THE House of Representatives on Wednesday approved on third and final reading House Bill 9764, which would extend the validity of identification cards and certificates of registration of all professionals under the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) from three to five years.
All 234 House members present during the plenary session voted in favor of the bill, which would reduce the number of annual renewal transactions and alleviate pressure on the appointment system.
HB 9764 is authored by Committee on Civil Service and Professional Regulation chairperson and Bohol Rep. Kristine Alexie Tutor, Parañaque City Rep. Edwin Olivarez, Ilocos Norte Rep. Angelo Marcos Barba and Northern Samar Rep. Paul Daza, among others.
Also unanimously approved on final reading with 231 affirmative votes was HB 4646, seeking to declare the last full week of September as the “National Week of the Deaf,” and September 23 as the “Filipino Sign Language Day.”
HB 4644 also hurdled final reading with 232 affirmative and two negative votes. It would declare the month of October as the “National Dwarfism Awareness Month,” and October 25 as the “National Dwarfism Awareness Day.” Both bills are authored by Quezon City Rep. Patrick Michael Vargas.
The House also approved the following measures on second reading: 1) HB 9876, or the proposed “Philippine Nuclear Liability Act,” which seeks to repeal certain sections of Republic Act 5207, or the “Atomic Energy Regulatory and Liability Act of 1968,” as amended, and modernize the provisions specified in Part VII of RA 5207 to conform with modern nuclear liability standards; 2) HB 9277, which would institute reforms to enhance the efficiency and dynamism of the Philippine capital markets, amending certain sections of RA 8424, or the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997, as amended; and, 3) HB 9874, fixing the share of the local government unit hosting gaming operations, amending Section 12 of Presidential Decree No. 1869, as amended.
The House also ended sessions this week with the adoption of House Resolution 1591, which respectfully requests that President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri and Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez attend the first-ever Nuclear Energy Summit in Brussels, Belgium on March 21 to 22, 2024, as official delegates of the country.
The summit will be jointly hosted by Belgium Prime Minister Alexander De Croo, President Emmanuel Macron of France and International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi.
Deputy Speakers Yasser Alonto Balindong and Raymond Democrito Mendoza presided over the plenary session.
