Updated Status of Business and Economic Reform Legislation (15th Congress)* as of October 2011

STATUS OF BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC REFORM LEGISLATION (15th CONGRESS)*

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: Pending in the Committee on Local Government

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: Pending Second Reading (Period of interpellation)

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. Approved on Second Reading

1. AMLA Amendment
House: Approved on Second Reading
Senate: Under Committee Deliberation

2. Creation of the Department of Information and Communications Technology
House: Approved on Second Reading
Senate: Pending Second Reading (Period of interpellation)

IV. Pending Second Reading

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

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

3. LPG Industry Regulation and Safety Act
House: Pending Second Reading (Approval re-considered)
Senate: Under Trade and Commerce Committee Deliberation

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

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

6. Rural Bank Act Amendments
House: Pending Second Reading
Senate: No bill filed

7. BSP Charter Amendments
House: Approved by the Banks Committee
Senate: Pending in Banks Committee

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)

V. 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

VI. Under TWG Deliberation

1. AFP Modernization
House: Draft Substitute bill for Defense Committee Approval
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. Farm Land 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

VII. 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: Under Public Information Committee deliberation
Senate: Under Public Information 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: Under Trade Committee Deliberation

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

*Updated as of October 12, 2011. 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.