The 19th Congress has successfully passed 40 out of the 64 priority bills outlined in the Common Legislative Agenda (CLA) identified by the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC).
In a statement released on Wednesday, the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev) noted that this marks the highest number of priority measures passed since the 10th Congress during the Ramos administration. LEDAC serves as the President’s consultative and advisory body on programs and policies essential for achieving the goals of the national economy.
Before the 19th Congress adjourned sine die on June 11, both the Senate and House of Representatives ratified the reconciled versions of seven priority bills under the CLA. These include the Government Optimization Act, Liberalizing the Lease of Private Lands by Foreign Investors, E-Governance Act, Konektadong Pinoy Act, Virology Institute of the Philippines, Accelerated and Reformed Right-of-Way (ARROW) Act, and the Enhanced Fiscal Regime for Large-Scale Metallic Mining Act.
Once signed by the President, these bills will be added to the 33 measures already enacted under the CLA, bringing the total to 40.
“This achievement would not have been possible without the heightened synergy between the Senate and the House of Representatives. We extend our sincere gratitude to Senate Presidents Francis Escudero and Juan Miguel Zubiri, and House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, for their unwavering commitment to advancing our country’s legislative agenda for a brighter future for all Filipinos,” said DEPDev Secretary Arsenio Balisacan.
The 33 enacted measures include landmark economic and tax reforms such as the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Code of the Philippines, the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises to Maximize Opportunities for Reinvigorating the Economy (CREATE MORE) Act, the Real Property Valuation and Assessment Reform Act, the Capital Markets Efficiency Promotion Act, the Trabaho Para sa Bayan Act, and the Tatak Pinoy Act.
Additionally, measures focused on social development, particularly in education, such as the Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning Program Act and the Enterprise-Based Education and Training Framework Act, as well as initiatives to boost agricultural productivity like the New Agrarian Emancipation Act, the Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Act, and the Amendments to the Agricultural Tariffication Act, have also been signed into law.
“As we look ahead to the 20th Congress, we are hopeful for continued momentum in advancing our legislative agenda. In particular, DEPDev fully supports the passage of the Department of Water Resources Bill and the proposed National Land Use Act, as part of our thrust to complete the groundwork for more efficient governance and sustainable development in the years ahead,” Balisacan added.