Halfway through the third regular session of the 19th Congress, the Senate is on pace to become one of the most productive in history with a total of 72 bills already signed into law.
Under the leadership of Senate President Francis ‘Chiz’ Escudero, the Senate was able to focus on its mandate of passing laws that will help the administration achieve its development plans, strengthen Philippine sovereignty, further enhance the viability of the country as an investment destination, and improve the lives of many Filipinos.
“We maximized each session day and leveraged every hour, minute and second on the Senate floor. We passed 108 bills in total. Of these, 72 reached the President’s desk and were signed into law, including 11 LEDAC (Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council) priority measures,” Escudero said.
Many of these laws were the result of the inquiries conducted by the various committees of the Senate in aid of legislation.
“Our hearings, probes and exposés did not merely serve dinner-table gossip for the people’s entertainment. These brought to the table a bounty of bills that will fill plates, sustain families and nourish Filipinos for generations to come,” Escudero said.
Escudero credited the accomplishments of the Senate to his colleagues and all the staff and employees, who tirelessly worked to deliver meaningful legislation to the people and the country as a whole.
“I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude, not only on behalf of other employees and senators but also on behalf of the nation. I know we have spent a lot of time and effort working for the good of our country and fellow Filipinos. I hope this will not be forgotten by our people,” he said in Tagalog.
“Indeed, in the past year we weathered typhoons, braved stormy public opinion and navigated choppy political waters. We overcame these challenges because our 23 senators, strengthened by diversity, sharing a common vision and united in purpose, are more than the sum of its parts,” the Senate chief added.
The 72 laws enacted from the start of the third regular session on July 23, 2024 until the adjournment for the Christmas break on December 18, 2024, were 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 the bills approved during the latter part of the 18th Congress.
For the second regular session that ran from July 24, 2023 to May 24, 2024, a total of 54 laws were enacted while five were vetoed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Looking at the bills approved by the Senate on third reading, a total of 108 were recorded during the Escudero-led third regular session, more than seven times the combined total of 14 in the first and second regular sessions.
Forty-four of the bills have been transmitted to the President for his approval, including the 2025 General Appropriations Bill, while seven others are pending action by the bicameral conference committee level. The Senate also adopted a total of 106 simple resolutions and nine concurrent resolutions in the first half of the third regular session.
“We did not sacrifice quality for quantity, scrutiny for speed nor consensus for expedience in passing these measures. Each bill underwent the crucible of deliberation and debate, carving out the extraneous, the excessive and the unconstitutional,” Escudero said. He said that this rigorous vetting of bills helps in preventing a veto by the President.
Escudero vowed to pass as many bills pending before the chamber as possible once sessions resume in January.
While challenging because of the start of the campaign for the 2025 elections and with the 19th Congress adjourning on June 14, 2025, Escudero said the Senate will make the most out of its remaining session days to continue giving the people the public service that it deserves.
