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GMA Network
24-07-2025
- Business
- GMA Network
Marcos, Congress deliver laws on seas, investments
A year ago, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. called on his allies in Congress to pass four measures, aside from the 2025 national budget, during his third State of the Nation Address. These were the Maritime Zones bill, Archipelagic Sea Lanes bill, Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises to Maximize Opportunities for Reinvigorating the Economy (CREATE MORE) bill and amendments to the Electric Power Industry and Reform Act (EPIRA). Of the four, three bills were signed into law. The Maritime Zones law provides that the Philippines exercises sovereignty and jurisdiction over its internal waters, territorial sea archipelagic waters, and the airspace over it, including its seabed and subsoil as stated in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Seas. The Archipelagic Sea Lanes law allows the President to identify the archipelagic sea lanes and air routes that the foreign vessels and aircraft can use, the obligations and prohibitions in using the sea lanes, and penalizes the operators of water and air assets for any loss or damage suffered by the Philippines or any third party due to non-compliance with the provisions of the law The CREATE More law aims to increase the investment capital approval threshold for the country's Investment Promotion Agencies from P1 billion to P15 billion pesos. It also seeks to exempt certain goods and services such as janitorial, security, financial consultancy, marketing, and human resources from value-added tax. The President's pitch for the bill amending the EPIRA law to bring down electricity costs, however, did not gain steam in the House of Representatives and the Senate. Higher electricity bills were felt in March since the Energy Regulatory Commission approved a higher feed-in tariff rate. House spokesperson Princess Abante said the President's priority legislations will be known after he delivers his fourth State of the Nation Address on July 28, but the President's cousin and presumptive Speaker, Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez, already vowed support for legislations that would make the P20 per kilo rice sustainable by filing the Rice Industry and Consumer Empowerment (RICE) Act. The proposed RICE Act authorizes the state-run National Food Authority to buy palay at competitive prices, manage buffer stocks, and directly sell affordable rice to consumers during periods of price volatility. The way forward in pushing for the President's priority legislation, however, does not get any easier halfway into his administration. For one, only five of the President's 11-strong Senate slate won in the midterm polls. Congress will also have to deal with the looming impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, an ally turned foe of Marcos. But for Dr. Jennifer Oreta, dean of the Ateneo School of Government, Marcos will rise and fall based on how he communicates the government's programs and makes the reforms palpable to the public, regardless of the political noise. 'Remember, the performance of the Duterte candidates during the last elections was also not very good. The breakup of the Uniteam affected both. So I don't think the Vice President's impeachment trial is a make-or-break type of situation for the administration, if it plays its cards well,' Oreta told GMA News Online in a Zoom interview. 'I would say it is the President's decisiveness and political will that the people need to see. People need to see that this government is actually bent on delivering results, whether that is in the form of legislation or in the form of impeachment [conviction] of Vice President Duterte. Hindi kasi masyadong nakikita at nararamdaman ng mga tao yung political will ng administration,' Oreta pointed out. (As it is, people hardly see and feel the political will of the administration.) Oreta said that such a disconnect with the public's perception was something that Marcos himself recognized when he ordered that all his appointees render a courtesy resignation, making the revamp more crucial in his last three years in office. 'It's actually the biggest shakedown in the Executive branch, and a first post-EDSA [People Power Revolution] in 1986. It was a massive shakeup, and until now, we are waiting on how this will play out. Will it actually re-energize the bureaucracy in terms of service delivery, in terms of legislation?' the Ateneo dean said. 'If he is able to appoint the right people who can help him steer the administration in the right direction, that will actually improve the government's performance and perception of the people. But the other danger of this shake-up is that, if the President appoints traditional politicians that would help him deliver the victory for the 2028 elections, especially in the vote-rich will have an effect on the public perception towards the administration,' Oreta added. —LDF/RSJ/NB, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
13-06-2025
- Politics
- GMA Network
DOE lauds ratification of PhilATOM bill
The Department of Energy (DOE) on Friday welcomed the Bicameral Conference Committee's ratification of the Philippine National Nuclear Energy Safety Act, which establishes the Philippine Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority (PhilATOM), as this would pave the way for the country's foray into nuclear power generation in the near future. 'After two decades of advocacy and deliberation, the passage of the PhilATOM bill marks a historic turning point for the Philippines. We will now have the necessary legal and institutional foundations to guide the development of nuclear energy infrastructure with oversight for the highest standards of safety and security. This is a critical step forward in strengthening our long-term energy security while ensuring that every action we take is anchored on responsibility, transparency, and public trust,' DOE's incoming officer-in-charge Undersecretary Sharon Garin said at a press conference in Taguig City. Garin also oversees the Nuclear Energy Program-Inter-Agency Committee (NEP-IAC), which leads the formulation of the country's nuclear energy roadmap and coordinates efforts to address the 19 infrastructure issues identified by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), including the establishment of a legal and regulatory framework. The DOE official said the creation of PhilATOM is essential in ensuring that all aspects of nuclear energy infrastructure, such as siting, construction, licensing, safety, and eventual operation, are effectively and comprehensively regulated by an independent and competent authority. She, however, clarified that the establishment of PhilATOM does not signal the immediate construction of a nuclear power plant as any country pursuing nuclear energy must undergo a rigorous, step-by-step process and comply fully with the IAEA's stringent requirements for nuclear infrastructure development. Under the Philippine Energy Plan, the country targets to build its first working nuclear power plant by 2032. The Philippine National Nuclear Energy Safety Act was approved on third and final reading by the Senate on June 9, 2025. The House of Representatives earlier approved its counterpart bill in November 2023. Once enacted into law, PhilATOM will serve as the country's sole and independent regulator for 'the peaceful, safe, and secure uses of nuclear energy and radiation sources.' The agency will also act as the official national point of contact in the event of nuclear or radiological emergencies, in line with international conventions and agreements to which the Philippines is a party. The generation of electricity from nuclear energy will remain governed by the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA) and subject to the regulatory oversight of the DOE and the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC). "Ultimately, our pursuit of nuclear energy is guided by the vision of securing a safe, clean, and reliable power source for future generations," Garin said. — BAP, GMA Integrated News
