The Senate approved 95 bills that were passed into law since the start of the year and 85 other enrolled bills are awaiting President Rodrigo Duterte’s approval, making 2018 a prolific year for the chamber, Senate President Vicente Sotto III said Tuesday. He acknowledged the experience, cooperation, and camaraderie of his colleagues for the Senate’s efficiency this year.
Aside from the approved bills as of Dec. 13, 2018, Sotto said 19 bills are pending in the bicameral conference committee and 45 other bills were approved on third and final reading.
“Swift action was taken by the Senate without sacrificing the keen and prolonged debates on most of these very important bills,” Sotto said.
Leading the list of bills that became law this year are the Bangsamoro Organic Law, the Philippine Identification System Act, the Filipino Sign Language Act, the National Payment Systems Act, the Personal Property Security Act, and the ‘Kalusugan at Nutrisyon ng Mag-Nanay Act.’
Major enrolled bills awaiting the President’s signature into law include the proposed Revised Corporation Code of the Philippines, Universal Healthcare Program Act, the bill on Mandatory Philhealth Coverage for all Persons with Disabilities, the Social Security Act of 2018, the HIV/AIDS Prevention Act, amendments to the charter of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, the Mobile Number Portability Act, the Expanded Maternity Leave Act, and the bill creating the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development.
Other important bills pending in the bicameral conference committee include the Energy Virtual One-Stop Shop Act, the National Integrated Cancer Control Program Act, and the bill expanding the supplemental appropriations for fiscal year for patients in relation to the Dengvaxia vaccine controversy.
Sotto said the Bangsamoro Organic Law, which prepares for the establishment of the new Bangsamoro Autonomous Region on Muslim Mindanao, was the most challenging measure the senators worked on this year, as he noted the long debates that transpired before the bill was signed into law.
The same is true, he said, regarding the Philippine Identification System Act, given the many discussions senators had on the issue.
Despite this, Sotto said the speedy passage of bills can be attributed to the “wealth of experience” of the current Senate leaders, who are all veterans of legislative proceedings.
“The people I work in tandem with have spent years in Congress so we really have a good rapport, including the Senate Minority Leader. Experience, cooperation, and camaraderie go a long way,” he said.”‹