA.
The other pdority measures
oudined by the President in his
2019 SONA were: suspeosion
of excise tax on fuel; additional
benefits fot solo paients; health
workers in all barangays; expan-
sion of Malasakit Centets; posa-
ponement of barangay and SK
elections to October 2022;Mzgna
Catta fot Barangays; Depattment
of Overeas Filipinos; Fite Pro-
tection Modernization Ptogram;
National Defense Act; Uniformdd
Personrrel Sepantion Retirement
Pension Bill; National Acaderny
of Spotts for High School Stu-
dents; amendments to Laod Bank
chatter; and developmeht of
renewable energy sources, .