LEDAC TARGETS PRIORITY BILLS ON ECON REFORMS, HUMAN DEV’T TO BE PASSED BY YEAR-END — NEDA

Last modified on July 5, 2023

July 05, 2023 – The Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) aims to pass 20 priority bills focused on crucial economic reforms by the end of the year. These reforms are intended to improve the country’s business climate for investors and advance human capital development.

“The 20 new priority bills are critical to achieving the goals outlined in the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028 and the 8-Point Socioeconomic Agenda of the Marcos Administration,” said National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan.

In its second meeting for the 19th Congress held on July 5, 2023, the LEDAC, with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. as Chair and NEDA serving as the Secretariat, agreed to prioritize the passage of the 20 bills by December 2023. Some of these bills are focused on improving regulations to promote further investments, such as the Amendments to the Build-Operate-Transfer Law, the Ease of Paying Taxes Bill, and the Internet Transactions Act/E-Commerce Law. Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri and House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez were also in attendance to the meeting.

“With the commitment of both houses of Congress to pass these measures by year-end, we are getting closer to creating deep social and economic change in the Philippines. These bills will enable economic transformation that shall reinvigorate job creation in the country through investments, as well as mitigate the impact of economic shocks, such as sudden health crises,” said Balisacan.

The other priority bills aim to improve overall healthcare, such as the National Disease Prevention Authority Bill, the Medical Reserve Corps Bill, and the Virology Institute of the Philippines Bill.

The following are the 20 priority bills approved to be passed by December 2023:

1. Amendments to the Build-Operate-Transfer Law/ PPP Bill

2. National Disease Prevention Authority Bill

3. Internet Transactions Act/E-Commerce Law

4. Medical Reserve Corps Bill

5. Virology Institute of the Philippines Bill

6. Mandatory ROTC and NSTP Bill

7. Revitalizing the Salt Industry Bill

8. Valuation Reform Bill

9. E-Government/E-Governance Bill

10. Ease of Paying Taxes Bill

11. National Government Rightsizing Program Bill

12. Unified System of Separation, Retirement and Pension of Military and Uniformed Personnel (MUP)

13. LGU Income Classification Bill

14. Waste-to-Energy Bill

15. New Philippine Passport Act

16. Magna Carta of Filipino Seafarers

17. National Employment Action Plan

18. Amendments to the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act

19. Amendments to the Bank Deposits Secrecy Law

20. Anti-Financial Account Scamming Act

The LEDAC serves as a consultative and advisory body on specific programs and policies that are crucial for achieving the goals of the national economy. It also serves as a venue to facilitate high-level policy discussions on vital issues and concerns affecting national development.

Source: https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=680898960732402&id=100064369135346&mibextid=WC7FNe&rdid=hAg9s2qCWHkcKqNw

Tingnan ang apat sa dalawampung prayoridad na panukalang-batas na inaprubahan ni Pangulong Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. sa kanyang miting kasama ang Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) nitong Hulyo 5.

Source: https://www.facebook.com/100064282075832/posts/678094027676660/?mibextid=WC7FNe&rdid=2xDvaR4PNHtzpJJm

20 legislative measures approved for December 2023 passage in 2nd LEDAC meeting

July 5, 2023

A total of 20 legislative measures were approved on Tuesday during the 2nd Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) full meeting presided by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. in Malacañan Palace for legislative approval before the year ends.

Among these measures include the Amendments of the BOT Law/PPP bill, National Disease Prevention Management Authority, Internet Transactions Act/E-Commerce Law, Health Emergency Auxillary Reinforcement Team (Heart) Act, formerly Medical Reserve Corps, Virology Institute of the Philippines, Mandatory ROTC and NSTP, Revitalizing the Salt Industry, Valuation Reform, E-Government/E-Governance, and Ease of Paying Taxes.

Also being targeted to be passed late this year are the National Government Rightsizing Program, Unified System of Separation/Retirement and Pension of MUPs, LGU Income Classification, Waste-to-Energy bill, New Philippine Passport Act, Magna Carta of Filipino Seafarers, National Employment Action Plan, Amendments to the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act, and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas-endorsed Bank Deposit Secrecy, and, Anti-Financial Account Scamming Act (AFASA) bills.

18 of the 20 bills were part of the 42 priority legislative measures during the first LEDAC meeting in October 2022.

Of the 42 bills, three (RA 11934 or An Act Requiring the Registration of Subscriber Identity Module; RA 11935 or the Postponement of Brgy./SK elections and RA 11939 or Amendment to AFP Fixed Term) had been signed into law while three (RA HB 6608 or the Maharlika Investment Fund Act, HB 7751 or the Department of Health Specialty Centers Act and HB 6336 or New Agrarian Emancipation Act) are for the President’s signature.

The other priority measures include the Passive Income and Financial Intermediary Taxation Act (PIFITA), National Land Use Act (NALUA), Enabling Law for the Natural Gas Industry, Apprenticeship Law, Philippine Ecosystem and Natural Capital Accounting System (PENCAS), Government Financial Institutions Unified Initiatives to Distressed Enterprises for Economic Recovery (GUIDE), Free Legal Assistance for Police and Soldiers, Negros Island Region, Leyte Ecological Industrial Zone, Eastern Visayas Development Authority, Philippine Immigration Bill, Comprehensive Infrastructure Development Master Plan, and, Magna Carta of Barangay Health Workers.

Five bills are in various stages of the legislative process: Budget Modernization Bill, Amendments to the Electric Power Industry Reform Act, Department of Water Resources, National Defense Act, and, Amendments to the Universal Healthcare Act.

Speaker Ferdinand Romualdez said of the remaining 36 priority measures from the first LEDAC, they have passed 32 measures on third and final reading in the House of Representatives.

On top of the SONA priority bills, several legislative measures are also being proposed for inclusion in the common legislative agenda (CLA).

Pursuant to Republic Act No. 7640, LEDAC serves as a consultative and advisory body to the President on certain programs and policies essential to the realization of the goals of the national economy.

The CLA is a list of priority legislative measures of the Executive and Legislative branches of government, which the Council has agreed to actively pursue to be passed in Congress.

Source: https://pco.gov.ph/news_releases/20-legislative-measures-approved-for-december-2023-passage-in-2nd-ledac-meeting/

Source: https://www.pllo.gov.ph/index.php/gallery/gallery-2023/2023-07-05-update-on-common-legislative-priorities-of-congress-for-the-2nd-ledac-meetin