The House of Representatives and the Senate have expressed strong support to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday.
As the 19th Congress starts its last regular session, the House of Representatives committed to pass the 2025 national budget by September, the remaining Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) priority bills, and additional measures that the President may propose in his SONA.
Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez shared the legislative priorities of the Third Regular Session.
“The House is ready to take swift and decisive action to ensure these legislative priorities are met, paving the way for sustained development and progress under the administration of President Bongbong Marcos,” Romualdez said.
He said the House eagerly awaits the Executive Branch’s proposed P6.352-trillion National Expenditure Program (NEP), which will form the basis for the 2025 General Appropriations Bill (GAB), and aims to pass it before the end of September.
Romualdez, leader of the 308-strong chamber and representative of Leyte’s First District, said the swift and timely passage of next year’s national budget “is a top priority.”
“The 2025 national budget is essential for sustaining our nation’s growth and addressing the immediate needs of our citizens, and the House is ready to ensure its swift approval to support our development and progress,” the Speaker said.
“We are ready and determined to work hard to pass the 2025 GAB before we go on break at the end of September. We will ensure the timely transmission of the spending bill to the Senate for their consideration as well,” he said.
The 2025 national budget, which represents a 10-percent increase from this year’s P5.768-trillion allocation, is equivalent to 22 percent of the country’s gross domestic product.
The Department of Budget and Management is expected to submit the 2025 NEP to Congress on July 29, following its review by the Cabinet.
Under the 1987 Constitution, the NEP must be submitted to Congress within 30 days after the SONA.
Once approved, it becomes the GAB, and then the General Appropriations Act when signed into law by the President.
Priority measures
Romualdez said that in addition to the 2025 national budget, the House is ready to pass all the President’s priority measures during the remaining session days of the 19th Congress.
President Marcos is expected to outline key legislative measures in his SONA, aimed at addressing the country’s most urgent issues and driving its growth agenda.
“These SONA measures are crucial for addressing our nation’s immediate needs and promoting sustainable development,” the House chief said.
“We will work closely with the executive branch to ensure their swift and successful passage.”
Romualdez said the bigger chamber is also dedicated to passing all remaining LEDAC priority bills.
“We are committed to completing the legislative agenda by passing these crucial measures. They are vital for our nation’s progress and prosperity, and we will ensure they are enacted swiftly and effectively,” he said.
Since the start of the 19th Congress in July 2022, the House has shown impressive legislative output.
“The House has diligently prioritized LEDAC bills, leading to substantial progress, with over 12,000 measures filed and 75 bills enacted into law,” the Speaker said.
He said this robust legislative activity “underscores our commitment to addressing the diverse needs of our nation.”
Among the notable laws enacted are the Act Emancipating Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries from Financial Burden, the Act Establishing the Maharlika Investment Fund, the Act Rationalizing the Disability Pension of Veterans, the Act Establishing Specialty Centers in DOH Hospitals and GOCC Specialty Hospitals, the Act Establishing the National Employment Master Plan (Trabaho Para sa Bayan), the Act Protecting Online Consumers and Merchants Engaged in Internet Transactions, the Ease of Paying Taxes Act, the Act Granting Benefits to Filipino Octogenarians and Nonagenarians, the Act Mandating Educational Institutions to Allow Disadvantaged Students to Take Examinations Despite Unpaid Fees, the Act Protecting Workers in the Movie and Television Industry, the Act Institutionalizing Teaching Allowances for Public School Teachers, the Act Extending the Availment of Estate Tax Amnesty, and the Act Mandating Private Higher Educational Institutions to Waive College Entrance Examination Fees for Certain Students.
A total of 12,405 measures were filed, including 10,565 bills, 1,839 resolutions and one petition from July 2022 to June 2024.
During the same period, 1,123 committee reports were filed and 75 bills were enacted into law, comprising 30 national and 45 local measures.
Romualdez reaffirmed the House’s commitment to passing the remaining three of the 28 LEDAC bills targeted for approval before the end of the 19th Congress — amendments to the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA), the Agrarian Reform Law and the Foreign Investors’ Long-Term Lease Act.
The amendments to the Agrarian Reform Law and the Foreign Investors’ Long-Term Lease Act are also among the five new priority bills identified during the recent full LEDAC meeting, which Romualdez vowed the House will advance.
The other three priorities — the Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act, Reforms to the Philippine Capital Markets, and Amendments to the Rice Tariffication Law — have all been approved by the House on third and final reading.
