This is a re-posted press release.
The House of Representatives and the Joint Foreign Chambers and Philippine Business Groups on Tuesday agreed to pursue a common list of legislative priorities focusing on accountability, and transparency promoting the sustained war against poverty.
“This is a remarkable opportunity for strengthening our bonds of cooperation and solidarity toward the attainment of our common aspirations for further growth,” Belmonte told the leaders of foreign and Philippine business groups led by Mr. Hubert D’Aboville, president of the European Chamber of Commerce and Mr. Aurelio Montinola, Jr., President, Banker’s Association of the Philippines, among others.
The priorities focus mainly on economic and governance legislation, aside from other vital matters, including legislative support to the recently launched “Integrity Initiative United Code of Conduct,” an anti-corruption movement in the private sector being pushed by a consortium of 21 groups and associations that includes the Makati Business Club.
Belmonte also stressed that the Philippine Development Plan targets the following for the next six years: reduction of poverty incidence by half to 16.6 percent in 2015; employment creation of one million jobs a year; a GDP growth rate of 7 to 8 percent a year; increase in the investment-to-GDP ration from 15.6 percent in 2010 to 22 percent in 2016; and achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.
Many measures included in the common priority list are also included in the House and Senate common priorities and President Aquino’s legislative agenda.
Among those whom Speaker Belmonte and other House leaders met in an open dialogue were: Mr. Philip Soliven (Vice Pres. – American Chamber of Commerce; Mr. Danilo Sebastian Reyes (Vice Chair – Business Processing Association of the Philippines); Mr. Edgardo Lacson (Pres. – Employers Confederation of the Philippines); Mr. Nobou Fujii (Vice Pres. – Japanese Chamber of Commerce); and Julian Payne (Pres. – Canadian Chamber of Commerce).
The House leaders who also took an active part in the open dialogue were: Deputy Speaker Pablo Garcia; Deputy Speaker Ma. Isabelle Climaco; Majority Leader Neptali Gonzalez II; and committee chairmen Joseph Emilio Abaya (Appropriations); Sigfrid Tinga (Committee on ICT); Albert Garcia (Trade and Industry); Hermilando Mandanas (Ways and Means); Loreto Leo Ocampos (Constitutional Amendments); Ben Evardone (Public Information); Ronald Cosalan (Public Works); Erico Basilo Fabian (Government Enterprises); Emil Ong (labor & Employment); and Danilo Fernandez (Ecology), as well as Sec. Gen. Marilyn Barua-Yap of the House Secretariat, among others.
The identified priorities, some of them passed by the House and transmitted to the Senate for action, included the following: 1) Data Privacy Act (Approved on 3rd reading); 2) Rationalization of Fiscal Incentives (Approved on 3rd reading); 3) Customs Modernization and Tariffs Act ( Approved on 3rd reading); 4) Direct Remittance to LGUs of their 40% share from National Wealth Taxes (Approved on 3rd reading); 5) Fair Competition or Anti-Trust (Approved on 2nd reading);
6) Amendments to the BOT or PPP Law (TWG substitute bill being drafted); 7) Exemption from Common Carrier’s Tax/Gross Philippine Billing (for 2nd reading); 8) Clean Air Act Amendment (Committee deliberation); 9) Retail Trade Act Amendments (no bill filed yet); 10) Financial Sector Tax Neutrality Act (no bill filed yet); 11) Amendments to certain (economic) provisions of the Constitution (under committee deliberation); 12) Enhancing the Curriculum of Basic Education (committee); 12) Land Administration and Reform (committee);
13) Anti-Smuggling (for report preparation by the Committee on Ways and Means); 14) Excise Taxes on Tobacco and Alcohol (committee); 15) Creative Industries Act (no bill filed yet); 16) Cybercrime Prevention Act (committee report for filing); 17) Rationalization of Non-working Holidays (committee); 18) Security of Tenure (approved at committee level; awaiting plenary schedule); 19) Mining Act Amendments (committee); 20) Authorizing LGUs to issue small and large scale mining permits (for TWG study);
21) Intellectual; Property Rights Act Amendments (Approved on 3rd reading); 22) Lemon Law (Approved on 3rd reading); Plastic Bag Regulation Act (Approved on 3rd reading); 23) AMLA Amendments (Approved on 2nd reading); 24) Creation of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (Approved on 2nd reading); 25) Whistle Blowers Protection Act (committee report for filing); 26) BSP Charter Amendments (committee); 27) Freedom of Access to Information (committee); and 28) Philippine Immigration Code (Committee and TWG).
The prevailing uncertainty in the global economic outlook, Belmonte stressed, should not dampen everyone’s aspirations. “Instead, it should serve as both challenge and motivation for us to work harder.”
The House leader, quoting one Chinese proverb, said: “A crisis is an opportunity riding the dangerous wind.” And indeed, for every crisis, there is always an opportunity, Belmonte said.
The House leader noted that public trust and confidence in all branches of government have improved. “However, these positive developments should provide no room for complacency. There remain vital weaknesses in our economy that immediately need to be addressed,” Belmonte concluded.
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Source: Public Relations and Information Bureau, Philippine House of Representatives, Nov. 23, 2011
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