The House of Representatives will revert to full face-to-face operations on Monday, July 31, after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. lifted the declaration of a nationwide public health emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Speaker Martin Romualdez, through Memorandum 19-091, said “plenary sessions shall be conducted face to face,” House Secretary General Reginald Velasco confirmed.
“In line with this, every member shall be present in all sessions of the House as provided under Section 71 of the House Rules Registration of attendance in plenary sessions and nominal voting through mobile phones or other accounts previously registered with and verified by the Secretary-General may be allowed subject to Sections 89, 90 and 91 of the House Rules (Conduct of Plenary Sessions through Electronic Platforms),” the memorandum read.
However, the recording of attendance in sessions and nominal voting through registered mobile phones and other accounts shall still be allowed.
The memorandum stated that the Speaker may authorize the conduct of sessions through electronic platforms in cases when the attendance of members becomes “extremely difficult or impossible.”
The live streaming of the plenary sessions through the official online accounts of the House of Representatives will still be allowed.
“Virtual/Hybrid mode will be used on a case-by-case basis and upon the approval of the Speaker,” it added.
Malacañang earlier issued Proclamation 297 lifting the nationwide declaration of a public health emergency due to the pandemic.
The proclamation stated that it is time to transition to the long-term management of the COVID-19 virus.
It also stated that despite COVID-19 remaining a danger to select subpopulations and still requiring an immediate public response, the country has maintained sufficient healthcare system capacity and low hospital bed utilization rates even after the liberalization of COVID-19 health protocols.