(By Ellicia Del Mundo)
President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. laid down 19 priority bills in his first State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday, July 25.
National Government Rightsizing Program
The rightsizing program is a comprehensive strategic review aimed to consolidate, split, transfer, or abolish government offices.
Marcos said this will “enhance the government’s institutional capacity to perform its mandate and to provide better services while ensuring optimal and efficient use of resources.”
“The rightsizing efforts will also involve the conduct of a comprehensive strategic review of functions, programs, and projects that will cut across various agencies,” he said.
National Budget Modernization
The passage of National Budget Modernization will institutionalize the Cash-based Budgeting System (CBS) under Executive Order No. 91 to "strengthen fiscal discipline in the allocation and use of budget resources by ensuring that every peso budgeted by the government would lead to the actual delivery of programs and projects."
The President said the implementation of CBS is timely and vital for the government as it executes response and recovery plans post-pandemic.
The Tax Package 3 Valuation Reform Bill
Under the reform bill, Marcos claimed that it will provide “establishment of real property values and valuation standards across the country” and “the development of Real Property Information System that provides for the database of all real property transactions and declarations in the country.”
Passive Income and Financial Intermediary Taxation Act (PIFITA)
PIFITA seeks to reform capital income taxation and financial services by “redesigning the financial sector taxation into simpler, fairer, more efficient and a revenue-neutral tax system. It also represents adopting a regionally competitive tax system.”
E-Government Act
The program will provide the establishment of the E-Government Masterplan (EGMP) to digitize all government services and processes.
Internet Transaction Act or E-Commerce Law
Under the E-Commerce Law, Marcos said it will regulate commercial activities through the internet or electronic medium to ensure that "consumer rights and data privacy are protected, innovation is encouraged, fair advertising practices and competition are promoted, online transactions are secured, intellectual property rights are protected, and product standards and safety are observed."
Government Financial Institutions Unified Initiatives to Distressed Enterprises for Economic Recovery (GUIDE)
GUIDE will provide “financial assistance to distressed enterprises critical to economic recovery,” the President said.
He said the Land Bank of the Philippines, the Development Bank of the Philippines and the Philippine Guarantee Corporation will implement programs and initiatives to help address the liquidity problems of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and important industries, to encourage their continued operations and maintain employment.
The Establishment of a Medical Reserve Corps
The 8th proposed bill seeks to establish Medical Reserve Corp (MRC) under the Health and Emergency Management Bureau (HEMB) of the Department of Health (DOH).
“The MRC shall be composed of licensed physicians, medical students who have completed their four years of medical course, graduates of medicine, registered nurses, and licensed allied health professionals,” the chief executive said.
National Disease Prevention Management Authority
The proposed bill seeks to establish the Center for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) that will be attached to the DOH.
Creation of the Virology Institute of the Philippines
According to Marcos, the Virology Science and Technology Institute of the Philippines (VIP) will be the new agency attached to the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).
It will handle all offices and units under DOST with functions related to virology.
Department of Water Resources
Marcos proposed to create the Department of Water Resources that will adopt Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) as the strategic framework for national water management, policy-making, and planning.
Unified System of Separation, Retirement, and Pension
In lieu of disability benefits under existing laws, the bill will grant a monthly disability pension for military and uniformed personnel (MUPs) who retired due to disability.
E-Governance Act
The act will promote the use of the internet, intranet, and other Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) to provide opportunities for citizens.
National Land Use Act
The President said the act will provide the following “rational and holistic management and development of our country's land and water resources; hold owners accountable for making these lands productive and sustainable; strengthen the LGU to manage ecological balance within its jurisdiction."
“It also provides for Land Use and Physical Planning or Framework as a mechanism in determining policies and principles to implement the legislative measure,” he added.
National Defense Act
Marcos proposed to institutionalize Mandatory Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) and National Service Training Program (NSTP) in the senior high school program in all public and private tertiary schools.
"The aim is to motivate, train, organize and mobilize the students for national defense preparedness, including disaster preparedness and capacity building for risk-related situations," he explained.
Enactment of an Enabling Law for the Natural Gas Industry
The bill seeks to foster the development of the Midstream Natural Gas Industry to strengthen Philippine energy security by “diversifying the country’s primary sources of energy and promoting the role of natural gas as a complementary fuel to variable renewable energy."
Amendments to the Electric Power Industry Reform Act or EPIRA (Rep. Act No. 9136)
Marcos seeks the enactment of ERIPA that aims to improve the implementation of the “law’s provisions and enhance its effectiveness to address the high cost of electricity, alleged market collusion, and insufficient power supply.”
He also said the program will restructure the Energy Regulation Commission (ERC) to foster accountability and improve its government system that would ensure consumer protection and enhance the competitive operation of the electricity market.
Amendments to the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) Law
For Marcos’ 19th proposed bill, he introduced the BOT law that aims to improve the implementation of the Public Private Partnership (PPP) Program and to direct the desired outputs and outcomes in line with the strategic development targets of the country.
PPP is a contractual agreement between the government and the private sector with the goal of financing, designing, and implementing facilities, and services.
Specifically, he said the amendment aims to “address ambiguities in the existing law, address the bottlenecks and challenges affecting the implementation of the PPP Program, and foster a more competitive and enabling environment for PPPs.”
