Baguio Rep Go refiles 9 bills in Lower House

BAGUIO CITY-- Baguio City Rep. Marquez Go has refiled nine bills- six with national significance and implementation and three for implementation in Baguio and Benguet, which were not taken up during the 17th Congress.

“Last Wednesday, we filed House Bills 1337, 1338, 1339, 1340, 1341, 1342, 1343, and 1344, and then on Thursday, we filed House Bill 1391 which we hope will be acted upon this Congress,” Go said Tuesday.

House Bill 1337 seeks to create the Baguio, La Trinidad, Itogon, Sablan, Tuba, and Tublay Development Authority or BLISTTDA, which was conceptualized to address several issues that are common to Baguio and the towns surrounding the city.

When this becomes a law, it shall be responsible for planning and implementing basic services in Baguio and its contiguous towns without diminution of the autonomy of the local government units. The proposed measure aims to promote sustainable development by centralizing and overseeing development efforts and initiatives which deal with the challenges confronting the area.

House Bill 1338 bill seeks to increase the number of service incentive leave credits enjoyed by workers in the country from the current mandate of five days to the proposed 10 days. The proposal aims to increase productivity by boosting the morale and satisfaction of employees and minimizing health and safety issues among the workforce.

House Bill 1339 seeks to establish a dialysis unit in a government hospital in every province and/or region and to provide free dialysis treatment for poor patients suffering from chronic kidney disease.

“The increasing number of cases of kidney failure in the country is quite alarming, and given the limited subsidy provided by the PhilHealth, and the limited accessibility to dialysis treatment, we hope to provide our ailing kababayan the proper relief through this bill,” Go said.

Meanwhile, House Bill 1340 is a response to climate change, and its fundamental role in shaping the natural ecosystems, and the human economies and cultures that depend on them.

To avert the worsening climate impacts and reduce the man-made greenhouse gas emissions, the bill requires parents to plant two trees for every child born to them. Not only would this measure build our country’s forest stock, but it also intends to provide alternative livelihood for marginalized upland and lowland households relating to seedling production, care, and maintenance of newly-planted trees.

House Bill 1341 seeks to declare Burnham Park in Baguio as a national heritage park while House Bill 1342 is another local bill which seeks to mandate the full rehabilitation and maintenance of the Kennon Road and make it all-weather road.

House Bill 1343 is social legislation that would provide health, retirement and other benefits to golf caddies and other independent workers who render their services to golf clubs and their players by ensuring their enrolment and coverage under the Social Security System (SSS), Pag-IBIG and PhilHealth.

On the other hand, House Bill 1344 seeks to establish the Barangay Road Development (BRD) Program where 20 percent of the infrastructure budget of the Department of Public Works and Highways will be allocated for construction and development of barangay roads nationwide.

House Bill 1391 aims to amend the existing law that grants centenarians a cash gift by advancing the grant of the cash gift of P25,000 upon reaching the age of 85, P25,000 upon reaching the age of 90, P50,000 upon reaching the age of 95 and P100,000 upon reaching the age of 100. (PNA)