
Senators file priority bills in 20th Congress
Several senators on Monday have begun filing their priority bills and resolutions for the incoming 20th Congress.
According to the Senate's bills and index section, Senator Loren Legarda was the first to file her 10 priority bills, topped by the One Tablet, One Student Act.
Her other bills are as follows:
Pangkabuhayan Act
Unpaid Care Workers Equity and Empowerment Act
Magna Carta of Waste Workers
Living Wage Act
Monthly Maintenance Medication Support Act for Senior Citizens
Women and Children Protection Units Act
Low Carbon Economy Act
Complementarity in Education Act
Blue Economy Act
Next to file was Senate President Francis 'Chiz' Escudero, who included in his top ten bills is the act mandating government officials and employees to execute and submit a written permission to examine, inquire, or look into all their deposits and investments, thereby waiving the Bank Secrecy Law.
Escudero also listed in his priority measures the act lowering the compulsory retirement age of teachers and non-teaching school personnel of the Department of Education (DepEd) from 65 to 60 years old.
His other priority bills are:
An act prohibiting any form of interference by national government agencies with the use of the national tax allotment and locally-generated revenues of local government units;
To further strengthen local autonomy through a more rationalized system of decentralization;
An act promoting business competitiveness by providing temporary tax relief to single proprietorships, cooperatives, partnerships or corporations classified as micro, small and medium enterprises
An act promoting business growth and recovery by reducing the cost of business compliance for micro, small and medium enterprises;
An act providing an increase and an automatic adjustment mechanism in the Personnel Economic Relief Allowance (PERA) granted to government employees;
An act reinstituting mandatory credit allocation for micro, small and medium enterprises, imposing fines and penalties for noncompliance, and for other purposes;
An act providing for the redevelopment of condominiums;
An act establishing a tripartite council to address the problems of unemployment, underemployment, job-skills mismatch and technology-induced job displacement.
Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada came next, pushing for the promotion of safer communities and future-proof essential public services.
Among his 20 legislative proposals is a measure that would guarantee a monthly stipend for all Filipino seniors—P1,000 for indigents, and P500 for non-indigents, to be increased after five years. He also sought for a measure granting senior citizens a 20% discount on travel tax.
Estrada also filed the Disaster Food Bank and Stockpile Act, Department of Disaster Resilience Act, and the Rainwater Harvesting Facility Act, among others.
Meanwhile, included in Senator Robin Padilla's 10 priority bills was an act expanding the grounds for dissolution of marriage, instituting divorce and setting the procedures thereof, providing protections to the parties to the marriage and its common children.
He also filed measures seeking the medicalization of cannabis; the establishment of Muslim prayer rooms in all public offices and establishments; a P150 minimum wage increase for employees and workers in the private sector; and the prohibition of political dynasties.
Senator Joel Villanueva, on the other hand, highlighted in his priority bills the Security of Tenure and End of Endo Act, which seeks to put a stop to the end-of-contract and labor-only contracting schemes.
He also filed a bill on anti-online gambling which aims to ban all forms of online gambling in the country, among others.
Topping the list of Senator Erwin Tulfo's priority measures was a resolution urging the Senate to review the Rice Tariffication Law, restoring the regulatory powers of National Food Authority.
The first-termer senator also filed his version of the National Land Use Act which seeks to create a rational, holistic, and sustainable land use and physical planning mechanism.
As a former secretary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the younger Tulfo also proposed a bill that seeks to simplify the documentary requirements for accessing government financial assistance or ayuda.
Senator Bong Go also filed his top 10 bills in the 20th Congress which included magna carta for barangays, across-the-board wage hike, establishment of Department of Disaster Resilience, and provision of expanded tertiary education subsidy.
Returning senator Vicente 'Tito' Sotto III also filed 10 landmark bills aimed at strengthening government accountability, social welfare, public safety, and institutional reform.
Among these were the People's Freedom of Information Act of 2025, Anti-False Content and Fake News Act, 14th Month Pay Law, Maternal Surname for Legitimate Children Act, and Rightsizing the National Government Act.
For his part, Senator Bam Aquino filed 10 education-related measures, including proposals to bridge the education-to-employment gap and strengthen the implementation of the Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES) under the Free College Law.
Aquino will also push for the School-to-Employment Program (STEP) Act which seeks to establish job placement offices in all public senior high schools, state universities and colleges, and local universities and colleges.
