THE House of Representatives adopted several resolutions during its plenary session on Wednesday, among them House Resolution 2062, expressing the profound condolences of the chamber to the family of Hon. Candido P. Pancrudo Jr., former representative of the first district of Bukidnon during the 14th Congress.
The resolution was authored by Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez, Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio “Dong” Gonzales Jr., Majority Leader Jose Manuel “Mannix” Dalipe, Minority Leader Marcelino Libanan, Senior Deputy Majority Leader Ferdinand Alexander Marcos, as well as Tingog Partylist Reps. Yedda Marie Romualdez and Jude Acidre.
Meanwhile, the House voting 186-7 with four abstentions, approved on third and final reading House Bill No. 10926, renewing for another 25 years the franchise granted to the Manila Electric Company (Meralco), under Republic Act 9209.
RA 9209 granted Meralco a franchise to construct, operate and maintain a distribution system for the conveyance of electric power to the end users in the cities and municipalities of Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite and Rizal, and certain cities/municipalities/barangays in Batangas, Laguna, Quezon and Pampanga.
The bill seeks to mandate Meralco to operate and maintain in superior manner all distribution facilities, lines and systems for electric services, and to modify, improve and change such facilities or systems in such manner and to such extent as the progress in science or technology and improvements or innovations in the electric power services may render reasonable and proper as may be required by the Energy Regulatory Commission or the Department of Energy.
Under the bill, Meralco shall submit an annual report of its operations and finances to the Congress of the Philippines through the Committee on Legislative Franchises of the House of Representatives and the Committee of Public Services of the Senate on its compliance of the terms and conditions of the franchise on its operations on or before April 30 of every year after the effectivity of the Act.
The reportorial compliance certificate issued by the Congress shall be required before any application for permit or certificate is accepted by the ERC.
Among the authors of the bill are Reps. Joey Sarte Salceda, Gus Tambunting, Rufus Rodriguez, Lord Allan Velasco, Kristine Singson-Meehan, Mercedes Alvarez, Marcelino Libanan and Johnny Ty-Pimentel.
Likewise, the House, voting 196-1, with one abstention, approved on third and final reading HB 10698, granting the Camarines Sur IV Electric Cooperative, Inc. (CASURECO IV) a franchise to construct, install, establish, operate, own, manage and maintain distribution system for the conveyance of electric power to the end users in the municipalities of Ocampo, Tigaon, Sagñay, Goa, San Jose, Lagonoy, Presentacion, Garchitorena and Caramoan, all in Camarines Sur.
The House also approved on second reading HB 10867, seeking to provide better services to Muslim Filipino pilgrims through privatization of the annual Hajj pilgrimage, amending for the purpose Republic Act 9997, otherwise known as the “National Commission On Muslim Filipinos Act Of 2009.”
