House OKs 5 bills

MANILA, Philippines — Five pieces of legislation were approved on third and final reading on Tuesday by lawmakers in the plenary session at the House of Representatives, among them a bill that allows employment for senior citizens and the Free Transportation of Relief Goods Act.

Three other measures have also been approved – the designation of June 19 as a “special working holiday” in honor of the birthdate of one of the country’s heroes, Dr. Jose Rizal; giving discounts to remittance fees of overseas Filipino workers and teaching financial literacy to OFWs.

The recently approved bills are as follows: House Bill 10985 (Employment Opportunities for Senior Citizens and Private Entities’ Incentives Act), HB 10924 (Free Transportation of Relief Goods Act), HB 10958 (Araw ng Kapanganakan ni Dr. Jose P. Rizal), HB 10959 (OFW Remittance Protection Act) and HB 10914 (Free OFW Financial Education Act).

Speaker Martin Romualdez hailed the chamber’s passage of measures that can help lift the plight of ordinary Filipinos, like the seniors employment bill that garnered 173 votes, giving the elderly post-retirement job opportunities.

“Retired or elderly individuals should not just be left to fend for themselves or depend entirely on their monthly pension. It’s about time we help ensure automatic employment allocation for Filipinos aged 60 years old and above,” Romualdez said.

Meanwhile, the Free Transportation of Relief Goods Act, which received an overwhelming 182 votes, seeks to remove a critical bottleneck in disaster response by ensuring relief goods can reach calamity-stricken areas at the soonest time possible and without cost barriers.

The Jose Rizal holiday measure bill, which obtained 175 votes with two abstentions, “reflects our commitment to preserving and celebrating our rich national heritage,” according to Romualdez.

The OFW Remittance Protection Act got 174 votes while the Free OFW Financial Education Act received 179 votes – entitling OFWs to a 50 percent discount on remittance fees and for them to undergo continuous financial education or literacy training seminars, respectively.

OFW remittances average more than $30 billion yearly – the fourth largest in the world after India, Mexico and China – keeping the local economy afloat for several decades now.