Press Release
July 28, 2008

Villar: Senate to prioritize measures
addressing high costs of fuel and food

The Senate resumes session today to continue its commitment to pass urgently needed measures, Senate President Manny Villar said.

The Senate expects to come up with more legislation that will address the current fuel and food crises in the country in the long term, aside from passing at least 25 priority bills, approval of which are pending on second and third reading.

Villar is optimistic that the Second Regular Session of the 14th Congress which formally opens today will be more productive in terms of legislation in response to the needs of the citizenry.

Villar said the Senate would also prioritize bills on renewable energy, amendment to the Electric Power Industry Reform Act, the delineation of the country's baselines, global warming, Japan-Philippine Economic Partnership Agreement, and measures to achieve food sufficiency.

At the same time, the Senate will also tackle bills creating a special fund for the repatriation and financial assistance for distressed overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and the establishment of an OFW hospital, the Senate President said.

Other measures in the pipeline are proposed amendments to the local Cooperative Code and Consumer Code, a proposed 10-year tax holiday package for overseas Filipino investors, the proposed Fishermen and Farmers Subsidies Act, the proposed Fiscal Incentives and Investments Act, and the proposed New Anti-Child Pornography Act.

At the same time, the Senate President emphasized that the Senate shall continue to be a bastion of independence in upholding the best interests of the Filipino citizenry. It shall remain committed to carrying out its check-and-balance function under the Constitution aside from passing urgently needed laws.

The Senate has passed 36 bills during the First Regular Session of the 14th Congress under Villar's leadership.

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