JUNE 11, 2015

NR # 3860C

Belmonte thanks colleagues for rising above politics

resulting in golden harvest of legislation as House adjourns sine die
Speaker Feliciano Belmonte, Jr., moments before the sine die adjournment of Congress
late Thursday evening, lauded his colleagues for staying on course and rising above political
noise resulting in a golden harvest of legislation.
He proudly credited the entire membership of the House of Representatives for the said
golden harvest of legislation 35 Republic Acts, 541 measures passed on third reading, 24
approved on second reading, and 215 adopted resolutions.
Amidst the rising political noise anticipating 2016 and its attendant distractions, we did
not succumb to empty grandstanding, opportunistic photo-ops and cheap sloganeering,
Belmonte declared.
Adjournment came even as plenary was in the midst of its period of interpellation on the
proposed Bangamoro Basic Law.
It is being fine-tuned to ensure greater inclusiveness and greater efficiency in practice.
We want the best law possible. We have made huge strides. But, of course, we have a long way to
go, Belmonte said.
The Speaker could not help but recall two recent and painful events that still await
resolution the January 25 Mamasapano incident which took the lives of 44 SAF troopers, MILF
members and several civilians, and the May 13 Kentex factory fire where 72 workers perished in
Valenzuela City.
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, the Speaker lamented.
Both events, Belmonte added, 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
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, the House leader said.
He, however, stressed that the laying down of policies and laws that will promote an
environment conducive to growth and the creation of decent jobs must continue, and that growth
must translate into real employment to increase the quality of life of the poor.

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
competitive, Belmonte stressed.
Thinking aloud, the Speaker said that if the Filipino worker is given affordable access to
housing, a reformed public healthcare system, education for his children, and the proper respect
and protection of his rights, he will produce world-class products and provide world-class
services.
Laws enacted to promote competency and productivity of human resources include:
Ladderized Education Program; Iskolar ng Bayan Act and the Open Learning through Distance
Education in Post- Secondary and Tertiary Levels Act.
Expected to soon become law is the Open High School System for Out of School Youth
and Adults, and the bill on the Promotion of Positive Discipline and Non-violent Discipline of
Children which was passed on third reading.
Under bicameral consideration are the Unified Student Financial Assistance for Higher
and Technical Education, and the Act Strengthening the Probation System, while the
Amendments to the Cabotage Law will soon be sent to the President for signature.
The Speaker, however, highlighted two measures which he considers as historic firsts --the approval on second reading of the Resolution of Both Houses Amending the Restrictive
Economic Provisions of the Constitution; and the ratification of the Bicameral Conference
Committee Report on the Fair Competition Act or Anti-Trust Act which, which, the Speaker
noted, has been pending in the House of Representatives since 1989 -- a clear 26 years between
its inception and approval.
These measures, Belmonte said, would transform the economic landscape of the country
into a modern, outward-looking economy that benefits and provides opportunities for the vast
majority of the people.
Likewise, the House passed on final reading the Magna Carta for the Poor and the Internal
Displacement Act which aims to further the benefits from economic growth.
On the crucial issue of proper utilization and protection of the nations natural resources
and environment, and protection of its territory, the following measures got the green light:
Prevention of Marine Pollution; Delineation of the Maritime Zones of the Philippines and
Establishment of Archipelagic Sea Lanes in Philippine Waters.
Relative to sustaining and institutionalization of the fight against corruption and the
promotion of good governance, are the amendments to the Sandiganbayan Law to enhance its
organization and operational efficiency in discharging its functions.
Let us therefor 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, Belmonte declared. (30) dpt