Senate produces 2 laws, deliberates on 48 bills in first quarter

Senate President Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III reported a productive Senate in the first two and a half months of the year with two bills enacted and 45 other bills and three resolutions pending passage before Congress takes its first recess.

Pimentel lauded colleagues for working overtime to fast-track the enactment of laws that would improve the lives of Filipinos and address their most pressing concerns.

"We have been making the most out of our time to fulfill our mandate and push for measures that will lay the basis for the development and progress of our country and people," Pimentel said.

Passed into law by both houses on March 15 were the bills extending for 25 years the franchise of TV company GMA Network, Inc. and mobile service provider SMART Communications, Inc.

The Senate bills approved on third reading seven bills and sent them to the House of Representatives for concurrence. These bills are the Free Internet Access in Public Places Act, Free Higher Education For All Act, Philippine Food Technology Act, PNP Reorganization Act, Speech Language Pathology Act, Expanded Maternity Leave Law of 2017 and the National Tech-Voc Day.

Approved on second reading in the plenary level are the following 3 bills:

• Revised Penal Code, amendments

• Mental Health Act of 2017

• Philippine Innovation Act

There are 30 bills in advanced stage at the plenary level:

• COLA

• Philippine Criminology Profession Act of 2016

• Survivorship Benefits (OSG)

• Philippine Occupational Therapy Law of 2016

•  PERA

•  Teachers Supply Allowance Act of 2016

•  Omnibus Election Code

•  Security of Tenure

•  People's Freedom of Information Act of 2016

•  Expanding Anti-Wire Tapping Act of 2016

•  Coconut Farmers and Industry Development

•  Shield Law

•  Anti-Money Laundering Act

•  Government Physicians' Salary Increase

•  Anti-Discrimination Act

•  Trabaho Center in Schools Act

•  Pagkain Pinoy Para sa Batang Pinoy

•  Corporation Code of the Philippines

•  Sagip Saka Act

•  Traffic and Congestion Crisis Act

•  New Central Bank Act

•  Philippine Boxing Commission Act of 2017

•  Ease of Doing Business Act of 2017

•  Refusal of Hospital (Emergency Cases)

•  Telecommuting Act of 2017

•  Philippine HIV and AIDS Policy Act 

• Apprenticeship Training System Act of 2017

• Resettlement Program Act

• Rightsizing the National Government Act

• Motorcycle Crime Prevention Act of 2017

2 bills due for sponsorship:

• Philippine Passport Act

• Mandatory PhilHealth Coverage (PWD)

Meanwhile, the Senate adopted the following resolutions:

• Expressing concurrence of the Senate in the accession to the Paris Agreement,

• Ratification of the Agreement between Japan and the Republic of the Philippines on social security

• Articles of Agreement of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank

Pimentel said the drive for federalism remained the highest priority for the Senate once both Houses of Congress resume session in May.

"We will continue to push for the legislative mechanism which will start the process of shifting to a federal government, in order to bring solutions to some of the country's most long-standing ills and problems," he said.