He also filed the E-Textbook Para sa Lahat Act, which intends to improve access to textbooks for teachers and learners by requiring all DepEd-approved textbooks for basic education to be made available in digital format, free of charge, through official platforms or other authorized channels. —RF, GMA Integrated News
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


GMA Network
13 hours ago
- GMA Network
Senators file priority bills in 20th Congress
Several senators on Monday have begun filing their priority bills and resolutions for the incoming 20th Congress. According to the Senate's bills and index section, Senator Loren Legarda was the first to file her 10 priority bills, topped by the One Tablet, One Student Act. Her other bills are as follows: Pangkabuhayan Act Unpaid Care Workers Equity and Empowerment Act Magna Carta of Waste Workers Living Wage Act Monthly Maintenance Medication Support Act for Senior Citizens Women and Children Protection Units Act Low Carbon Economy Act Complementarity in Education Act Blue Economy Act Next to file was Senate President Francis 'Chiz' Escudero, who included in his top ten bills is the act mandating government officials and employees to execute and submit a written permission to examine, inquire, or look into all their deposits and investments, thereby waiving the Bank Secrecy Law. Escudero also listed in his priority measures the act lowering the compulsory retirement age of teachers and non-teaching school personnel of the Department of Education (DepEd) from 65 to 60 years old. His other priority bills are: An act prohibiting any form of interference by national government agencies with the use of the national tax allotment and locally-generated revenues of local government units; To further strengthen local autonomy through a more rationalized system of decentralization; An act promoting business competitiveness by providing temporary tax relief to single proprietorships, cooperatives, partnerships or corporations classified as micro, small and medium enterprises An act promoting business growth and recovery by reducing the cost of business compliance for micro, small and medium enterprises; An act providing an increase and an automatic adjustment mechanism in the Personnel Economic Relief Allowance (PERA) granted to government employees; An act reinstituting mandatory credit allocation for micro, small and medium enterprises, imposing fines and penalties for noncompliance, and for other purposes; An act providing for the redevelopment of condominiums; An act establishing a tripartite council to address the problems of unemployment, underemployment, job-skills mismatch and technology-induced job displacement. Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada came next, pushing for the promotion of safer communities and future-proof essential public services. Among his 20 legislative proposals is a measure that would guarantee a monthly stipend for all Filipino seniors—P1,000 for indigents, and P500 for non-indigents, to be increased after five years. He also sought for a measure granting senior citizens a 20% discount on travel tax. Estrada also filed the Disaster Food Bank and Stockpile Act, Department of Disaster Resilience Act, and the Rainwater Harvesting Facility Act, among others. Meanwhile, included in Senator Robin Padilla's 10 priority bills was an act expanding the grounds for dissolution of marriage, instituting divorce and setting the procedures thereof, providing protections to the parties to the marriage and its common children. He also filed measures seeking the medicalization of cannabis; the establishment of Muslim prayer rooms in all public offices and establishments; a P150 minimum wage increase for employees and workers in the private sector; and the prohibition of political dynasties. Senator Joel Villanueva, on the other hand, highlighted in his priority bills the Security of Tenure and End of Endo Act, which seeks to put a stop to the end-of-contract and labor-only contracting schemes. He also filed a bill on anti-online gambling which aims to ban all forms of online gambling in the country, among others. Topping the list of Senator Erwin Tulfo's priority measures was a resolution urging the Senate to review the Rice Tariffication Law, restoring the regulatory powers of National Food Authority. The first-termer senator also filed his version of the National Land Use Act which seeks to create a rational, holistic, and sustainable land use and physical planning mechanism. As a former secretary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the younger Tulfo also proposed a bill that seeks to simplify the documentary requirements for accessing government financial assistance or ayuda. Senator Bong Go also filed his top 10 bills in the 20th Congress which included magna carta for barangays, across-the-board wage hike, establishment of Department of Disaster Resilience, and provision of expanded tertiary education subsidy. Returning senator Vicente 'Tito' Sotto III also filed 10 landmark bills aimed at strengthening government accountability, social welfare, public safety, and institutional reform. Among these were the People's Freedom of Information Act of 2025, Anti-False Content and Fake News Act, 14th Month Pay Law, Maternal Surname for Legitimate Children Act, and Rightsizing the National Government Act. For his part, Senator Bam Aquino filed 10 education-related measures, including proposals to bridge the education-to-employment gap and strengthen the implementation of the Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES) under the Free College Law. Aquino will also push for the School-to-Employment Program (STEP) Act which seeks to establish job placement offices in all public senior high schools, state universities and colleges, and local universities and colleges. He also filed the E-Textbook Para sa Lahat Act, which intends to improve access to textbooks for teachers and learners by requiring all DepEd-approved textbooks for basic education to be made available in digital format, free of charge, through official platforms or other authorized channels. —RF, GMA Integrated News


GMA Network
15 hours ago
- GMA Network
Hontiveros urges Chiz to conduct oath taking of new senator-judges
