Senate Session No. 1 (July 27, 2026)

[6:40] for the convening of the congress of the philippines for its regular session once a year the [6:47] first session of the second regular session of the senate in the 20th congress of the philippines [6:53] is hereby called to order senator camille villiard will lead the chamber in prayer heavenly father [7:11] we come before you today with sincere and humble hearts lifting to you our beloved country as we [7:19] begin this new legislative session we first thank you for your endless grace mercy and protection [7:28] thank you for sustaining our nation and for granting us another opportunity to serve our people [7:33] through meaningful legislation and public service lord we ask for your wisdom to guide every decision [7:40] we make teach us to choose what is just uphold what is true and always pursue what is good for [7:48] our country and for every filipino bless each one of us gathered in this chamber today as well as our [7:57] colleagues who are unable to be with us grant us the wisdom to discern what is right the courage to [8:04] stand for justice the strength to endure and the humility to listen with open hearts especially to [8:11] the voices of those who are most in need help us work together with mutual respect and a shared commitment [8:19] to building a stronger more united nation may we never lose sight of the trust that our kababayans [8:26] have placed in us today we also pray for peace not only in our country but throughout the world we pray [8:36] for every nation affected by war violence and conflict comfort those who have lost loved ones protect the [8:44] the innocent and touch the hearts of leaders so that dialogue may prevail over hatred justice over [8:51] oppression and peace over violence bless our beloved philippines protect our people from calamities and [8:59] danger strengthen those who tirelessly selflessly serve our nation comfort those who continue to endure [9:09] our hardship and uncertainty and grant every filipino hope for a future filled with opportunity unity and [9:17] compassion your word reminds us in proverbs 16 9 a man's heart plans his course but the lord determines his [9:26] steps may we may we always seek your will above our own let our words reflect kindness our actions [9:34] demonstrate integrity and our services bring honor to you may the work we do in this chamber leave a [9:42] legacy of faithfulness accountability and a genuine love for our country lord never leave us nor forsake us [9:52] continue to guide us each day give us strength and help us remain faithful in serving our nation [9:58] and honoring you all these we ask in your most holy name amen amen please remain standing for the singing of [10:07] of the philippine national anthem and the senate hymn senadong marangal to be led by the aup ambassadors [10:34] thank you very much the secretary will please call the roll [12:53] of the members the honorable senator aquino center cayetano alan center cayetano pia senator [13:01] de la rosa senator ejército senator escudero senator strada senator go senator ontiveros [13:10] senator laxon senator lapid senator legarda senator marcoleta senator marcos senator padilla [13:18] senator pangilinan senator pangilinan senator soto the third senator tulfo irwin senator tulfo rafi [13:25] senator villanueva senator villar camille senator villar mark senator zubiri senate president gachelian [13:33] with 21 senators present the chair declares the presence of a quorum thank you very much mr president [13:46] mr president i move that we dispense with the reading of the journal of the first session [13:51] of the first special session of the 20th congress wednesday june 17 2026 and considered the same [13:57] as approved is there any objection hearing that the motion is approved mr president i move that we [14:03] consider proposed senate resolution number 533 is there any objection hearing none the motion is approved [14:12] may we ask the secretary to read the title of the resolution resolution informing the house of [14:21] representatives that the current is present in the senate and that this body has entered upon the [14:25] exercise of its functions for the second regular session of the 20th congress of the philippines [14:29] mr president i move that we adopt proposed senate resolution number 533 is there any objection [14:36] hearing none the motion of the majority leaders hereby approved thank you very much mr [14:41] president mr president i move that we now consider proposed senate resolution number 534 is there [14:47] any objection hearing none the motion of the majority leaders hereby approved consideration of the [14:52] proposed senate resolution 534 is now in order the secretary will read the title and the text of the [14:59] resolution resolution informing president fredinand r marcus jr that the column is present in the senate [15:05] and that this body has entered upon the exercise of its functions for the second regular session of [15:09] the 20th congress of the philippines resolved by the senate that president fredinand r marcus jr be informed [15:14] that the column is present in the senate and that this body has entered upon the exercise of its functions [15:19] for the second regular session of the 20th congress of the philippines adopted mr president i move that [15:24] we adopt proposal of the solution number five three four so is there any objection hearing none the [15:30] motion of the majority leaders hereby approved mr president i move that we consider house concurrent [15:36] resolution number 16. is there any objection hearing none the motion is approved consideration of house [15:43] concurrent resolution number 16 is now in order the secretary will please read the resolution [15:50] concurrent resolution providing for the senate and the house of representatives to hold the joint [15:55] session to hear the message of the president of the republic of the philippines you saw by the [15:59] house of representatives at the senate concurring that both houses of congress of the republic of [16:03] the philippines hold the joint session on monday july 27 year 2026 at four o'clock in the afternoon [16:09] at the session hall of the house to hear the message of the president of the republic of the philippines [16:14] adopted mr president with that i move that we adopt house concurrent resolution number 16. is there any objection [16:21] hearing none concurrent resolution number 16 hereby adopted mr president i move that we consider [16:29] senate concurrent resolution number 12. is there any objection hearing none the motion of the majority [16:36] leaders hereby approved consideration of the senate concurrent resolution number 12 is now in order [16:42] the secretary will read the title of the text of the resolution concurrent resolution creating a joint [16:49] committee of the senate and the house to notify the president of the philippines that congress now convened [16:54] for a second regular session of the 20th congress of the philippines is ready to hear his state of [16:58] the nation address in a joint session of both houses resolution by the senate the house concurring that [17:03] a joint committee of both houses of congress be created composed of members of the senate to be [17:08] appointed by the president of the senate and the members of the house to be appointed by the speaker [17:12] to notify the president of the philippines that congress now convened for a second regular session of [17:17] the 20th congress of the philippines is ready to hear his state of the nation address in a joint session of [17:21] both houses adopted mr president with that i move that we adopt senate concurrent resolution number [17:28] 12. is there any objection hearing none senate concurrent resolution number 12 is hereby adopted [17:34] pursuant there too i hereby appoint to the joint notification committee on the part of the senate [17:40] the following senator lito lapid majority leader juan miguel zubiri senator jv arcito [17:47] senator francis pangalinan senator joel villanueva thank you mr president mr president uh ladies and [17:55] gentlemen my dear colleagues in the senate and uh those watching the public we are now ready to [18:04] listen to the address of our senate president to my esteemed colleagues in the senate the members [18:21] of the diplomatic corps fellow public servants distinguished guests and above all the filipino [18:28] good morning handa ang iyong senado naharapin ang mga hamon ng ating bayan ng may linaw na layunin at [18:37] agarang pagkilos naririnig namin ang hinaing ng bawat pilipino at nauunawaan namin ang bigat ng kanilang [18:45] pang araw-araw na buhay kaya ang bawat panukalang ating isusulong ay dapat magbigay ng kongkretong [18:52] solusyon sa kanilang mga pangangailangan at magbukas ng mas maraming pagkakataon upang makamit nila [18:59] ang kanilang mga pangarap our work begins with economy because no vision of national progress [19:08] can take hold while families struggle to meet their basic needs the development budget coordination [19:14] committee reduce our country's economic growth forecast for 2026 from five to six percent to [19:21] three point five to four point five percent at the lower end of the revised range annual growth would be [19:28] the slowest recorded since 2009 excluding the pandemic these numbers are not abstract they [19:36] translate into lower incomes fewer job opportunities and heavier burdens for families struggling to get [19:43] by this concern is echoed in the projections of the international monetary fund and the asian [19:50] development bank the imf reduced its 2026 growth forecast from 4.1 percent to 3.9 percent while [20:00] the adb lowered its forecast from 4.4 percent to 3.8 percent the most urgent point of concern therefore [20:10] is getting the philippine economy back on track to this end this congress will prioritize legislation [20:18] aimed at invigorating the nation's economy in support of this administration's objective furthermore [20:25] genuine economic recovery cannot be measured by growth figures alone it must be felt in the things [20:31] that really matter affordable goods and services secure jobs and food on the table the national budget [20:39] is our most powerful tool for stimulating the economy it is imperative that the 2027 national budget [20:47] be passed on time its timely passage allows funding to reach critical services and ensures that new [20:55] projects can begin as scheduled and meet their deadlines the senate also introduced significant [21:01] transparency and accountability reforms in the 2026 budget process including the live streaming of the [21:08] by camera conference and the uploading of all budget documents to the senate transparency portal [21:14] these reforms must continue so our people can see that government is accountable and reliable [21:20] kasabay na maagap at masusing pagpapasa ng pambansang budget para sa susunod na taon limang [21:28] pangunayin usapin ang tututukan ng inyong senado mataas na presyo ng mga bilihin maliit na [21:34] take home pay na mga manggagawa mahal na singil na sa kuryente kakulangan sa imprastruktura at [21:41] transportasyon at kawalan ng kasaguraduhan sa hanap buhay anuman ang ating katayuan sa buhay [21:47] ramdam natin lahat ang bigat na mga problemang ito first we will address the continued rise in food [21:54] prices over the past year the average price of regular regular milled rice a staple in every filipino [22:01] household increase by almost 20 percent upang matiyak ang sapat na supply at abot kayang presyo [22:08] ng bigas bibigyan natin ang prioridad ang mga amenda sa rice tarification law na kabilang sa mga [22:16] prioridad na panukala ng ledak tititin din natin sapat ang reservang bigas ng NFA habang [22:23] pinuprotektahan ang kita at kabuhayan ng ating mga magsasaka pangalawa sa ating tututukan ang [22:30] perang na iuwi ng ating mga manggagawa dito nakasalalay ang kanilang kakayahang mapag-aral ang [22:38] kanilang mga anak magbayad ng kuryente at matugunan ang mga pangangailangan ng kanilang pamilya dahil sa [22:45] mataas na inflation nabawasan ang purchasing power o tunay na halaga ng perang kinikita ng ating mga [22:52] kababayan ang halaga ng isang daang piso noong 2018 ay katumbas na lamang ng 74 pesos ngayon kaya magiging [23:02] prioridad ng inyong senado ang ginhawa bill simple ang layunin ito dagdagan ang take home pay ng ating [23:09] mga manggagawa sa ilalim ng panukala ang kumikita ng hanggang 400 000 pesos sa isang taon ay hindi na [23:18] magbabayad ng income tax pataasan din natin ang tax free ceiling para sa mga bonus alisin din ang buwis sa [23:25] overtime pay holiday pay night shift differential hazard pay at service charge third we will address the [23:32] rising cost of electricity since december of last year residential electricity rates in metro manila [23:39] have steadily increased by june four months into the u.s iran war consumers were paying as much as [23:47] 14.50 pesos per kilowatt hour up from 12.20 pesos during the same period last year according to the [23:55] recent department of energy department of energy briefing the philippines recorded the highest [24:01] average electricity rate among aSEAN countries in june these increases place an unfair burden on [24:07] consumers and underscore the need for effective electricity regulation your senate will work [24:14] closely with the executive and prioritize another led up measure the erc strengthening bill this measure [24:21] will improve oversight hold industry participants accountable and ultimately protect ordinary consumers [24:28] the burden of high electricity cost extends beyond electricity we also feel its effects in the transport [24:34] sector where our continued dependence on important petroleum leaves workers commuters and motorists vulnerable [24:41] to events beyond our shores the continuing effect in the middle east has exposed the extent of this [24:48] vulnerability at the height of the crisis diesel prices spike to as much as 153.70 pesos per liter [24:57] the transport sector accounts for 49 percent of our country's petroleum imports your senate will [25:04] prioritize amendments to the downstream oil industry regulation act another led up priority measure we will [25:11] pursue greater transparency in the components of pump prices so that government can determine whether in [25:18] increases reflect global market prices and legitimate cost of unreasonable margins that should not be passed [25:26] on the consumers fourth we will focus on infrastructure the fastest way to invigorate the economy is by [25:34] accelerating infrastructure spending your senate will prioritize the master plan for [25:40] infrastructure and national development or mine bill another important led up measure it will establish a [25:48] 30-year plan that will link and coordinate key infrastructure projects including roads airports hospitals and energy [25:56] pipelines this will help create jobs attract investments and drive long-term economic growth [26:02] ikalima tututukan natin ang pagpapalakas ng mga msme's tinalakay na natin ang ilan [26:09] sa mga reformang isusulong upang mapababa ang presyo ng mga bilihin at singil sa kuryente madagdagan [26:16] ang take home pay ng mga manggagawa at mapabuti ang infrastruktura at transportasyon ang [26:22] susunod natin bibigyan ng pansin ay ang pagkakaroon ng matatag at marangal na trabaho mula noon mayo 2025 hanggang [26:30] mayo ng taong ito mahigit 660,000 ang bilang ng mga pilipinong nawalan ng trabaho upang [26:37] maibalik ang mga nawalang trabaho at makalikha ng mga bagong oportunidad kailangan natin palakasin ang [26:44] mga negosyong nagbibigay ng hanap buhay sa ating mga kababayan kaya bibigyan natin ang [26:50] prioridad ang mga amenda sa magna carta for msme's isa rin ito sa mga prioridad na panukala [26:56] ng ledak malaga ito dahil 99.7 percent ng mga reyestradong negosyo sa pilipinas ay mga micro small and [27:05] medium enterprises or msme's hindi lamang sila nagbibigay ng hanap buhay sa milyong milyong [27:11] pilipino sila'y bunga ng pagsisikap at pangarap ng ating mga kababayan mula sa mga negosyong minana sa [27:18] pamilya hanggang sa mga nagsimula sa garahe o maliit na food cart anuman ang uri malagang haligi ng ating [27:27] ekonomiya