Legarda’s 2nd Batch of Bills Focus on Inclusive, Equitable Dev’t
July 7, 2016Senator Loren Legarda has filed her second batch of priority bills for the 17th Congress and said that these proposed measures are aimed at building an inclusive society and ensuring equitable opportunities for all.
“To be able to give everyone equal and equitable opportunities for growth, we need to address not only the concerns of Filipinos in general, but even more so those of our senior citizens, war veterans, persons with disabilities (PWDs), solo parents and others who have special needs that make it more challenging for them to be part of nation building,” said Legarda.
On July 4, the three-term senator filed the following bills:
Amendment to the Solo Parents Welfare Act. This bill aims to help lessen the financial burden carried by solo parents by affording them additional benefits, such as discounts from purchases for their children’s basic needs.
Amendment to the Expanded Senior Citizens Act. This bill seeks to exempt senior citizens from paying the final 20% withholding tax on interest income from bank deposits to enable our elderly to fully enjoy their savings.
Mandatory Philhealth Coverage for PWDs Act. This bill aims to ensure that all PWDs are covered by the National Health Insurance Program of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (Philhealth). With this measure, PWDs will not have to pay for their contribution.
Across the Board Increase on the Monthly Pension for War Veterans. This measure aims to express the government’s gratitude to war veterans by increasing their monthly pension by Three Thousand Pesos (Php 3,000.00) to support their basic needs including medical care that most of them now require due to their advanced age.
Magna Carta of the Poor. This bill seeks to raise the standard of living and quality of life of underprivileged Filipinos. The government will prioritize investments and anti-poverty programs to enable the poor to take part in the country’s growth and development. It shall adopt an area-based, sectoral and focused intervention on poverty alleviation.
Magna Carta for Seafarers. This bill will guarantee the right of Filipino seafarers to humane working conditions and just compensation by ensuring that manning and crewing agencies provide adequate information about the on-board conditions as well as local and international laws that apply to them.
Department of Fisheries Act. The proposed bill seeks to protect and conserve the country’s fishery and aquatic resources within sustainable limits for the exclusive use and enjoyment of the people, to accelerate the integrated development of the fishery industry, and to protect the rights of small and subsistence fisherfolks and fishworkers to preferential use of such resources.
Water Sector Reform Act. To address the fragmented and overlapping regulation of water supply services in the country while at the same time improving access of the population to safe drinking water, this measure aims to institutionalize the adoption of Integrated Water Resources Management principles in the management of the country’s river basin clusters with the proposed Water and Sanitation Regulatory Authority exercising functions and powers in order to restructure and reform the water industry including its sourcing, storage, treatment, distribution, and on sewerage treatment.
Freedom of Information. This measure will mandate all government agencies to disclose information on public interest transactions, documents or records, and provide other information as requested by the public.
Low Carbon Economy Act. This measure introduces the concept of “low carbon economy” to pave the way for a cleaner environment by limiting greenhouse gas emissions from the industrial and commercial sectors.
Last June 30, Legarda already filed her top 10 priority bills—Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act; Creating the Department of Culture; Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program Act; National Land Use Act; Final Forest Limits Act; Amendment to the Magna Carta for Public School Teachers; Department of Housing Act; Philippine Innovation Act; and the Anti-Discrimination Act.