Palace: 23 priority bills up for LEDAC meeting

The Aquino administration will present at least 23 priority bills to lawmakers when it holds its first Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) meeting on Monday. Deputy presidential spokeswoman Abigail Valte on Saturday said that all preparations have been made for the LEDAC meeting, which she said was scheduled at 10 a.m. "All preparations have been made. From what I understand, 23 priority bills are on the list," she said on government-run dzRB radio. She did not elaborate on the matter. But earlier this month, Malacañang had bared only 17 priority bills. The LEDAC convenes at least once every quarter. The upcoming meeting will be Aquino’s first as President even though he has been in office for seven months. Created in 1992, the LEDAC has as regular members the President as chairman, the Vice President, the Senate President, the House Speaker, seven Cabinet members, three senators, three House members, and one representative each from the local government, the youth, and the private sector. It serves to help the President integrate his legislative agenda with the national development plan, among others. Last Feb. 7, presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said only 12 of the 17 proposed measures have draft bills as the rest are still being finalized. Cabinet members are still drafting the bills amending the Electric Power Industry Reform Act, the Anti Money Laundering Act, the National Food Authority, the water sector reform bill, and one on fiscal responsibility. The priority bills were crafted from the discussions and consultations made by the five working groups created by Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr., including human development; infrastructure development; economic development; sovereign, security and rule of law; and good governance. The 12 priority bills are: I. Human Development

1) An Act creating the Department of Housing and Urban Development (DHUD), defining the mandates, powers and functions, providing funds therefore, and for other purposes 2) An Act rationalizing the night work prohibition on women workers, thereby amending Articles 130 and 131 of Presidential Decree # 442 as amended, otherwise known as the Labor Code of the Philippines 3) An Act enhancing the curriculum and increasing the number of years for basic education, appropriating funds therefore and for other purposes 4) An Act providing a definite targeting strategy in identifying the poor, amending republic act no. 7875, otherwise known as The National Health Insurance Act of 1995 as amended, and for other purposes

II. Infrastructure Development

5) An Act further amending certain sections of republic act no. 6957, as amended by Republic Act No. 7718, Entitled “An Act authorizing the financing, construction, operation and maintenance of infrastructure projects by the private sector, and for other purposes," appropriating Funds for the said purpose, and for other purposes

III. Economic Development

6) An Act rationalizing the grant and administration of fiscal incentives for the promotion of investments and growth, and for other purposes

IV. Sovereignty, Security and Rule of Law

7) An Act to establish the archipelagic sea lanes in the philippine archipelagic waters, prescribing the rights and obligations of foreign ships and aircrafts exercising the right of archipelagic sea lanes passage through the established archipelagic sea lanes and providing for the associated protective measures therein 8) An Act to define the maritime zones of the Republic of the Philippines 9) An Act to strengthen the modernization of the Armed Forces of The Philippines, extending the implementation of the modernization program of the AFP, instituting necessary reforms in the AFP, amending for the purpose certain provisions of Republic Act No. 7898, otherwise known as the AFP modernization act and for other purposes 10) An Act resetting the date of the regular elections for elective officials of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), Synchronizing the ARMM Elections with the synchronized national and local elections 2013, amending for the purpose Republic Act No. 9333, Entitled “An Act Affixing the Date for Regular Elections for Elective Officials of the ARMM Pursuant to RA 9054" Entitled “An Act to Strengthen and Expand the Organic Act for the ARMM, amending for the purpose RA 6734, Entitled An Act Providing for an Organic Act for the ARMM, as Amended," and for other purposes

V. Good Governance

11) An Act instituting reforms in land administration 12) An Act to promote financial viability and fiscal discipline in Government-Owned or Controlled Corporations and to strengthen the role of the state in its governance and management to make them more responsive to the needs of public interest and for other purposes.

— LBG, GMA News