ang mga msme's kabilang sa mga reporong kabilang sa mga reformang isinusulong sa magna carta for [27:36] msme's ang mas madaling pagkuha ng puhunan at credit guarantees pati ang access sa shared [27:43] services machinery at technical support mabibigyan ang ating mga msme's na mas maraming pagkakataong [27:50] makilahok sa mga proyekto ng gobyerno pabibilisin din natin ang proseso ng pagbabayad sa kanila [27:57] malaking bagay ito sa pagpapalawak at modernisasyon ng negosyo sa ganitong paraan matutulungan natin [28:05] makaraos ang mga msme's sa paghina ng ekonomiya para hindi mawalan ng trabaho ang kanilang mga [28:14] empleyado the five aspects we have discussed are closely interconnected reforms in one area have [28:22] effects that ripple into others strong coordination is therefore essential to ensure that the laws we [28:29] pass are relevant coherent and effective thus i propose the creation of an ad hoc committee [28:35] tasked with helping drive economic growth create jobs and make the cost of living more affordable [28:41] for every filipino strengthening our economy requires a concerted effort proactive action [28:48] and reforms that will endure beyond a single administration my fellow senators these priorities [28:54] touch the daily life of every filipino when these systems work they create opportunities lift [29:01] families out of poverty strengthen communities and drive national progress when they fail they [29:07] burden our people close the door to their aspirations and hold back our nations for generations we will [29:15] maintain our commitments and reforms to education health and social protection these are also [29:21] essential investments in the future of our people vital components to our long-term growth and [29:28] meaningful response in times of natural disasters we will give close and sustained attention to [29:34] preserving the gains made possible by our historic 1.3 trillion peso education budget for fiscal year [29:40] 2026 equivalent to 4.4 percent of our country's gdp this gives this gives us a genuine opportunity [29:49] to pursue significant reforms in a sector that shapes that see that shapes the lives of filipino learners and [29:56] determines the future of our nation maraming pagsubok ang hinarap ng ating bansa ditong mga nagdaang buwan [30:04] unit sa bawat hamon patuloy na ipinapakita ng bawat filipino ang kanilang tatag sipag at kakayhang bumangon [30:13] let us build an economy worthy of the strength of our people one where work provides security daily needs are [30:20] within reach and the fruits of growth are felt in every filipino home let us be a nation that fulfills our [30:27] potential where laws protect livelihoods institutions safeguard our people's well-being and the government [30:33] delivers effective consistent and compassionate service the task before us is urgent and clear let [30:41] us come together as one senate one government one people and set our nation towards a horizon of progress for [30:49] every filipino in every generation maraming salamat po mabuhay ang senado mabuhay ang pilipinas [31:07] thank you very much mr president that's a very nice speech that you made it's the first time i saw [31:12] presentation in an opening speech of the senate just goes to show how studious you are mr president [31:21] mr president before we suspend the session may we request our colleagues to remain at the session hall [31:27] for the photo uh session amongst uh for the for this congress mr president may we advise the public [31:34] not to enter the hall where the photo session is ongoing as well mr president there being no further [31:40] business i move that we suspend session until four o'clock this afternoon at which time we shall reconvene [31:46] at the session hall the house of representatives to hear the state of the nation address of president [31:51] ferdinand from wildest marcos jr in the joint session of both houses of congress and when we adjourn [31:57] the joint session the session of the senate shall be considered adjourned until three o'clock in the [32:02] afternoon tuesday july 28 2026. we request our colleagues to remain at the session hall for the photo session [32:11] and we advise the public not to enter the hall while the photo session is ongoing is there any objection to [32:17] the motion of the majority leader to suspend the session hearing none the session is suspended until [32:24] four o'clock this afternoon for the joint session of congress the members of the senate are advised to [32:30] proceed to and be seated at the session hall of the house of as a half representatives by by or before [32:39] 3 30 pm after the joint session the session of the senate shall be considered around to be considered [32:46] adjourned until three o'clock in the afternoon of tuesday 2028 july 28 2026. yes before you uh bang the [32:55] gavel uh mr president because i have queries from my colleagues just to be clear tomorrow we start [33:01] session at 3 p.m although by wednesday since we have the impeachment court we will start wednesday and [33:08] every day after with at 4 p.m correct um the new schedule is uh tomorrow we'll be starting at 3 p.m [33:16] and then on wednesday uh the impeachment will start at 10 a.m to 3 p.m and session will proceed [33:23] after at 4 p.m that's correct all right is there any objection hearing done the motion of the majority [33:29] the majority leader is hereby approved [33:39] you