“Our focus on these new LEDAC measures demonstrates our unwavering commitment to enacting laws that drive national progress,” the Speaker said.
Senate collaboration
Meanwhile, Romualdez expressed his anticipation of a more vibrant collaboration with the Senate under the leadership of Senate President Francis Escudero.
“I look forward to a robust partnership with the Senate, led by Senate President Escudero. Together, we can achieve significant legislative milestones that will profoundly benefit our nation,” the Speaker said.
“This collaboration is vital to ensuring our legislative efforts are cohesive and effective in addressing the pressing needs of our people,” he said.
At the Senate, Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III said he is excited to hear the achievements of the President since it is his 3rd SONA.
“In the 1st SONA, we heard his plans. In the 2nd, he was just starting his job, but now, there should be achievements especially the departments given huge budget,” Pimentel said.
He said the Senate would also like to hear developments in agriculture, particularly the cost of a kilo of rice.
“So, we need to hear from the President, with the big budget on agriculture, what were the results,” he said.
Pimentel said he also wants to get an update on the administration’s housing program as he had doubts on the targets announced by Housing czar Jerry Acuzar.
For his part, former Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said the country’s growth has been dampened by high inflation, a challenge that President Marcos must address if we want to achieve our goal of becoming an upper-middle-income economy by 2028.
Zubiri said he looks forward to listening to the President’s plan on bringing down inflation and addressing the high cost of goods, particularly rice to ensure that economic growth benefits every working-class Filipino.
He also wants the President to attend to the plight of minimum wage earners since the recent wage increases are not enough to help Filipinos cope with rising prices of goods.
Zubiri said food security remains a key priority in the face of global uncertainties.
“We expect the President to outline a comprehensive strategy to boost local agricultural production, support our farmers and reduce reliance on imports,” he said.
For Senator Ronald Dela Rosa, the SONA is not an expectation, rather a “hope.”
He hopes the President will say, just like what he did in his 1st SONA that he would include mandatory ROTC in his priority legislative agenda.
He said this is in the light of developments in the West Philippine Sea .
“We need sizeable reserves in case of emergency,” said Dela Rosa who plans to be at the Batasan on the day of the SONA if his osteoporosis will not attack.
“That’s my hope. I’m not expecting, but hoping so that his colleagues in the majority bloc will help pass this bill, “ he said.
Presidential sister Senator Imee Marcos wants a more a developmental approach and effort, such as buying local, encouraging seed production, discovering technology for water and fertilizer and ramping up irrigation systems, which are both short and long-term solutions.
“I like to hear a real program for rice,” she said.
Although she sees nothing wrong in importation, Marcos noted it should be reduced.
Lastly, she wants the administration to come out with coherent plan on de-escalating tension in the West Philippine Sea.
“We cannot afford more tensions with hungry people,” she added.
Senator Pia Cayetano said as that as the Senate Committee Chairperson of Energy, she wants the President to talk about energy security.
Cayetano said he does not want to see the adverse effects of the energy crisis the country experienced in the late 1980s to 1990s.
Conceding that energy crisis or the stability of power supply will not be resolved during the term of this presidency or this administration, Cayetano said we can begin solving it today for the next 10, 20, and 30 years.
“So that’s what I want, that 20 years from now, we will not be asked why we did nothing. Why did you not invest?”
“ Because that involves so much investment. So we have to make it attractive for big companies to put up explorations of the indigenous sources, and then investments, and all of that. So, yeah, that’s my hope,” Pia said.
Her brother, Senator Alan Peter Cayetano wants to know about the President’s pet bills and pet projects.
He sees that the President has some long term ambitions so he wants to know the continuity of projects.
He mentioned the subways in Hong Kong and Japa where they are all connected after 30 years.
“So my point is, are we going to be happy that the last administration negotiated the subway and then just wait for it to finish… should we think of how they should be connected for Cebu or other train for other parts of the country, “ he said.
Senator Bong Revilla is positive that the President will adequately and comprehensively report the administration’s progress in addressing the country’s most pressing concerns.
He is looking forward to hearing during SONA the next steps of the President in slowing inflation in the country.
Concerning the promotion of social justice, Revilla once again thanked the President for approving the legislation he championed in Congress
For their part, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian and Joel Villanueva just want a surprise from the President during his SONA- a complete ban on POGOs and all forms of illegal gambling.
