JUNE 10, 2015

NR # 3859C

Remarks of the Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr.

Sine Die Adjournment
June 10, 2015
My dear colleagues,
In the wake of the dramatic gains of this administration, old obstacles to building a decent
society remain hurdles and new ones have emerged. During this 2nd Regular Session, two
domestic events brought up issues which we, as the peoples Representatives, will have to
resolve.
On January 25, a misencounter now known as the Mamasapano incident, took the lives of
44 SAF troopers, MILF members and several civilians, once more raised the stakes for
peace in Mindanao. On May 13, 72 workers perished in the Kentex factory fire in
Valenzuela.
Both events were part-and-parcel of long histories of marginalization and exclusion. One
characterized by a long standing secessionist struggle and the other by a culture of
corporate impunity. Both events sprung out of the conditions of the underclass, of the
minority Muslim population and the other from the situation of cheap labor. Both
tragedies raise fundamental questions of how, through what means, and what political
Congress needs to bring to bear to settle the fundamental issues of what kind of nation we
are, what kind of political and economic inclusiveness can we give our people, how fair
and equitable can we make our institutions, how do we bring justice to all and how do we
build a durable social contract for meaningful peace and development.
Amidst the rising political noise anticipating 2016 and its attendant distractions, we did
not succumb to empty grandstanding, opportunistic photo-ops and cheap sloganeering.
The House of Representatives showed that it would not play politics-as-usual with the
public interest. We remained galvanized with purpose to raise our vision of a decent
Philippine society to a higher and more inclusive stage.
Let me therefore thank and commend you for staying the course and rising above the
political noise. As we end the Second Regular Session, we have a goldenharvest of
legislation -- 35 Republic Acts, 541 measures approved on Third Reading, 24 measures
approved on Second Reading, and 215 adopted Resolutions.
Our efforts to lay down policies and laws that will promote an environment conducive to
growth and the creation of decent jobs must continue. We can ill afford to be complacent
as our neighbors in the region and the rest of the world intensify their own efforts to
strengthen their economies and make themselves more competitive. Also, our growth
must translate into real employment to increase the quality of life of the poor in our

country.
Continuing ASEAN economic integration leading to the establishment of the ASEAN
Community at the end of this year should spur us to further action and preparation. The
Philippines should not miss out on the greater flow of investments, goods, services, and
capital across the region.
Yes, there will be greater cooperation among the countries in the region but that will not
preclude intensified competition. This should be clear to everyone, especially to policy
makers and those in the business sector. But that competition must not mean a race to the
bottom in terms of lowering labor standards, or of lowering safety and environmental
yardsticks.
Our country must therefore continue to pursue the development of a globally competitive
economy to uplift the living condition of every Filipino. As we maintain macroeconomic
stability, raise infrastructure support, reduce the cost of doing business, improve
governance, and promote peace and order to attain real and lasting progress, we must also
equip our people with the necessary competencies, partner labor with better applied
research, provide workers with productivity incentives, a safe and decent workplace, and
the chance of owning a home.
If we partner the Filipino worker with affordable housing and a reformed public healthcare
system, the education of his children, and the proper respect and protection of his rights,
he will produce world-class products and provide world-class services.
Toward improving the competencies and productivity of our human resources, we have
enacted into laws the following during the Second Regular Session:
Ladderized Education Program,
Iskolar ng Bayan Act and the
Open Learning through Distance Education in Post- Secondary and Tertiary Levels
Act.
Soon we will also have a law providing for Open High School System for Out of School
Youth and Adults. We have also passed on third reading the bill on the Promotion of
Positive Discipline and Non-violent Discipline of Children.
We have also approved on third reading the:
Strengthening of the Crop Insurance System,
Promotion of Micro-Enterprise Development Institutions,
Amendments to RA 8974 to Facilitate the Acquisition of Right-of-Way and
Tax Incentives Management and Transparency Act.
Under consideration of its respective bicameral conference committees are the Unified
Student Financial Assistance for Higher and Technical Education, and the Act
Strengthening the Probation System. Amendments to the Cabotage Law will be sent to

the President for his signature in the coming days.

But let me highlight two other measures which we have just passed as historic firsts. But
more than the historical significance, these initiatives pose tremendous impact to our
economy. First, we have approved on Second Reading the Resolution of Both Houses
Amending the Restrictive Economic Provisions of the Constitution. No other similar
measure in the past has reached that stage of second reading. Second, we have just ratified
the Bicameral Conference Committee Report on the Fair Competition Act or Anti-Trust
Act, a measure that has been pending in this Chamber since 1989, a clear 26 years
between its inception and its approval by all of us during this 2nd Regular session.
These measures, when passed, would transform the economic landscape of the country
into a modern, outward-looking economy that benefits and provides opportunities for the
vast majority of our people.
To further insure that every Filipino benefits from economic growth, we have passed on
third reading the Magna Carta of the Poor and the Internal Displacement Act.
We have also approved on third and final reading, measures on the proper utilization and
protection of our natural resources andenvironment and the protection of our territory.
These measures include:
Prevention of Marine Pollution,
Delineation of the Maritime Zones of the Philippines, and
Establishment of Archipelagic Sea Lanes in Philippine Waters
To sustain and institutionalize our fight against corruption and the promotion of good
governance, we have amended the Sandiganbayan Law to enhance its organizational and
operational efficiency in discharging its functions.
Notably, on second reading is the Bangsamoro Basic Law as we have sought to ensure a
more meaningful autonomy for the Bangsamoro and move closer towards enhancing its
institutions and pave the way towards more effective provision of vital services to our
people in the region. It is being fine-tuned to ensure greater inclusiveness and greater
efficiency in practice. We want the best law possible because we know that there is no
such thing as a good war or a bad peace.
We have made huge strides. But, of course, we have a long way to go. Perhaps the most
severe of all our problems is the great economic divide that is condemning too many of
our minority population and majority youth to either exclusion or hopelessness. We hope
that as a necessary first step the economic reform measures we have passed today will end
both the exclusion and hopelessness.
Let us therefore look forward to the challenges of the Third Regular Session confident that
we have remained true to our people but ever conscious of and committed to what remains
to be done. Thank you to our Deputy Speakers, our Majority Leader, our Minority Leader,
Chairpersons of the different committees and to all my colleagues for your ardent and

enthusiastic participation. Thank you to the members of the Secretariat for your support.
Thank you everyone and I wish you all a restful, restorative, but still productive break.
I now declare this Second Regular Session of the 16th Congress adjourned sine die.