After 3 years, House resumes in-person sessions

MANILA, Philippines — The lower chamber of Congress resumes face-to-face plenary sessions today after three years, following President Marcos’ lifting of the COVID state of public health emergency on July 21.

The 312-member House of Representatives, led by Speaker Martin Romualdez, will begin face-to-face committee hearings, meetings and conferences on July 31.

“Virtual/hybrid mode will be used on a case-by-case basis and upon the approval of the Speaker,” said House secretary-general Reginald Velasco.

A sub-panel tasked with formulating rules on the conduct of hearings and sessions had endorsed a mixed setup of face-to-face and online Zoom app attendance, House Minority Leader Marcelino Libanan told reporters.

“It was recommended by the sub-committee level, and it has yet to be approved by the House committee on rules, and at the same time get the final approval of the plenary,” Libanan said.

“We are still in hybrid mode because we have seen its necessity and at the same time its advantage. And we still have the surge in COVID-19 cases, that’s why we are still in this hybrid session,” he added.

The progressive Makabayan bloc, through Rep. France Castro, filed a House resolution in March to force the lower chamber to return to full face-to-face plenary sessions instead of the hybrid system implemented since 2020.

“It is unfortunate and ironic that while the country has mandated all school-age children from the youngest kindergarten pupil to the oldest college student, and all workers and employees in public and private offices and workplaces to return to pre-pandemic face-to-face reporting, this is not so with the House members,” Castro said.