Manila: The House of Representatives' 13-panel Legislative Energy Action and Development (LEAD) committee hearings are now moving to turn testimony, sectoral complaints, and agency recommendations into what Marikina 2nd District Rep. Miro Quimbo described as a consolidated Kalinga bill.
According to Philippines News Agency, the next task for the 13 committees is to break up according to their own areas of expertise and begin collating the recommendations of the departments needed to shape the final measure. Quimbo, the overall chair of the LEAD hearings and chair of the House Committee on Ways and Means, emphasized the importance of bringing the scattered pieces together into a single legislative framework.
Quimbo stated that the consolidation process aims to firm up and submit the consolidated Kalinga Bill to the Joint Committee formally on the first week of May. He clarified that the formal presentation still depends on plenary action constituting the committee in the proper legislative sense.
The 13-panel LEAD structure was assembled by the House under Speaker Bojie Dy and House Majority Leader Ferdinand Alexander "Sandro" Marcos to provide a comprehensive response to the oil price increases. This consists of various committees, including energy, agriculture, transportation, and more.
Dy and Marcos have filed House Bill (HB) 8834, or the Kalinga Act, designed to guarantee fast, targeted, and automatic government response when fuel price shocks affect the cost of living. The proposed measure establishes a national protection framework to prevent rising fuel costs from causing widespread increases in daily expenses.
Quimbo emphasized that the hearings aim to improve the government's response, not to criticize, but to make necessary suggestions for accurate decisions by the Executive and President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.
He also clarified the legislative identity of the assembled framework, indicating that the House has settled on a broader and more defined Kalinga bill, distinct from the Bayanihan 3 concept.
Addressing concerns about the middle class being squeezed by the oil shock, Quimbo stated the need to realign funds, enter supply agreements, and adjust fuel taxes to provide assistance. He stressed the necessity of emergency powers to manage the crisis effectively.
Quimbo highlighted the importance of coordination with the Executive branch, particularly the Department of Finance, to ensure the Kalinga bill is based on the most accurate data available. This coordination aims to help the Executive and the President find the best solutions for the country's challenges.
