Starting next week, the Senate will start holding session on Thursday mornings to prioritize the enactment of local bills emanating from the House of Representatives to ensure better relations between the two chambers of Congress.
Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile said he and his colleagues at the Senate and the House of Representatives came out with the agreement after a caucus early this week.
“In a caucus we had earlier this week, we agreed to resume the holding of the Thursday sessions starting next week so that we can take up and approve as much bills and resolutions as possible,” Enrile said in a statement.
“It has come to our attention that there are numerous bills of local importance dealing on education, justice, public works and others which have been approved by the Lower House, transmitted to the Senate for concurrence and are now pending in the various committees in the Senate,” Enrile added. “We have also lined up many important pieces of legislation that must be prioritized.”
The Senate President said there were only 48 remaining session days in the Second Regular Session of the 14th Congress and that both chambers should maximize the time available to enact vital pieces of legislation, both of national and local importance.