Senator Risa Hontiveros on Monday called on Senate President Francis 'Chiz' Escudero to already preside over the oath taking of the new senators in the 20th Congress who will serve as judges in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte. At a press conference, Hontiveros explained that since the impeachment court is still in session now, Escudero, as the presiding officer, may call on the senators who won in the 2025 midterm elections anytime starting noon of June 30 to take their oath as senator-judges. 'Paalala, any time 12:01 p.m. onwards of today, pwede na at sana ipanumpa na ni presiding officer 'yung labindalawa pang bagong mga senador. Dahil by 12:01 p.m. today, 20th Congress na and therefore sila'y magiging senator-judges na ng Senate impeachment trial court,' she said. (Just a reminder, any time today 12:01 p.m. onwards, they can already take their oath and I hope the presiding officer will preside over that. Because by 12:01 p.m. today, it's already the 20th Congress and therefore they will be senator-judges of the Senate impeachment trial court.) 'The Senate impeachment rules say 'as they arrive.' So pwedeng one by one sila, two by two or 12, it doesn't matter, sila po ay senador na ng 20th Congress by June 30, 12:01 p.m. At dahil in session ang impeachment trial court at any time, sana mas maaga, panumpain na sila ni presiding officer. Sana wala ng ano pa mang delay or aberya between now and the 29th [July],' she added. (The Senate impeachment rules say 'as they arrive.' So they take their oath one by one, two by two or as a 12, it doesn't matter, they are already senators of the 20th congress by June 30, 12:01 p.m. And since the impeachment trial court is in session, the presiding officer can preside over that. I hope there won't be any delays between now and July 29.) GMA News Online has reached out to Escudero but he has yet to reply as of posting time. 20th Congress The 20th Congress is set to convene its first session day on July 28, on the fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. The Senate impeachment court convened on June 10, with the trial proper expected to begin in the 20th Congress. Hontiveros further said that the impeachment court should proceed with the trial and not entertain any motion to dismiss Duterte's case. This was in reaction to Escudero's statement last Wednesday that the Senate impeachment court may vote on the motion to dismiss the impeachment complaint against Duterte if a senator-judge makes such a submission. 'Para sa amin, mga senator-judges, ibang understanding ko sa tungkulin namin, it is to conduct a trial,' Hontiveros said. (For us senators-judges, I understand that it is our duty to conduct a trial.) 'Para makaboto kami eventually na convict ba, acquit ba, kailangan naming madinig ang mga ebidensya sa bawat Article of Impeachment,' she added. (We need to hear the evidence in each Article of Impeachment, so that we can eventually vote whether to convict or acquit her.) The senator stressed that moving to dismiss the case or convict Duterte right away would not be fair to the prosecution, the impeachable official, and the public. 'So hindi po ako sumasang-ayon na karapatan namin bilang Senate impeachment trial court pagbotohan at pagdesisyunan na ni wala pang isang unang minuto ng trial 'yung motion to dismiss na nakapaloob sa ngayon sa formal answer ad cautelam. Kailangan umupo kami bilang senator-judges, i-kondukta ang trial, at saka lamang mag-desisyon at bumoto kung convict ba o acquit ba,' she said. (So I do not agree that it is our right as the Senate impeachment trial court to vote and decide on the motion to dismiss it. We must sit as senator-judges, conduct the trial, and then decide and vote whether to convict or acquit.) — RSJ, GMA Integrated News


GMA Network
20 hours ago
- GMA Network
Hontiveros to file NBI complaint vs people behind alyas Rene video
Senator Risa Hontiveros on Monday said her legal team will file a complaint with the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) against those behind the circulating video of a man who claimed that he was influenced to testify against detained pastor Apollo Quiboloy. Hontiveros was referring to the video of Michael Maurilio or alias "Rene," who alleged that he was paid by the lawmaker to speak lies against Quiboloy, former President Rodrigo Duterte, and Vice President Sara Duterte during a hearing of the Senate committee on women, children, family relations, and gender equality. The senator, in return, called the video 'fake news' and 'witness tampering' as she presented proof in a press conference that alias Rene was not coerced to testify against Quiboloy and the Dutertes. Senator Risa Hontiveros says that her legal team will file a complaint before the NBI against people behind the video of alias 'Rene:' 'Sa mga nasa likod ng video na ito, you have crossed a line. Sobra na kayo.' @gmanews — Giselle Ombay (@giselleombay_) June 30, 2025 'Sa mga nasa likod ng video na ito, you have crossed the line. Sobra na kayo. Dahil doon (To those behind this video, you have crossed the line. This is too much. Because of this), I have consulted with my legal team and on Wednesday, we will file a complaint before the NBI and seek their assistance in investigating the people responsible for this video, and those systematically circulating it in their disinformation networks,' the senator said. 'This is only step one and we will take further decisive action, including the filing of criminal complaints. Para sa mga testigo at biktima, at para sa Senado, maniningil kami ng hustisya,' she added. (We will demand justice for the witnesses and victims, and for the Senate.) In February last year, a man identified as alias Rene was presented as a witness in the Senate committee hearing chaired by Hontiveros on the alleged abuses of the Quiboloy-led religious group, Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC). The man claimed that Quiboloy hurt him, and that he was sexually abused by several KOJC members. Moreover, he said he witnessed Rodrigo and Sara Duterte carrying firearms when they visited Quiboloy. The Davao City-based religious leader is currently detained at Pasig City Jail. He is facing a non-bailable qualified human trafficking charge under Section 4(a) of Republic Act No. 9208, as amended, He is also facing charges under Section 5(b) and Section 10(a) of Republic Act 7610 or the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation, and Discrimination Act. —AOL, GMA Integrated News