House to focus on human resource dev't, environmental protection

MANILA, Philippines - Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. assured the public yesterday that the House of Representatives will continue to focus on human resource development and environment protection policies when Congress resumes session on May 7.

“Even as we continue to focus on reforms for good governance and other concerns, we will never deviate from reinvigorating our national policies on human development, promoting investments and protecting the environment,” Belmonte said.

He said the House has transmitted to the Senate 179 bills of national scope and 446 local measures. At least nine national and 58 local bills could be approved on final reading this month, he added.

“Directly and indirectly, Congress is determined to propose more new statutes or update existing laws to promote human development, particularly for the country’s labor force,” Belmonte said.

The bills lined up for final approval include House Bill 6050, which establishes rural farm schools as an alternative mode of secondary education, and HB 6048, which provides for universal health care services to all Filipinos.

HB 6022, which rationalizes the taxes imposed on international airlines, and HB 6023, which prevents and controls pollution from ships and provides penalties for violations, are also set for approval.

HB 6040, which provides for a three-year validity of the license for those in the security profession, and HB 6044, which seeks reforms in real property valuation and assessment in the Philippines, are also on the agenda.

The local bills include the upgrade and modernization of the J.R. Borja City Memorial Hospital as an extension hospital of the Northern Mindanao Medical Center in Cagayan de Oro City; the grant of franchises to broadcast entities in Luzon; franchise for the construction and operation of a distribution system for electric power in Nueva Ecija, and the establishment of national high schools.

Some local bills propose the establishment of multi-purpose fish breeding farms and hatcheries in Surigao del Sur and in Cagayan, a fish port and cold storage facility in Cagayan and Pangasinan and a fisheries research center, also in Cagayan.

“All these would mean benefits for the workers and their families, jobs and income for their respective areas,” Belmonte said.

Among those lined up for Senate action are HB 3861 – development of entrepreneurship skills among government employees; HB 209 – strengthening adult education programs for workers and employees; HB 4255 – strengthening the ladderized interface between technical-vocational education and training and higher education; and HB 4225 – strengthening the participation of civil society organizations in the formulation of national, regional and local development plans.