Digital transformation bills House priorities
The House of Representatives is set to resume its session today after its month-long Christmas break
House Speaker Martin Romualdez on Sunday identified the bills that would hasten the country’s digital transformation as top priority bills in the chamber — particularly the E-Governance/Government Act — once it resumes sessions.
“We will expedite the passage of these measures to implement the pronouncements of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in Davos, Switzerland on his desire for the country to catch up with other nations in digital evolution,” Romualdez said.
The proposed E-Governance/ Government Act seeks to shift the bureaucracy to digital platforms for faster and more efficient and transparent services.
The House of Representatives is set to resume its session today after its month-long Christmas break.
Romualdez issued the statement after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. — who made his inaugural participation at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland — said that he would work to address slow Internet connectivity and cybersecurity issues, as well as the digitalization of the bureaucracy.
He added that the House would work with the Senate for the expeditious enactment of various bills the larger chamber had approved on the third and final reading before Congress started its Christmas recess last month, including the Internet Transactions/E-Commerce Bill.
The House Speaker also said that the Internet Transactions Bill would also be tackled, stressing that it will contribute to attaining the president’s digital transformation goal.
Romualdez said House priorities for this year also include the 11 other important bills the Executive and Legislative branches had agreed on in October during the meeting of the LegislativeExecutive Development Advisory Council.
He said these proposals are likewise among those enumerated by the President in his first State of the Nation Address in July.
“These measures are components of the President’s Agenda for Prosperity, which we fully support,” said Romualdez, adding that top priority bills include the National Land Use Act, National Defense Act, National Government Rightsizing Program Bill, Budget Modernization Bill, and the Department of Water Resources Bill.
The House will also hasten the deliberation on the proposed law establishing Negros Island Region, Magna Carta for Filipino Seafarers, the proposal to establish regional specialty hospitals, enabling law for the natural gas industry, and amendments to the Electric Power Industry Reform Act.