FULL TEXT: Drilon details Senate’s priority bills

Senate President Franklin M. Drilon

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FULL TEXT: Drilon details Senate’s priority bills
'The challenge that is thrown to us and to the people who will be elected in 2016, is to ensure the continuity of these reforms,' the Senate President tells his fellow senators

Below is the speech delivered by Senate President Franklin Drilon when he opened on Monday, July 27, the 3rd and last Regular Session of the 16th Congress.

My esteemed colleagues, your excellencies of the diplomatic corps, fellow workers in government, ladies and gentlemen, good morning. 

Today, we open the third and last regular session of the 16th Congress. This being the last session of Congress in the Aquino administration, we take this opportunity to report what we have done for the past five years, and what we will do in the remaining year. We can proudly report to the Filipino people that we have been pursuing reforms to propel our nation to greater economic, political and social heights.

As the leader of this august chamber, I am proud of our accomplishments. I am grateful to you, my esteemed colleagues, for giving more of your time, knowledge and expertise in crafting laws that would improve the life of our nation. 

Two years ago, we convened the inaugural session of the Senate in the 16th Congress. We challenged ourselves to answer what Juan Dela Cruz has been asking us for years: “Ano ba ang kinalaman ng Senado sa aking buhay?”

Juan Dela Cruz, ito po ang aming tugon. 

On Good Governance 

During the first SONA of the President in 2010, he cited the excesses of the GOCCs, as in the case of the MWSS. In response, we passed the GOCC Governance Act and made state owned enterprises instruments of national progress, instead of being milking cows. In 2013, the GOCCs remitted P28 Billion in dividends to the national coffers, and in 2014, over P32 Billion. 

Cases in the Sandiganbayan take five to seven years to resolve. To enable the speedy disposition of corruption cases, we amended the Sandiganbayan Law, adding two more divisions and modifying the anti-graft court’s jurisdiction by transferring minor cases to the regional trial courts. 

We amended the Anti-Money Laundering Act to expand the list of entities required to report covered and suspicious transactions to the Anti-Money Laundering Council. We also authorized freeze orders and inquiries on bank deposits upon order of the court based on ex parte petition by the Council. 

On the Economy

To make our country more competitive, we passed measures to stimulate the economy and attract foreign investments, thus creating more jobs. 

Last week, the President signed the Philippine Competition Act.  It took more than 20 years for Congress to enact an anti-trust law. We now finally have a competition policy that outlaws and penalizes anti-competitive agreements, abuse of dominant position, and anti-competitive mergers and acquisitions. 

In 2013, the President asked Congress to “amend the Cabotage Law in order to foster greater competition and to lower the cost of transportation for our agricultural sector and other industries”. We responded by amending the Cabotage Law to achieve these goals. 

We legislated the Full Entry of Foreign Banks by allowing them to acquire and invest up to 100% of the voting stock of a domestic bank. We also enacted a law that allowed foreign investors to own 60% of the voting stock in rural banks. 

To boost our tourism industry, we exempted Foreign Carriers from paying, on a reciprocity basis, the common carrier’s and value added tax for the transport of passengers. 

To strengthen the insurance industry and make it more resilient to shocks, we enacted the Revised Insurance Code, which imposed more stringent capitalization requirements.  

On Health

We have not neglected the social needs of our people.

For more than ten years, our Excise Taxes on Tobacco and Alcohol favored certain brands. We responded with the passage of the Sin Tax Reform Law. It leveled the playing field. Thus, we generated an additional Excise Tax collection of over P50 Billion last year. P37 Billion of this incremental revenue was allocated to enroll 15 million indigent families in Philhealth, and cover our senior citizens, which we required under the Amendments to the Expanded Senior Citizens Act.

The National Health Insurance Act demonstrated our commitment to provide health care to each and every Filipino, especially our indigents. 

The Graphic Health Warning Act compelled cigarette companies to graphically demonstrate in cigarette packs the deadly effects of smoking. 

The Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Law was one of the most difficult reform measures enacted by Congress. The law provides universal access to medically safe, effective, legal, affordable, and quality reproductive health services, information and education. 

