The House of Representatives has more time to exercise its oversight power now that it has passed on third and final reading almost all of the Marcos administration’s priority bills, Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez said Jan. 22.
“Hindi lamang tayo gumagawa ng batas. Ayon sa ating mandato, sinisigurado rin natin na naipapatupad ang mga batas na ito nang wasto at patas. Tinitiyak natin na bawat batas na ipinapasa natin ay may direktang pakinabang sa ordinaryong mamamayan,” Romualdez told his colleagues upon reconvening Monday after the Christmas recess.
He said that House members would help President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to oversee and implement the programs funded in the 2024 national budget, including assistance to the poor, farmers and fisherfolk as part of the institution’s oversight functions.
“Sa mga susunod na araw at buwan, ilalarga ng administrasyon ang malalaking programa para mabigyan ng ginhawa ang ating mga mamamayan sa harap ng inflation na nagaganap ngayon sa buong mundo,” Romualdez said, referring to the P5.768-trillion 2024 national budget that includes almost P500 billion social amelioration program, or ‘ayuda’, for at least 12 million poor and low-income families, or an estimated 48 million Filipinos.
He revealed that Congress introduced in the budget a new program labeled AKAP, for Ayuda sa Kapos ang Kita.
AKAP aims to provide direct cash assistance to the ‘near poor’ or families earning up to P23,000 a month.
At least 12 million households will benefit from it, including low-income workers, like those in construction and factories, drivers, food service crew, and the like.
He said the target beneficiaries would receive “a one-time cash assistance.”
“Lahat ng programang ito ay nilagyan natin ng sapat na pondo dito sa Kongreso. Tulungan natin ang Pangulo para matiyak na bawat sentimo sa mga programang ito ay makakarating sa lahat ng distrito – mula sa mga siyudad hanggang sa mga baryo,” he said.
Aside from approving proposed laws, “we have also ably demonstrated our resolve to address issues that impact our fellow Filipinos by exercising our oversight functions,” the Speaker stressed. “We scrutinized government operations by conducting legislative inquiries in aid of legislation. We engaged our counterparts in the executive department in open and honest discussions, gathered reliable information and offered immediate recommendations.”
He noted in a press release Jan. 22 that just last week, upon his instruction, the committees on ways and means and on senior citizens and special committee on persons with disabilities looked into gaps and confusion in the implementation of laws granting discounts, benefits, and other privileges to millions of senior citizens, persons with disability, and solo parents.
Senior citizens are entitled to a 20-percent discount on medicines, food items, and other purchases, plus a 12-percent value-added tax exemption.
The other recent inquiries conducted by the House include an investigation by the Committee on Dangerous Drugs on the entry into the country and recycling of illegal substances, and the alleged involvement of some law enforcers in the drug trade.
The Committee on Public Order and Safety also looked into the procurement by the Philippine National Police of body-worn cameras and other mission-essential equipment, and the discovery of mass graves at the maximum security compound of the New Bilibid Prisons.
The Committee on Energy inquired into the massive power outage in Western Visayas that caused financial losses and hardship to businesses and households, while the Committee on Transportation investigated the alleged irregularities and corruption in the implementation of the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program. ||
