House approves 102 national, local bills

MANILA, Philippines - The House of Representatives passed on third and final reading last Monday night 102 national and local bills, including measures on providing universal health care and preventing cybercrime.

Among the 15 national bills and 87 local bills approved on third reading on Monday were 30 public works-related measures, 34 basic education-oriented bills, seven aquaculture and fisheries resources development measures, two on health concerns, eight transportation-focused, and six bills on public holidays.

The House also approved on second reading House Bill 6052 strengthening the Juvenile Justice system in the Philippines.

Among those passed on final reading were: HB 6048 – Providing for Universal Health Care Services to all Filipinos, further amending for the purpose Republic Act 7875, otherwise known as the National Health Insurance Act of 1995; HB 5808 – Cybercrime Prevention Bill and HB 5928 – Institutionalizing a pre-hospital emergency medical care system, providing for the establishment, supervision and regulation of the Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Profession; HB 5977 – Creating the Philippine Trade Representative Office; HB 6155 – Establishing the Resource Development and Crisis Assistance Centers for Women and children in every province and city; HB 6050, Establishing Rural Farm Schools as an alternative delivery mode of secondary education; HB 1330, Establishing the Barangay Integrated approach for Nutrition Improvement (BIDANI); HB 6044, Instituting reforms on Real Property Valuation and Assessment in the Philippines; HB 6023, Preventing Pollution from Ships and providing penalties therefore; HB 6119, Institutionalizing the conduct of the Palarong Pambansa; HB 6040, providing a three-year validity period for the license to exercise security profession; HB 6022, Rationalizing the taxes on International Air Carriers operating in the Philippines, amending the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997, as amended; HB 5996, Providing for the retention by the Protected Area Management Board of the 75 percent of the revenues accruing to the integrated Protected Areas Fund (IPAF), amending the National Integrated Protected Areas System Act of 1992; and HB 6032, Renewing the franchise granted to Philippine Global Communications, Inc. for another 25 years.