Sa loob ng 83 session days, Kamara ay nakapagpasa ng 183 importanteng mga panukala

Members of the House of Representatives, heeding the call of Speaker Pantaleon D. Alvarez to be instruments of meaningful change, have managed to pass 186 relevant and necessary legislative measures over the past 83 session days of the 17th Congress.

At the opening of the 17th Congress on July 25, 2016, the Speaker exhorted House members to be instruments of change and give President Rodrigo Duterte the necessary legislation which will be his tools to effect genuine change in the country.

The 186 approved bills and adopted resolutions form part of the 794 measures processed by the House during the past 83 session days, or an average of 10 measures processed per session day, according to statistical data provided by the House committee on rules.

Also included in the 794 processed measures are: 317 referral of resolutions on inquiries; 283 measures substituted /consolidated; and eight measures in the Calendar of Business.

A total of 6,239 measures were filed, 5,317 of which are bills and 922 are resolutions. Moreover, 181 committee reports were filed by the different House panels.

The breakdown of the 186 approved measures: two enacted into law namely, Republic Act 10924 or “An Act Appropriating Funds For The Operation Of The Government Of The Republic Of The Philippines From January 1 To December 31, 2017” and RA 10923 or “An Act Postponing The October 2016 Barangay And Sangguniang Kabataan Elections, Amending For The Purpose Republic Act No. 9164, As Amended By Republic Act No. 9340 And Republic Act No. 10656”; two Concurrence with the Senate on amendments to HB 4631 or An Act Renewing For Another 25 Years The Franchise Granted To GMA Network, Inc. (Formerly Republic Broadcasting System, Inc.) and HB 4637 or An Act Extending For 25 Years The Franchise Granted To Smart Communications, Inc. (Formerly Smart Information Technologies, Inc; 82 approved on third and final reading; 45 approved on second reading; and 55 adopted resolutions.

Of the 82 approved bills on third reading, 22 are of national significance, including House Bill 4727 or An Act Imposing The Death Penalty On Certain Heinous Crimes, Repealing For The Purpose Republic Act No. 9346, Entitled 'An Act Prohibiting The Imposition Of Death Penalty In The Philippines', And Further Amending Act No. 3815, As Amended, Otherwise Known As The 'Revised Penal Code', And Republic Act No. 9165, Otherwise Known As The 'Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act Of 2002'. The bill was approved last March 7, 2017 by a vote of 217-54, with one abstention.

Other bills approved this year are:  House Bill 2158 or An Act Rationalizing And Expanding The Powers And Duties Of The Social Security Commission And The Social Security System, Further Amending For The Purpose Republic Act No. 1161, As Amended By Republic Act No. 8282, Otherwise Known As The ‘Social Security Act Of 1997’; HB 4636 or An Act Granting The Iloilo Baptist Church, Inc. A Franchise To Construct, Install, Establish, Operate And Maintain Radio And Television Broadcasting Stations In The Philippines; HB 4767 or An Act Extending The Validity Of The Philippine Passport, Amending For The Purpose Section 10 Of Republic Act 8239, Otherwise Known As The "Philippine Passport Act Of 1996"; HB 4814 or An Act Granting Amnesty In The Payment Of Estate Tax; HB 4815 or An Act Simplifying The Estate Tax Rate Amending For The Purpose Section 84 of The National Internal Revenue Code Of 1997, As Amended; and HB 4903 or An Act Simplifying The Donor's Tax Rate Amending For The Purpose Section 99 Of The National Internal Revenue Code Of 1997, As Amended.

House Bill 5063 or An Act Granting The Pangasinan Gulf Waves Network Corporation A Franchise To Construct, Install, Establish, Operate And Maintain Radio And Television Broadcasting Stations Throughout The Philippines; HB 5064 or An Act Renewing For Another 25  Years The Franchise Granted To Subic Broadcasting Corporation Under Republic Act No. 7511 Entitled "An Act Granting The Subic Broadcasting Corporation A Franchise To Construct, Install, Operate And Maintain Radio Broadcasting And Television Stations In The Philippines"; HB 5175 or An Act Renewing For Another 25  Years The Franchise Granted To Beta Broadcasting System, Inc., Under Republic Act No. 8026, Entitled "An Act Granting The Beta Broadcasting System Corporation A Franchise To Construct, Operate And Maintain Radio Broadcasting Stations In The Island Of Luzon"; and HB 5176 or An Act Renewing For Another 25 Years The Franchise Granted To Sarraga Integrated And Management Corporation To Construct, Install, Operate And Maintain For Commercial Purposes Radio And Television Broadcasting Stations In The Philippines"; and HB 5177 or An Act Renewing For Another 25 Years The Franchise Granted To Infocom Communications Network, Inc. (Presently Known As Now Telecom Company, Inc.) To Construct, Establish, Operate And Maintain Mobile Radio Systems.

