Remarks of Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr.

Before The Christmas Break December 2012 My Dear Colleagues, as we are about to go on a break for the Christmas Season, let me express my gratitude to all of you for the hard work you have put in throughout this year. Personally, I am greatly encouraged that our accomplishments during previous years are now being built upon. This is a reflection of the dedication and hard work of this chamber to provide our people with the quality service they so deserve. This year, for the third consecutive year, we were able to pass the national budget on schedule. We have also exercised strong fiscal discipline in our deliberations on the budget. The President himself, as he signed the 2013 General Appropriations Act this morning, noted with pleasure what we have done. Our countrys economy has been growing remarkably by 7.1 percent in the third quarter, taking our growth in the first nine months of 2012 to 6.5 percent the fastest growing among the countries in Southeast Asia. We need to continue to exert efforts not only in sustaining this high growth, but in making sure that the same is more inclusive, more encompassing to our people. As legislators, our collective aim has been to be instruments for growth, for progress that is shared not by elite but by all the Filipino people. Through the national budget, we have ensured that more of our people will be empowered and capable of seizing and creating
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opportunities for themselves. We have also sought to generate more opportunities for income growth and development for a greater number of our people. From July 26, 2010 when we convened to December 17, 2012, we have processed, (statistics here), a total of 3,966 measures. Out of which, we approved 2,564 measures: 205 of them have been enacted into law, 728 approved on 3rd reading and 31 approved on 2nd reading. Approved measures include adopted resolutions and reports totalling 1,581. Through these measures, we have focused on strengthening our basic education system in various ways so as to make our countrys human capital more competitive. The world is a competitive world and we have to be competitive. And we have sought to widen the overall net of social protection for our people. Our work on the national budget, our work on restoring our peoples trust in our institutions, and our work on the various legislative measures all of these should translate to the improved welfare of the ordinary man on the street, the common man, the average Filipino. For our countrymen who take notice of the improving economic situation of our country, there is now something to hope for. And for those of our countrymen who have consistently signified their positive approval of our performance in opinion polls, certainly, our continuing efforts to this very day to make a greater difference in their lives have not gone unnoticed. And I would like to share with you the report of Pulse Asia conducted in November and released yesterday. The House of Representatives performance rating increased from 51% to 53%. The trust rating on the other
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hand, increased from 41% to 55% (+14). Incidentally, both of these are the highest ever recorded by this House since the 8th Congress. As in the previous two regular sessions, we have made great strides in this 3rd and last session of the 15th Congress that all of us can be proud of. We have not shirked our duties even on most divisive issues like the reform of the sin taxes and the reproductive health bill. We have ratified the bicameral conference committee report overhauling the rigidities in the 15-year old sin tax law. The additional revenues expected from the sin tax reform law will go a long way in the realization of the universal health care program of the government, and programs that will help the people, the farmers -particularly the affected tobacco farmers. After pending in Congress for 14 years, and after much deliberation and discussion, we have finally ratified tonight, the bicameral conference committee report on the Reproductive Health Bill. I would like to congratulate all of us here. And I would like to say that on the basis of my own attendance and listening to all the debates, both sides presented their arguments well and our people are very much enlightened by what has been going on, what has been said. Despite the sometimes acrimonious debates on the floor of the opposing views, I am happy to note, that there is no blood on the floor. In other words, any differences that have existed can be realized. We can come to terms with each other. Wala pong dugo sa sahig dahil dito sa ating mga debateng ito. And I am very happy for that, and I would like to congratulate each and every Member for the gentlemanly way that we have
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conducted ourselves despite our differences of opinion and views. The House has likewise ratified the bicameral conference committee reports for the following; not including those approved tonight, Providing Accessible Polling Places for Persons with Disabilities and Senior Citizens; the Kasambahay Bill; the Mandatory Biometrics Registration. Some bills await the Presidents signature, the bill Expanding the Prohibited Acts of Discrimination Against Women on Account of Sex, the bill Amending Certain Provisions of the Intellectual Property Code, and so forth. With these accomplishments, I believe that this chamber has truly served as a genuine bastion for reform setting in motion the pivotal social and economic reforms that will pave the way for our countrys further development and growth. I therefore wish to extend to each and every one of you my dear colleagues, my congratulations for all the efforts and sacrifices you have made to ensure that we succeed in fulfilling our common duty to serve the higher interests of our nation and our people. I am truly proud of each and every one of you, including myself. And particular, all of us contributed, all of us did his beat. But I would like to particularly sight Majority Floor Leader Boyet Gonzales, for his masterly handling of all of these controversial bills, and for Minority Leader Danny Suarez for making the views of the minority well know to all of us. And other people here, I need not mention each one of them by name, but let me tell you, alam ko kung sino, sino-sino sa atin -- and that is most of us -- really did his best. Maraming salamat sa inyong lahat.

The renewal of hope in every heart and mind is especially important during this Christmas Season. This is the Season where broken dreams can be renewed, old hopes restored, and new visions pursued. The spirit of the Season is found in our continuing faith and dependence upon the Almighty God He who sustains our nation and our people. Christmas is also a time for kindness and compassion. Even with the occurrence of Typhoon Pablo affecting the provinces of Compostela Valley, Davao Oriental and Surigao del Sur, and others. This House opened its doors and its heart to meet the challenge of rebuilding when we all stood up to help our fellow countrymen by adopting House Resolution No. 2938, providing financial assistance to the victims of this tragedy. In solidarity, we have also cancelled, really, our own Christmas party tonight, supposed to be our last Holiday gathering of this 15th Congress. The funds will instead be donated towards relief efforts for those affected by the tragic calamity. I would like also to thank the individual Congressmen who have contributed their own resources to the victims of typhoon Pablo. In the spirit of hope for a much brighter future for our country, let me therefore wish each and every one of you a truly Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! May God Almighty continue to bless the efforts of this chamber and of course each one of us. May His Divine Guidance always remain with us, and may His Light always shine upon His people and this House. Maraming salamat sa inyong lahat, mga minamahal kong kasama dito sa Kongreso. Muli, Maligayang Pasko,
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Manigong Bagong Taon sa Inyong Lahat at sana sa lahat ng ginawa natin, ang winner walang iba kung hindi ang taong Pilipino. Mabuhay po tayong lahat. Maraming Salamat. Thank you. (30)