Senate on Christmas break

Credit to Author: Tempo Desk| Date: Thu, 19 Dec 2019 05:52:10 +0000

The Senate adjourned on Wednesday for a month-long Christmas break and will resume sessions on Jan. 20.

Before adjourning past 7 p.m., the Senate ratified the bicameral conference committee report on the proposed sin tax bill seeking higher excise taxes on alcoholic beverages and the imposition of excise tax on heated tobacco products and vapor cigarettes.

Senators approved  for President Duterte’s signature the proposed fifth tranche of the Salary Standardization Law  that will modify and increase the basic salaries of civilian government employees, including public school teachers. The adjusted salary rates are expected to take effect next month.

Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri said the timely passage of the P4.1-trillion proposed 2020 national budget topped the list of the Senate’s accomplishments in the first five months of the first regular session of the 18th Congress.

The Senate ratified and adopted the final version of the proposed General Appropriations Act last week.

“The budget is the most important law of the land. By approving it well ahead of the Christmas break, we will be spared the difficulties arising from a re-enacted budget as had happened earlier this year. The re-enacted budget delayed projects and, worse, delayed salaries of national and local government unit employees for the first quarter of 2019,” Zubiri said.

Aside from the 2020 budget, the Senate also passed Republic Act No. 11462 postponing the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections scheduled for next year to Dec. 5, 2022 and the Malasakit Center Act (Republic Act No. 11463) which will establish Malasakit Centers in all government-owned hospitals.

Passed on third and final reading were Senate Bill No. 1122, proposing the declaration National Day of Remembrance for Road Crash Victims; SB No. 643, seeking the grant of night shift differential pay to government wo
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