THE Senate economic affairs committee will focus on poverty reduction measures, its chairman, Senator Imee R. Marcos, said.
Ms. Marcos said she is preparing bills that seek to address poverty and has sought preliminary briefings from concerned agencies.
“Ang aking priority d’yan ’yung poverty reduction programs, whether land reform, whether PhilHealth and Universal Health coverage, whether 4P’s, sana tingnan natin ’yan (My priority is to address poverty via land reform, health, and cash transfers)“ Ms. Marcos said in a briefing.
“Actually, nagpapa-informal briefing na ako para mabilis. May resolution na ako for a review of all the poverty reduction programs. (I have sought informal briefings on the issues to hurry things along. I have filed a resolution calling for a review of all the poverty reduction programs).”
Ms. Marcos has filed Senate Resolution No. 6 calling for the review.
“The other issue that I’d like to work out d’yan sa economic affairs (in committee) is urbanization,” she added.
Separately, Ms. Marcos said she could call for a dialogue with the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) after its recent statements calling for “balance” in the Security of Tenure (SoT) Bill.
“Definitely, we have to take notice of what the NEDA is saying and perhaps the economic affairs committee could initiate a dialogue with NEDA,” she said.
Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto M. Pernia on Wednesday said the proposed SoT Bill, which is still awaiting President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s signature, needs tweaking.
The bill was transmitted to the Office of the President on June 27 and will lapse into law on July 27, if the President fails to act on the measure. — Charmaine A. Tadalan
