The House of Representatives under the leadership of Speaker Lord Allan Velasco has delivered on its commitment to pass pieces of legislation that are responsive to the needs of Filipinos in these trying times.
In its Legislative Performance Report titled “Paving the Nation’s Path to Recovery,” the Velasco-led chamber said it has been “consistent in pursuing a legislative agenda anchored on saving lives, sustaining economic growth, and spearheading a public policy that is responsive and effective to the health crisis.”
Velasco said the President’s accomplishments were made despite the limitations and challenges brought by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The House said its priorities are two-fold: to help all Filipinos impacted by the pandemic, and to revive and rebuild the country’s economy.
“With these priorities in mind, the HRep has not let the prevailing situation distract itself from the work that has to be done. The HRep has performed commendably in spite of the current limitations and challenges,” the report said.
“On these two fronts, the HRep worked tirelessly to pass key legislative measures, mandating a whole-of-government approach to fight the pandemic,” the report added.
Foremost of these measures are the two Bayanihan laws—Republic Acts 11469 and 11494—which provided P250 billion in emergency subsidies to affected families and workers and a P165-billion economic rescue package, respectively.
The report stated that in its second regular session, the House delivered measures that not only address pandemic-related concerns, but also enabled structural reforms that will revive the economy and make it more resilient.
“These reforms ensure that opportunities and benefits of economic growth are more equitably shared. Moreover, these measures illustrate that we do not sacrifice our environment for economic growth,” the report said.
For the second regular session, the House approved 501 bills on third reading, 131 resolutions and reached a total of 803 approved measures, 72 of which were enacted into laws.
It also passed 20 out of 30 measures in the Common Legislative Agenda of the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council or LEDAC, consisting mostly of the legislative priorities of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte. Five out of these 20 measures were enacted into law, while the rest were transmitted to the Senate for its corresponding action.