Bill renewing ABS-CBN franchise refiled in House

ABS-CBN's current franchise is set to expire on March 30, 2020, making the 18th Congress its last hope for renewal

A bill seeking to renew the franchise given to ABS-CBN Corporation for another 25 years was refiled in the House of Representatives.

Nueva Ecija 2nd District Representative Micaela Violago filed House Bill (HB) No. 676, which would allow ABS-CBN to continue its operations in the Philippines for over two more decades.

ABS-CBN's current franchise, which was approved through Republic Act No. 7966 on March 30, 1995, is set to expire on March 30, 2020. If HB No. 676 does not become a law, ABS-CBN will have to close down its radio and television operations.

No less than President Rodrigo Duterte himself has repeatedly opposed the renewal of ABS-CBN's franchise.

In April 2017, he accused the network of "swindling" him for not airing his paid political advertisements during the 2016 presidential campaign. Duterte first publicly threatened ABS-CBN days after he signed into law the franchise renewal of the network's rival, GMA Network.

Duterte then repeated his threat to block the renewal of ABS-CBN's franchise in August 2018. (READ: Duterte: If it were up to me, no ABS-CBN franchise renewal)

In the previous 17th Congress, a bill seeking to renew the franchise was filed, but it remained pending with the committee on legislative franchises and was not passed when the 17th Congress closed session in June.

With its current franchise set to expire by next year, ABS-CBN will have to convince the 18th Congress to pass its franchise renewal into law before March 2020 ends.

https://www.rappler.com/nation/236195-bill-franchise-renewal-abs-cbn-filed-18th-congress

Major shopping centers in Laguna.

1. SM City Sta. Rosa - 116,463 sqm (86,463 sqm main mall + 30,000 sqm BPO building, expansion at around 50,000 sqm with SMX Convention Center, if ever possible)
2. SM City Calamba - 73,632 (expansion at around 30,000 sqm, if ever possible)
3. SM City San Pablo - 68,972 sqm (59,776 sqm for the main mall + 9,196 sqm BPO)
4. Ayala Mall Solenad - 67,000 sqm (5,000 sqm Solenad 1 + 10,000 sqm Solenad 2 + 40,00 sqm Solenad 3 + 12,00 sqm S&R Nuvali, Solenad 4 expansion at around 30,000 sqm retail space for a total of 97,000 sqm, if ever possible)
5. Southwoods Mall Binan - 58,000 sqm
6. Vista Mall Sta. Rosa - 55,00 sqm
7. Galleria South San Pedro - 48,000 sqm

Community malls
1. Robinsons Sta. Rosa
2. Walter Mart Sta. Rosa Bel-Air
3. Walter Mart Sta. Rosa (Balibago)
4. Target Mall Sta. Rosa
5. Checkpoint Mall Calamba
6. Pavilion Mall Binan
7. Robinsons Town Mall Los Banos
8. CLA Town Center Pagsanjan
9. Walter Mart Cabuyao
10. Walter Mart Makiling
11. Walter Mart Calamba
12. CityMall Calamba

Upcoming malls
1. Victory Mall Sta. Rosa (Community Mall)
2. SM City San Pedro (Major shopping center, around 100,000 sqm of floor area with Food Court, Supermarket, SM Store, Miniso, Cinemas with Megascreen and Director's Club, premier food hall, bowling alley, chapel, and SkyGarden due to Galleria South's competition features)
3. SM Yulo (Major shopping center, around 140,000 sqm of floor area with Supermarket, SM Store, Miniso, Cinemas with Megascreen and Director's Club, premier food hall, bowling alley, chapel, and SkyGarden due to Ayala Land's mix-used Nuvali developments)
4. CityMall Bay (Community Mall)
5. CityMall Sta. Rosa (Community Mall)