The 2nd Regular Session of the 17th Congress came to a close early Thursday morning as the Senate went on sine die adjournment after passing its version of the landmark Bangsamoro Basic Law.
The senators would return to the plenary floor on the opening of the 3rd Regular Session on July 23, 2018, the same day Congress would convene at the House of Representatives in Quezon City to hear President Rodrigo Duterte’s third State of the Nation Address (SONA).
Senate President Tito Sotto III formally announced the adjournment of the session around 2 am, due to the nearly ten-hour long deliberation on SBN 1717 or the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law, which was approved on third and final reading with 21-0 votes.
Before adjournment, the senators also ratified the bicameral conference committee reports for SBN 1762, or the proposed Retirement Law of the Office of the Ombudsman which sought to increase the retirement benefits of the officials and employees of the Office of the Ombudsman, and SBN 1459 or the proposed Personal Property Security Act, which sought to provide entrepreneurs with expanded access to loans.
Earlier during the week, the Senate had passed six bills converting Land Transportation Office extension offices into regular centers, along with 11 local bills establishing, converting or renaming high schools and colleges nationwide.
It also ratified the bicameral conference report for SBN 1738, or the proposed Philippine Identification System Act of 2018, and adopted two resolutions – SRN 746 which lauded the heroism of soldiers and police officers who served in the Marawi crisis, and SRN 748 which confirmed AECOM as the winning architectural firm to design the new Senate building in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.
Before adjournment, the senators also ratified the proposed Retirement Law of the Office of the Ombudsman, the Personal Property Security Act, and the Philippine Identification System Act of 2018.
The bills and resolutions were the latest legislative achievements made by the Senate in the 2nd Regular Session, which started on July 24, 2017.
This year alone, the Senate has successfully enacted pro-consumer legislation such as the proposed Lifetime Cellphone Number Act (SBN 1636), Recoverable Systems Loss Act (SBN 1623), the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act of 2017 (SBN 1531); pro-Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) legislation such as the Handbook for OFWs Act of 2016 (SBN 192); pro-health legislation such as the Pagkaing Pinoy para sa batang Pinoy Act (SBN 1279); and pro-worker legislation such as the proposed Magna Carta for Scientists (SBN 1534) and the Reservist Employment Rights Act (SBN 1698), among others.
Sotto said that the Senate would tackle pending legislation when they return to work in July including the continuing proposals for Charter Change, the proposed Universal Health Package bill and the proposed amendments to the Public Service Act.