Sotto cites Go for his ‘Malasakit Center’ as Senate fast-tracks passage of bills before holiday break

By Mario Casayuran and Vanne Elaine Terrazola

Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III, delivering his year-end accomplishment report at the Senate regular session last Wednesday night, said the bills authored and backed by Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go now become part of the achievements of the 18th Congress.

In his speech, Sotto cited two Go bills passed by the 18th Congress and enacted into law by President Rodrigo Duterte, namely the postponement of barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections and the Malasakit Center Act of 2019.

Both measures are important items on the legislative agenda promised by Go during the 2019 election campaign period. They were filed in July, right after Go assumed office.

Seeking to complement the Universal Health Care (UHC) Law, Republic Act (RA) No. 11463, known as the Malasakit Center Act of 2019, provides for the establishment of Malasakit Centers in 73 hospitals all over the country run by the Department of Health (DOH), and in the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) in Manila.

“With the Malasakit Center Act in place to complement the Universal Health Care Law, we are a step closer towards making quality health care more accessible and affordable for all Filipinos, especially the indigent and poor patients in need of medical assistance from the government,” Go said.

The center consolidates the medical and financial assistance that patients may apply for from four government agencies — DOH, Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), and Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO).



Meanwhile, RA 11462 moves the next barangay and SK elections from the second Monday of May 2020 to December 5, 2022, and then on the first Monday of December 2025 and every three years thereafter.

The law extends the term of the current barangay and SK officials from two years to four and a half years.

Explaining his reason for backing the measure in past interviews, Go said that village officials should be given enough time to implement their programs.

Sotto also cited three bills already approved by the Senate on third and final reading. These are the bill increasing the excise tax on alcohol, heated tobacco and vapor products; the Go-backed Separate Facilities for Heinous Crimes Act; and the Salary Standardization Law (SSL) 5 which Go also co-authored.

Lauding neophyte senators, including Go, for their “fresh and dynamic ideas,” Sotto ended his speech by saying that he is optimistic about the coming year.



“We had a great start, which can be attributed to the efforts of all the senators. This is just the beginning of our commitment to the people we serve. We are looking forward to a more fruitful 2020 as we intend to perform better for our beloved Filipino families,” Sotto said.

As part of his legislative agenda aimed at helping the Duterte administration achieve positive genuine change felt by all Filipinos, Go has already filed 21 Senate resolutions and authored thirty bills in his first six months as senator, two of which have already been signed into law; and four committee reports he sponsored or co-sponsored in the Senate plenary.

Senate goes on holiday break

Meanwhile, the 24-member Senate goes on a month-long Christmas break beginning Thursday, resuming on Jan. 20, 2020.

Before adjourning past 7 p.m. Wednesday, 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 also moved to enroll for President Rodrigo Duterte’s signature the proposed 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 starting January.

For Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri, however, 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 Upper Chamber 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 LGU (local government unit) employees for the first quarter of 2019,” Zubiri said in a statement.

Passed on third and final reading were Senate Bill No. 1122, proposing the declaration of a National Day of Remembrance for Road Crash Victims; Senate Bill No. 643, seeking the grant of night shift differential pay to government workers; Senate Bill No. 1077, proposing the creation of the National Transportation Safety Board Act; Senate Bill No. 1155, seeking to extend the validity of the License to Own, Permit to Carry, and Registration of Firearms; and Senate Bill No. 1055, pushing the establishment of a separate facilities for heinous crime convicts.

Also approved by the Senate was House Bill No. 5437 extending the availability of the 2019 appropriations for maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE) and capital outlays.

https://news.mb.com.ph/2019/12/19/sotto-cites-go-for-his-malasakit-center-as-senate-fast-tracks-passage-of-bills-before-holiday-break/