In addition to these, the House last year approved on third reading the following: HB 335 or An Act Authorizing The Court To Require Community Service in Lieu of Imprisonment for the Penalty of Arresto Menor, Amending for the Purpose Chapter 5, Title 3, Book I of Act No. 3815, as Amended, Otherwise Known As the Revised Penal Code; HB 1344 or “An Act Prescribing Stricter Penalties on the Crime of Delivering Prisoners From Jail and Infidelity in the Custody Of Prisoners, Amending for the Purpose Articles 156, 223 and 224 of Act No. 3815, As Amended, Otherwise Known as the Revised Penal Code of the Philippines; HB 4100 or An Act Mandating Higher Education Institutions and Techno-Vocational Institutions to Insure the Safety and Security of the Academic Community From Internal and External Threats, thereby Creating a Crime Prevention Committee for This Purpose”; HB 3955 or An Act Mandating the Government to Pay the Capital Gains Tax and the Documentary Stamp Tax Due in Addition to the Just Compensation For the Sale of Real Property in the Exercise of the State's Power of Eminent Domain, Amending for the Purpose Sections 24(D) and 196 Of Republic Act No. 8424, as Amended, Otherwise Known as the National Internal Revenue Code Of 1997”; HB 477 or An Act Declaring January 23 of Every Year A Special Working Holiday in the Entire Country to Commemorate the Declaration of the First Philippine Republic”; HB 416 or An Act Allowing Home Economics Graduates to Teach Home Economics Subjects and Home-Economics-Related Technical Vocational Subjects in All Public and Private Elementary and Secondary Educational Institutions; HB 336 or An Act Excluding From the Application of the Indeterminate Sentence Law Those Convicted of Criminal Offenses Against a Minor, Amending For the Purpose Act No. 4103 Otherwise Known as the Indeterminate Sentence Law; HB 64 or An Act Strengthening Compliance with Occupational Safety And Health Standards And Providing Penalties for Violations Thereof”; and HB 4144 or An Act Seeking To Amend Section 145 (C) Of The National Internal Revenue Code By Imposing A Two-Tier Excise Tax Structure On Cigarettes.

Meanwhile, The House also approved on third reading  59 local bills, mostly about establishing national high schools and national technical-vocational schools in barangays, creating and dividing barangays, naming and renaming of roads, and establishing multi-species marine hatcheries in municipalities, among others.

The House also managed to pass on third reading the much-awaited increase in the monthly pension of the Social Security System pensioners under the Social Security Act of 1997 as embodied in House Joint Resolution 10.

Meanwhile, 45 measures were approved on second reading this year by the House, 11 of which are national bills and 34 are local bills.

The 11 national bills are: HB 5224 or An Act Strengthening The Rules On The Proper Use And Display Of Our National Symbols And The Rendition Of The National Anthem, Repealing For The Purpose Republic Act No. 8491, Otherwise Known As The "Flag And Heraldic Code Of The Philippines"; HB 5269 or An Act Institutionalizing The National School Feeding Program For Public Kindergarten And Elementary Pupils And Appropriating Funds Therefor; HB 5152 or  Act Requiring Higher Education Institutions To Report Participation And Program Support Expenditures In All College Athletic Programs; HB 5159 or An Act Strengthening The Provision Of Emergency Health Care Service To Patients, Further Amending For The Purpose Batas Pambansa Bilang 702, As Amended, Entitled "An Act Prohibiting The Demand Of Deposits Or Advanced Payments For The Confinement Or Treatment Of Patients In Hospitals And Medical Clinics In Certain Cases"; HB 5240 or An Act Instituting A National Land Use And Management Policy, Providing The Implementing Mechanisms Therefor; HB 5000 or An Act Providing For The Regulation And Supervision Of Payment Systems; and HB 5225 or An Act Mandating The Provision Of Free Wi-Fi Internet Access In Public Areas; HB 5241 or An Act Declaring December 8 Of Every Year A Special Non-Working Holiday In The Entire Country To Commemorate The Feast Of The Immaculate Conception Of Mary, The Principal Patroness Of The Philippines; HB  735 or An Act Including A National Artist As A Member Of The National Commission For Culture And Arts, Amending For The Purpose Republic Act No. 7356, Otherwise Known As The "Law Creating The National Commission For Culture And Arts"; HB 5211 or An Act Renewing For Another 25 Years The Franchise Granted To Gateway U.H.F. Television Broadcasting, Inc., Presently Known As Gateway Television Broadcasting, Inc.; and HB 5212 or An Act Renewing For Another 25 Years The Franchise Granted To Filipinas Broadcasting Association, Inc., Presently Known As Word Broadcasting Corporation.

Meanwhile, pending approval on second reading are five national bills: HB 3988 or An Act Providing For The Conjugal Partnership Of Gains As The Governing Regime In The Absence Of A Marriage Settlement Or When The Regime Agreed Upon Is Void, Amending For The Purpose Article 75 Of Title Iv Of Executive Order No. 209, As Amended By Executive Order No. 227, Otherwise Known As The Family Code Of The Philippines; HB 3177 or An Act Penalizing Influence Peddling And For Other Purposes; HB 4149 or An Act Exempting From The Population And Land Area Requirements The Conversion Of A Municipality Into A Component City If It Has A Locally Generated Average Annual Income Of At Least P250,000,000.00, Amending For The Purpose Section 450 Of Republic Act No.7160, As Amended, Otherwise Known As The Local Government Code Of 1991; HB 4113 or An Act Increasing The Maternity Leave Period To 100 Days For Female Workers In The Government Service And In The Private Sector, And Granting An Option To Extend For An Additional 30 Days Without Pay; and HB 4982 or An Act Prohibiting Discrimination On The Basis Of Sexual Orientation Or Gender Identity Or Expression (Sogie) And Providing Penalties Therefor.

Lastly, the breakdown of the 55 adopted resolutions:  35 regular resolutions; 15 reports on resolutions; four concurrent resolutions; and one report on resolution of inquiry (Committee Report No. 14 on House Resolution 105 : Resolution Calling For An Investigation, In Aid Of Legislation, On The Proliferation Of Drug Syndicates At The National Bilibid Prison, adopted October 19, 2016).