The Senate and the House of Representatives on Monday resumed sessions that coincide with President Rodrigo Duterte's last year in office, racing to pass laws that will help him define his legacy.
The Third Regular Session of the 18th Congress opened ahead of Duterte's final State of the Nation Address later in the day. The proceedings for both chambers proceeded with some physically present while the rest joined via video call.
Senate President Vicente Sotto III led the opening, unfazed by an alleged threat to unseat him due to his plans to be the running mate of Sen. Panfilo Lacson, who is running for president. Speaker Lord Allan Velasco presided over a separate ceremony at the House.
The opening of the Third Regular Session is in line with Article VI, Section 15 of the 1987 Constitution, which states that "the Congress shall convene once every year on the fourth Monday of July for its regular session."
In his opening remarks, Sotto stressed the need to continuously provide assistance to families and individuals affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and ensure that response programs of the government are well-funded.
He also committed to passing measures catering to overseas Filipino workers and strengthening the country's disaster preparedness efforts.
"Your Senate needs to anticipate the evolving economic landscape in order to ready our countrymen to adapt to the needs of a new world," he said.
"In these changing times, we need to shed our old skin to grow new ones in order to survive—not only individually, but more importantly, as a nation," he added.
Among the measures that the Senate will prioritize in the resumption of its session include several economic measures such as amendments to the Retail Trade Liberalization Act, Foreign Investments Act, and the Public Service Act, Sotto said in a CNN Philippines interview on Monday.
The chamber will also work on the passage of the proposed Department of Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos.
Following this morning's session, lawmakers from both the Senate and the House will converge at the Batasang Pambansa this afternoon to hear Duterte's final State of the Nation Address.
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