Congress to prioritize EPIRA changes as Senate junks ‘Cha-cha’
By John Victor D. Ordoñez, Reporter and Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio
THE PHILIPPINE Senate would put proposals to change the 1987 Constitution on the back burner and would instead focus on measures to boost the military amid growing tensions with China, according to the Senate president.
The chamber would also pass bills that seek to boost healthcare and jobs while easing hunger, Senate President Francis “Chiz” G. Escudero said in a speech as Congress resumed sessions on Monday.
“We will set aside items which merely dissipate our energy and divide the public,” he said. “For this reason, pending bills on Charter change (“Cha-cha”) will be placed on the back burner, and will follow the ordinary and regular process of legislation.”
At the weekend, he said they would tackle a proposal to amend the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA) amid blackouts.
The Senate will also push changes to the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises (CREATE), particularly lower taxes on domestic and foreign companies.
Mr. Escudero said Congress should go beyond laws that only benefit big business, and find solutions to problems with healthcare, joblessness and poverty.
“We will take peaceful measures to defend our people’s right to sail in our seas and fish in our waters, as what our ancestors had done, and what our children and grandchildren shall do,” he added.
The Senate in December passed a bill that seeks to boost the country’s defense program through investments in local defense equipment manufacturing. The measure will give the Department of National Defense P1 billion in seed funding.
The Philippines and China resumed talks to ease tensions in the South China Sea after accusing each other of raising tensions in disputed shoals and reefs.
“I am confident that we shall overcome whatever disagreements we may have with any of our neighbors, given our centuries-old amicable relations with them,” Mr. Escudero said.
Also on Monday, Speaker and Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez said the House of Representatives would also seek changes to EPIRA.
Congressmen would also seek to pass the proposed P6.352-trillion national budget for next year before Congress goes on a break again in September.
He said changes to EPIRA, which liberalized the power industry, would bring down electricity prices and ease inflation.
“We are also looking into the illegal drug trade to intensify our campaign against the proliferation of these substances,” he said.
The 19th Congress reopened for its final session after a two-month break.
The House has passed on final reading almost all the priority bills of the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC).
It would now fast-track changes to EPIRA and a bill that seeks to extend the lease period for foreign investors. Other pending measures include amendments to the Agrarian Reform law and another that will modernize national defense.
“We have to continue building roads, highways, ports, school buildings and climate change-proof structures to maintain and expand economic growth,” Mr. Romualdez said. “I emphasize our commitment to pass the remaining priority bills before the end of the third regular session.”
“We are ready and equally determined to ensure that these critical measures are enacted to support our nation’s progress and development,” he added.
The Speaker said in plenary that policies have been put in place, and “the gains of a competent, focused and thorough legislative process are now bringing significant improvements to our economy.”
“The fruits of our overarching development agenda initiatives for the past two years are now slowly being felt across the nation.”
Jose Enrique “Sonny” A. Africa, executive director of think tank IBON Foundation, said it is wrong to equate economic progress with growth given the increasing number of poor Filipino families.
“Most Filipinos haven’t become better off because of this growth,” he told BusinessWorld. “The number of self-rated poor families has soared by 3.4 million since the start of the Marcos administration from 12.6 million in June 2022 to 16 million in June 2024.”