House reconvenes sessions; ‘Digital Wall’ unveiled

MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives reopened yesterday its second regular session of the 19th Congress, with Speaker Martin Romualdez leading the unveiling of the historic “Digital Wall” that contains important details about the chamber.

The House leader was accompanied by his wife Rep. Yedda Marie of party-list Tingog, along with other officials, among them former president and now Deputy Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and House Majority Leader Manuel Jose Dalipe.

The Romualdez couple led the ribbon-cutting of the oversized digital wall, which displays the standing and special committees, along with 312 members from Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao and about 54 party-list congressmen.

Pictures of the officials and members of the House, along with details from what legislative districts and party-list groups they belong, can be seen and read in the digital portrait, accompanied by the names of committees, their chairs and members.

Some 311 House members have responded to the roll call, thereby creating a quorum, where House Resolutions 1122 and 1123 were adopted, informing the Senate and President Marcos, respectively, of the House resumption.

The adopted resolutions were approved by Dalipe (Zamboanga City) and Minority Leader Marcelino Libanan (4Ps party-list).

The Speaker nevertheless took the opportunity to make a vow that they will pass the remaining nine of 44 priority measures listed in the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC).

The House had passed 35 of the measures listed in Marcos’ legislative agenda.

The nine remaining LEDAC bills are the Natural Gas Industry Enabling Law, Philippine Ecosystem and Natural Capital Accounting System Bill, National Employment Action Plan, Department of Water Services and Resources, amendments to the Electric Power Industry Act, Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act, Budget Modernization, National Defense Act and the Unified System of Separation, Retirement and Pension for Uniformed Personnel.