Top lawmakers of the House of Representatives on Wednesday urged President Ferdinand R. Announced full support for Marcos Jr.'s efforts and promised to pass legislation that would improve housing, water, and electricity for Filipinos.
The House leadership said it was ready to institutionalize the Marcos administration's “grassroots initiatives” to address basic needs and would advance bills aimed at helping accelerate the Philippines' industrialization and development.
Deputy Speaker Ziaur-Rahman Alonto Adeong, Jefferson F. “Housing, water security and affordable electricity are nation-building priorities,” Khonghun and Francisco Paolo P. Ortega Wee said in a joint statement.
“The House will ensure that our legislative output strengthens these programs and protects their long-term impact,” he said.
The emphasis on improving basic services came in the second half of Mr. Marcos's term.
Lawmakers are also pushing to pass House Bill No. 2700, a proposed free electricity act for low-consumption households.
He said, “This approach ties together the administration's programs on housing, irrigation and electricity: providing services on the ground, then maintaining and broadening them through legislation with clear accountability for every peso spent.”
It will institutionalize direct government subsidies to cover electricity bills of eligible households. The bill also exempts the subsidy portion from the 12% value added tax.
The proposed measure also seeks to eliminate the existing cross-subsidy system and replace it with direct government subsidies, with the aim of making electricity more affordable and more equitable across the country. – Adrian H. Halili