Lower House approves on 3rd and final reading government's priority measures

Transcript

00:00 The provisions on the proposed military and uniformed personnel pension bill constitute

00:04 for a win-win deal, while the proposed bill, agri and tobacco products, has enough teeth

00:10 to deter bad actors or hold them into greater account.

00:13 This plus the proposed fiscal mining setup ushered in a whirlwind of plenary approvals

00:18 on the final day of House deliberations, as our Mela Lasmora sums up in this report.

00:26 Staying true to its commitment to pass the vital measures of the administration before

00:31 the session break, the House of Representatives extended Monday's session until dawn Tuesday

00:36 to pass the remaining priority bills that would ensure the development of our economy

00:40 and uphold the welfare of the Filipinos.

00:43 This includes the House Bill No. 8969, or the proposed Military and Uniformed Personnel

00:48 Pension System Act, and House Bill No. 8937, pushing for new mining fiscal regime.

00:54 According to House Speaker Martino Maldes on the MUP pension system, of which he's

00:59 the principal author, this landmark legislation demonstrate the government's unwavering commitment

01:05 to the men and women in uniform, while also ensuring the country's economic stability.

01:10 Under the approved measure, the system and funding of the pension scheme will be amended

01:14 to avoid fiscal collapse and benefit everyone.

01:17 Also on the agriculture sector, the lower house also approved on second reading the

01:21 House Bill No. 9284, which will impose more severe punishment for agricultural economic

01:27 saboteurs.

01:28 Speaker Maldes said the House wants to send a chilling effect against cartels to protect

01:33 the welfare of the masses.

01:35 During the House plenary deliberations last night on the proposed budget of the Department

01:39 of Agriculture, Appropriations Vice Chair Tony Petalbano, who serve as the agency's

01:44 budget sponsor, shared the DA as well as the President do not support the calls on imposing

01:49 zero tariff for rice imports.

01:51 Want to have and sustain lower prices of rice in the country, some lawmakers also shared

01:56 their proposals.

01:57 "If private capital is going to be included instead of government subsidy, it's easier.

02:04 We won't have a hard time because if others think that we need to lower the tariff, our

02:15 public services will sacrifice.

02:17 Private capital will be included to help.

02:22 We call it 'Ipakiskismo baby'."

02:24 "Rest assured the Department of Agriculture will look into the suggestions of Congressman

02:29 Dante Marcoleta, 'Ipakiskismo baby' program because there will be no more traders and

02:38 capitalists and so the cost of trading and consolidation of the value chain can address

02:45 this gap and we can sell the rice for 35 pesos."