9 key admin measures up for Marcos’ signature—Chiz

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. –YUMMIE DINGDING / PPA POOL

Nine of the key priority measures of the administration, including the Philippine Maritime Zones Act and Amendments to the Rice Tariffication Law, are now waiting for the signature of President Ferdinand Marcos, according to Senate President Francis Escudero.

Apart from the nine bills, three are awaiting action at the bicameral conference committee level, and one is up for approval by the House of Representatives.

He mentioned that 106 bills, including those that are local in scope, were approved on third reading, 26 of which have been enacted into law since he became the Senate president on May 20.

“We acted with urgency on the priority measures of the President, which were also part of the common legislative agenda of both chambers of Congress. Again, this is more about the quality of laws rather than quantity. These are high impact laws that Malacañang and Congress agreed upon to prioritize,” Escudero said in a statement on Sunday.

He said that these priority measures of the administration that have been passed are expected to improve the investment climate of the country, strengthen the nation’s territorial and maritime claims, and improve the competitiveness of Filipinos.

Senate President Francis “Chiz” G. Escudero –SENATE PRIB

According to Escudero, the Senate is set to pass three to four more priority measures of the administration before exclusively focusing on the proposed P6.532-trillion national budget for 2025.

“Even as several committees of the Senate are in the thick of investigating issues of national interest…the chamber will not be distracted from its duty to pass laws for the benefit of our people,” he said.

“There is no time to waste, and we will strive to accomplish even more under my watch,” Escudero said.

Other priority bills up for signing by the President include the Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning Program (ARAL) Act; Magna Carta of Filipino Seafarers; Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Economic Sabotage Act; Self-Reliant Defense Posture Revitalization Act; Value Added Tax on Digital Transactions; Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises to Maximize Opportunities for Reinvigorating the Economy (CREATE MORE); and the Enterprise-Based Education and Training Framework Act.