DEPDev: 40 priority bills passed in 19th Congress

Seven more priority measures of the Marcos administration were passed by the 19th Congress before it adjourned, bringing the total number of priority bills approved to 40, the highest since the Ramos era.

- By Louella Desiderio

In a statement yesterday, the Department of Economy, Planning and Development (DEPDev) said the 19th Congress passed 40 priority bills under the Common Legislative Agenda (CLA) identified by the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC).

"This marks the highest number of priority measures passed since the 10th Congress during the Ramos administration," the DEPDev said.

The seven bills ratified by the Senate and House of Representatives include the Government Optimization Act, Liberalizing the Lease of Private Lands by Foreign Investors, E-Governance Act, Konektadong Pinoy Act, Virology Institute of the Philippines, Accelerated and Reformed Right-of-Way Act, and the Enhanced Fiscal Regime for Large-Scale Metallic Mining Act.

Once President Marcos signs the seven bills, these will be added to the 33 measures already approved into law under the CLA.

Priority measures that were signed into law include economic and tax reforms such as the Public-Private Partnership Code of the Philippines, the CREATE MORE Act, the Real Property Valuation and Assessment Reform Act, the Capital Markets Efficiency Promotion Act, the Trabaho Para sa Bayan Act, as well as the Tatak Pinoy Act.