Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez on Monday urged his colleagues at the House of Representatives to continue working hard in the remainder of the first regular session of the 19th Congress to pass the pending pro-people priority measures of the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.

Addressing the plenary during the resumption of the session, he welcomed back House members, expressing hope they had ample rest during the break, as he outlined the tasks they have to accomplish before the sine die adjournment of the 19th Congress on June 2.

“As we face the remainder of the first regular session, we have merely four weeks to complete our legislative agenda that has been prescribed by no less than our President in his first SONA (State of the Nation Address) plus those that have been identified as priority measures in the LEDAC (Legislative Executive Advisory Council),” Romualdez said.

“I implore all of you to continue the hard work that has now become the hallmark of the 19th Congress, a most hard-working and diligent Congress we have been. And I believe that we can still do much, much more in the furtherance of the interest of the Filipino people,” he said.

On Sunday, Romualdez announced that President Marcos has approved 11 additional bills as part of the LEDAC, bringing to 42 the total number of priority administration measures.

The bills include:

• The Maharlika Investment Fund; Amending the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Fixed Term Bill, which was already transmitted to the President;
• Ease of Paying Taxes; Local Government Unit Income Classification, and Amendment to Universal Health Care Act, which were already sent to the Senate;
• Bureau of Immigration Modernization, and Infrastructure Development Plan/Build Build Build Program, which is now for committee report preparation; Philippine Salt Industry Development Act;
• Philippine Ecosystem and Natural Capital Accounting System (PENCAS), the National Employment Action Plan, and Amendment to the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act, which are under committee/technical working group (TWG) meeting.

Romualdez said he would later meet with party leaders to see how the Chamber can ensure that the remainder of sessions before the sine die adjournment “are maximized and used most efficiently to achieve the common legislative agenda” of not just the House and the Senate, but also that of the Executive Branch. (PNA)