The House of Representatives on Wednesday approved on second reading House Bill 1 or the proposed “General Financial Institutions Unified Initiatives to Distressed Enterprises for Economic Recovery (GUIDE) Act”. It would provide financial assistance to micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) through initiatives to be implemented by the Land Bank of the Philippines, Development Bank of the Philippines, Small Business Corporation, and Agriculture Credit Policy Council, such as loan assistance programs and other credit accommodation facilities.
Through this measure, there would be expanded credit programs to help MSMEs meet their liquidity needs. Also passed on second reading was HB 6509, which would provide free legal assistance to officers and uniformed personnel of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the Philippine National Police (PNP), the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), as well as the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) in all stages of criminal, civil, or administrative proceedings arising from service-related incidents. The bill to be known as the “Free Legal Assistance for Military and Uniformed Personnel Act” would mandate the strengthening of the legal offices of the AFP, PNP, BJMP, BFP and PCG. Principal authors of the HBs 1 and 6509 are Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, Senior Deputy Majority Leader Ferdinand Alexander Marcos, as well as TINGOG Party-list Rep. Yedda Marie Romualdez and Jude Acidre. Other measures that hurdled second reading were: 1) HB 6524, further extending the implementation period of the Agricultural Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (ACEF), 2) HB 6468 or the proposed “Green Public Procurement Act”, 3) HB 6558, instituting reforms in real property valuation and assessment in the Philippines, and reorganizing the Bureau of Local Government Finance, 4) HB 6523 or the proposed “Revised National Apprenticeship Program Act”, 5) HB 6527 or the proposed “Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Act”, and 6) HB 6557 or the proposed “Magna Carta of Barangay Health Workers.” Deputy Speakers Kristine Singson-Meehan and Isidro Ungab presided over the hybrid plenary session.