THE House leadership under Speaker Martin Romualdez on Wednesday night authorized all standing and special committees to hold hearings during the month-long congressional break to ensure that work will continue even during the congressional break.
In her formal motion in the plenary, deputy majority leader Janette Garin of Iloilo moved to allow all panels to continue with their mandate of producing vital pieces of legislation during the first recess of the 19th Congress.
“I move that we authorize all committees to conduct meetings and/or public hearings, if deemed necessary, during the House recess from September 29, 2022 to November 6, 2022,” said Garin whose motion was carried.
Garin said the Speaker and House majority leader Manuel Jose Dalipe instructed House leaders “to hold committee meetings during the break to ensure the expeditious passage of noteworthy and meaningful legislative measures, particularly those aimed at reviving the economy.”
“The continuous hearings and deliberations of various measures even when Congress is on recess will help accelerate the passage of priority legislations,” she said.
In the Senate, the leadership adopted Senate Resolution 243 likewise authorizing committees, oversight committees and special committees to “conduct hearings, meetings and consultations during every recess of the Senate to have continuity in the process of passing pending proposed legislations and to conduct investigations on issues of national interests to aid in crafting relevant legislations.”
The resolution likewise “authorize(d) the committees to issue subpoena or subpoena duces tecum to any person, corporation, entity or its officers, to testify and/or produce such documents which may be needed in the meetings, hearings or consultations of the committees.”
Garin said the House leadership will continue to work on passing the Marcos administration’s priority legislation “to address and serve the needs of the people during these challenging and difficult times.”
In his speech before the adjournment of session last Wednesday night, Romualdez trumpeted the House leadership in the first 23 session days of the 19th Congress, which convened last July 25.
“We rolled up our sleeves and worked hand in hand to ensure collective and responsive action upon all pending bills and resolutions, including priority bills in the legislative agenda of our President, Ferdinand Marcos Jr.,” he said. “Our mission from Day One is clear: Help resuscitate the pandemic-battered economy and make economic transformation the main engine to uplift the lives of the Filipino people.”
Before adjournment, the House approved on second and third and final reading the proposed P5.268-trillion “Agenda for Prosperity” 2023 national budget, the most important legislative proposal Congress tackles every year.
The House also ratified two bicameral conference committee reports – those on the proposed Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) Card Registration Act and the postponement of the December 2022 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE) to last Monday of October 2023 — that will soon be transmitted to Malacañang for Marcos’ signature.
Aside from the budget bill and the two bicameral reports, comparative data from the House committee on rules showed that the House of Representatives passed on third reading 37 national bills, a 106-percent increase over the 18 measures approved on final reading by the 18th Congress and 517 percent higher compared to six measures approved on third reading during the 17th Congress over the same period.
The House processed a total of 427 measures, 96 percent more than the 218 tackled by the 18th Congress and 104% higher than the 209 measures discussed during the 17th Congress. The number of bills the larger chamber handled per session day averaged 19, versus 11 in the previous Congress, or an improvement of 70 percent and 246 percent better than 5 recorded during the 17th Congress.