On Education

In the 16th Congress, we underscored the importance of education as a weapon to fight poverty. We passed the Ladderized Education Act, the Open Learning and Distance Education Act, and the Open High School System Act to enable those who have less in life to have more access to good education. 

The Iskolar ng Bayan Act accords top 10 public high school graduates with scholarships to State Universities and Colleges of their choice. This complements the “Fast-Tracked Science & Technology Scholarship Act” which we passed in 2013.

The Enhanced Basic Education Act is now the cornerstone of our learning system. The “K to 12” program – which covers kindergarten, six years of primary education, four years of junior high school and two years of senior high school – would provide our students sufficient time to master concepts and skills, and develop stronger fundamentals for college education. “K to 12” also aligns our basic education program with those of other countries. 

On Employment

More than 80,000 Filipino seafarers faced the threat of losing their jobs in EU-flagged vessels because of our failure to comply with the international convention on seafarers. We responded by passing the MARINA Law. 

Last year, the European Union threatened to ban Philippine marine and fisheries products. This threatened the livelihood of our fisherfolk. We responded by amending the Fisheries Code to comply with international standards and strengthen our laws against illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. This also redounded to the benefit of Filipino traders who can now export specific products tariff-free to EU markets.  

Over the years, workers complain of outdated tax exemptions, which unduly reduced their take home pay. These rates were set in 1992. We raised the rate for the 13th Month Pay and Other Benefits from P30,000 to P82,000 to restore our workers’ purchasing power, which was eroded due to inflation.

My esteemed colleagues,

Since the beginning of the Aquino administration, we have worked hard to institute reforms needed to improve the economy, create a stable political environment and improve our social infrastructure. 

We achieved our legislative agenda because we worked closely with our partners in the House of Representatives, meeting the House Leadership on a regular monthly basis. 

But, let us walk a mile more. 

We are racing against time. We must set aside political interests and think of solutions to the nation’s pressing problems. Let us remind ourselves that we are here to serve the people, and not special interest groups. 

We should continue in the last regular session of this Congress, and even beyond, the pursuit of good governance and the audacity to implement meaningful reforms, no matter how unpopular they may be. 

We will scrutinize the 2016 National Budget. We shall pass it on time as we have done in the past five years so that the government would not operate on a reenacted budget. If you recall, because of the reenacted budget, the previous administration converted the entire GAA into a single lump sum appropriation. 

We assure our people that the pork barrel system is a thing of the past.  

We will continue to promote lasting peace and sustainable development in Mindanao through a Bangsamoro Basic Law that is consistent with our Constitution. 

On the economic front, we will create a better policy environment for Public-Private Partnerships. The recently inaugurated Muntinlupa-Cavite Expressway took four years to finish because of the gaps in our Build-Operate-Transfer Law and the Law on Acquisition of Right-of-Way. We will address these gaps. 

To enhance trade and commerce, we will pass the Customs and Tariff Modernization Act (CTMA). This will introduce full automation of customs procedures, and strengthen the Bureau of Customs’ risk management, revenue collection and enforcement systems. In 2013, our government lost an estimated P200 Billion in revenues due to smuggling.

The Tax Incentives Monitoring and Transparency Act (TIMTA) will become law in this last session. This will foster transparency and accountability in the grant of fiscal incentives to business entities. 

In the area of technology, we will create the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) to develop ICT systems and enhance communication services. We have the most expensive internet rates, but one of the slowest in terms of speed, outpacing only Afghanistan. 

We will modernize PAGASA. We will equip our weather bureau with state-of-the-art facilities and technologies. 

My esteemed colleagues, 

We have seen the vigor and enthusiasm of our people to participate in the life of our nation. We have heeded their intense calls for meaningful reforms. 

All our hard work will rake in huge dividends in improving the life of Juan Dela Cruz, strengthening the economy, creating a stable political system, and providing social protection to our citizens.

I am confident that they appreciate our collective efforts to institutionalize these reforms. I note with pride that our people have become more zealous and vigilant to protect our gains.

The challenge that is thrown to us and to the people who will be elected in 2016, is to ensure the continuity of these reforms.

 We must ensure a bright and promising future for the younger generation and the generations yet unborn. 

That, my esteemed colleagues, will be our priceless legacy. 

God bless the Philippines. God bless the Filipino People. – Rappler.com

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