Status of Business and Economic Reform Legislation 15th Congress as of September 2011

I. Enacted into Law

    1. Financial Rehabilitation and Insolvency Act (RA 10142) – lapsed into law July 18, 2010

    2. GOCC Governance Act (Republic Act 10149) – signed June 6, 2011

    3. Repeal of Nightwork Prohibition for Women (RA 10151) – signed June 21, 2011

II. Approved on Third Reading

    1. Direct Remittance to LGUs of their 40% share from National Wealth Taxes
        House: Approved on Third Reading
        Senate: Under Local Government TWG deliberation

    2. Customs Modernization and Tariffs Act
        House: Approved on Third Reading
        Senate: Pending in Ways and Means Committee

   3. Data Privacy Act
       House: Approved on Third Reading
       Senate: Committee Report being routed for signature

   4. Rationalization of Fiscal Incentives
       House: Approved on Third Reading
       Senate: Under Ways and Means Committee deliberation

   5. WIPO Copyright Treaty (Intellectual Property Act Amendments)
       House: Approved on Third Reading
       Senate: Pending Second Reading (For sponsorship speech)

   6. Lemon Law
       House: Approved on Third Reading
       Senate: Under Trade and Commerce Committee deliberation

   7. Plastic Bag Regulation Act
       House: Approved on Third Reading
       Senate: Pending in Trade and Commerce Committee

   8. Regulating Profession – Environmental Planning
       House: Approved on Third Reading
       Senate: Draft Committee Report for approval of Civil Service Committee

III. Pending Second Reading

    1. AMLA Amendment
        House: Pending Second Reading (Approval re-considered)
        Senate: Under Committee Deliberation

    2. Creation of the DICT
        House: Pending Second Reading (Approval re-considered)
        Senate: Pending Second Reading (For sponsorship speech)

    3. Cybercrime Prevention Act
        House: Transmitted to Appropriations Committee
        Senate: Pending Second Reading (For interpellation)

    4. Fair Competition Law/ Anti-trust
        House: Pending Second Reading (Approval re-considered)
        Senate: Draft Committee Report pending with Trade and Commerce Committee

    5. LPG Industry Regulation and Safety Act
        House: Pending Second Reading
        Senate: Under Trade and Commerce Committee Deliberation

    6. Mandatory Healthcare Coverage (Providing Definite Strategy for Targetting the Poor)
        House: Transmitted to Appropriations Committee
        Senate: Pending Second Reading (For interpellation)

    7. Reproductive Health Bill
        House: Pending Second Reading (Interpellation)
        Senate: Pending Second Reading (Interpellation)

    8. Terrorism Financing Prevention and Suppression Act
        House: Pending Second Reading (Interpellation)
        Senate: Under Banks Committee deliberation

    9. Whistle Blowers Protection Act
        House: Approved by the Justice Committee
        Senate: Pending Second Reading (Interpellation)

IV. Approved at Committee Level

    1. Institutionalizing the National Land Use Policy
        House: Transmitted to the Appropriations Committee
        Senate: Pending in Environment and Natural Resources Committee

    2. Land Administration and Reform Act
        House: Transmitted to the Appropriations Committee
        Senate: Pending in Environment and Natural Resources Committee

    3. Rural Bank Act Amendments
        House: Approved by the Banks Committee
        Senate: No bill filed

V. Under TWG Deliberation

     1. AFP Modernization
         House: Under National Defense TWG deliberation
         Senate: Under National Defense Committee deliberation

     2. Anti-smuggling
         House: Under Ways and Means TWG deliberation
         Senate: Pending in Ways and Means Committee

     3. Build-Operate-Transfer Law Amendments
         House: Under Public Works TWG deliberation
         Senate: Pending in Public Works Committee

     4. CIQ Amendment
         House: Pending in Justice Committee
         Senate: Under Justice TWG deliberation

     5. Farmland as Collateral
         House: Under Agrarian Reform TWG deliberation
         Senate: Pending in Agrarian Reform Committee

     6. NFA Reorganization
         House: Under Government Enterprises TWG deliberation
         Senate: Pending in Government Corporations Committee

     7. Government Procurement Act Amendments
         House: Under Appropriations TWG deliberation
         Senate: Pending in Constitutional Amendments, Revision of Code and Laws Committee

     8. Sustainable Forest Management
         House: Draft Substitute bill for Ecology Committee Approval
         Senate: Under Environment TWG deliberation

     9. Regulating Profession – Pharmacy
         House: Pending in Civil Service Committee
         Senate: Under Civil Service TWG deliberation

VI. Under Committee Deliberation

      1. Constitutional Amendments on Economic Provisions
          House: Under Constitutional Amendments Committee deliberation
          Senate: No bill/resolution filed

      2. Creative Industries
          House: No bill filed
          Senate: Under Trade and Commerce Committee deliberation

      3. Enhancing the Curriculum of Basic Education (12 year)
          House: Under Basic Education Committee deliberation
          Senate: Pending in the Education Committee

      4. Freedom of Access to Information
          House: No bill filed
          Senate: Under Trade and Commerce Committee deliberation

      5. Fiscal Responsibility
          House: Pending in Appropriations Committee
          Senate: Under Finance Committee deliberation

BILLS REQUIRING SUBSTANTIAL RECONSIDERATION

      1. Corporate Social Responsibility
          House: Approved on Third Reading
          Senate: Pending Second Reading (For interpellation)

      2. Security of Tenure
          House: Pending Second Reading
          Senate: Draft Committee Report pending Labor Committee approval

      3. Value Added Simplified Tax
          House: Pending Second Reading
          Senate: No bill filed

      4. Chinese Holiday
          House: Pending Second Reading
          Senate: Pending in Education, Arts and Culture Committee

      5. Declaring National Women’s day as a non-working holiday
          House: Pending Second Reading
          Senate: No bill filed

      6. Milk Code
          House: For Health and Trade Committee deliberation
          Senate: Pending in Health Committee

OTHER PRIORITY LEGISLATION

       1. Foreign Investments Act Amendments
           House: No bill filed
           Senate: Pending in Trade and Commerce Committee

       2. Retail Trade Act Amendments
           House: No bill filed
           Senate: Resolution pending in Trade and Commerce Committee

       3. Clean Air Act Amendment
           House: No bill filed
           Senate: No bill filed

       4. Senior Citizens Act Amendment
           House: Pending in Population Committee
           Senate: Pending in Social Justice Committee

       5. Rice and Corn Trade Amendment
           House: No bill filed
           Senate: No bill filed

       6. Financial Sector Tax Neutrality Act
           House: No bill filed
           Senate: No bill filed

       7. Holiday Rationalization
           House: Pending in Revision of Laws Committee
           Senate: No bill filed
 

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Legend:
Bold – Arangkada recommendation (JFC/PBGs)
Bold and italics – other Arangkada recommendation
Gray Highlight – LEDAC priority measures

*This list of legislation is a consolidation of important bills of interest to the business community, most of which are currently being considered in the 15th Congress. The compilation of this list in no way implies that all foreign chambers and business groups have approved every measure or even studied all of them. However, Arangkada contains a list of 41 measures that the Joint Foreign Chambers and seven Philippine business groups sent to President Aquino, House Speaker Belmonte, and Senate President Enrile in October 2011. In the case of this letter, there was agreement among the 14 groups to support the 41 measures except for the Agri-Agra amendments.

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