Congress Watch

Majority Leader Manuel Jose Dalipe said on Wednesday the House Committee of the Whole will hold hearings three times per week to "exhaustively" discuss Resolution of Both Houses 7 (RBH 7), which proposes economic amendments to the 1987 Constitution.

During the plenary session, a total of 234 lawmakers voted to approve House Bill 9764, which seeks to extend to five years the validity of the professional ID and Certificate of Registration of every professional under the PRC.

During the plenary session on Tuesday, the House approved the motion of Iloilo 1st District Rep. Janette Garin for the committee to take up Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) No. 7, which proposes economic Charter changes (Cha-cha), particularly Articles XII (National Economy and Patrimony), XIV (Education, Science, Technology, Arts, Culture, and Sports), and XVI (General Provisions).

During the plenary session, the chamber passed via voice vote House Bill 9875, otherwise known as the proposed Free Professional Examinations Act.

House Resolution 1595, which was filed Monday afternoon, seeks to use the unspent appropriations allocated to PhilHealth for premium subsidies, providing immediate financial relief to the country's economically vulnerable workers.

Senators will now start working with the members of the House of Representatives in a "professional" manner after Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri and House Speaker Martin Romualdez met and shook hands during former Senate president and Presidential Legal Counsel Juan Ponce Enrile's 100th birthday celebration in Malacañang.

In a press conference on Thursday, House Deputy Majority Leader Janette Garin lauded the Senate for approving the PHP100 daily wage hike bill on second reading, but the amount is still insufficient to meet the basic needs of workers' families.

In a press conference, Palawan Representative Jose Alvarez said foreign ownership restrictions in the Constitution have discouraged would-be foreign investors despite the passage of the amendments to the Public Service Act, Retail Trade Liberalization Act, and the Foreign Investment Act.

Deputy House Speaker and Las Piñas City Rep. Camille Villar on Monday urged her colleagues to pass a bill seeking to protect and provide health and financial assistance to waste workers throughout the country.

Sa gitna ng patuloy na iringan ng Kamara at Senado para Charter change, nagbabala si Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers sa mga senador na maaaring matuloy pa rin ang people’s initiative (PI) kung sakaling mabigo ang Kongreso na aprubahan ang reporma sa economic provisions ng 1987 Constitution.