The Coop-NATCCO Party-List, through its Representative in Congress, has filed fifteen (15) bills and resolutions and has co-authored twenty six (26) other bills and resolutions. The bills are mainly national in scope and reflect the party’s commitment to economic, social, and political reforms that address the needs and demands of cooperatives and the marginalized sectors that they represent.
1.Cooperative Legislative and Policy Reforms
HB 645 Philippine Cooperative Code of 2005
This bill introduces amendments to R. A. 6938 or the Cooperative Code of the Philippines, to make the provisions current and in keeping with the changes that have occurred within the movement as a result of the development and progress of many cooperatives, in the fifteen years since the Code was passed. The bill includes provisions that ensure the survival and success of newly organized cooperatives; grants cooperatives the right of first refusal on specific business undertakings; allows cooperative banks to perform thrift banking and commercial banking services, with prior approval of the monetary board; and provides appropriate support to housing cooperatives, transport cooperatives and market vendors’ cooperatives. The bill also provides banking powers to qualified savings and credit coops and a more enabling and effective regulatory environment in which they may grow.
This Coop Code amendments bill was passed on third reading in the 11th, 12th, and 13th Congress.However, the Senate’s counterpart bill was not passed at those times.
We are hopeful that the bill will finally be passed into law in this 14th Congress. On May 26, 2008, the HOR version of the bill was approved by the HOR Committee on Cooperatives Development. The Senate version, on the other hand, was approved at the Committee level on May 7, 2008.
HB 1729 An Act Providing for the Mandatory Appointment of Cooperatives Officer in Every Local Government Unit
The Local Government Code, R. A. 7160, provides for the appointment of cooperatives officers, but the appointment of these officers is optional on the part of the LGUs. The bill makes mandatory the appointment of a cooperatives officer at the provincial, city and municipal government levels. The bill has been referred to the Committee on Local Government.
2.Reforms in Government Programs and Services
HB 2219 An Act to Amend R. A. 6657 as Amended Otherwise Known as the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law of 1988
The Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) will end in 2008, as provided in R. A. 6657, the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law (CARL). While there are efforts to amend the substance of the CARL in terms of retention limits, coverage, and transferability of awarded lands, there is a need to first ensure that the funds for the continued implementation of the program are available. This bill extends implementation of the program to 2018 and provides for the allocation of the necessary funds thereof.
This bill has been substituted by HB 4077 and has been approved by the Committee on Agrarian Reform and the Committee on Appropriations. Among others, HB 4077 provides for a 5-year extension from 2008 to 2013 of the acquisition and distribution of agricultural lands as provided under Section 7 of R. A. 6657. It also provides for an allocation of at least One Hundred Billion Pesos for land acquisition and distribution and for other funding requirements of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).
HB 2287 The University of the Philippines Charter of 2007
The bill seeks to strengthen the University of the Philippines as the country’s premier state university by introducing amendments to the UP Charter which provide among others, stronger fiscal autonomy to the University. This bill was substituted by HB 2845.
On April 29, 2008, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo signed into law R. A. 9500, “An Act to Strengthen the University of the Philippines as the PremierStateUniversity.”
3.Political and Socio-Economic Reforms
HB 642 Workplace Lactation Act of 2007
This bill ensures that there will be facilities outside the home where working mothers can comfortably and privately breastfeed their babies. It mandates the establishment of lactation stations in workplaces for nursing female employees.
This bill has been substituted by HB 4012. The substituted bill was approved by the HOR on May 26, 2008 and transmitted to the Senate on May 28, 2008.
HB 644 An Act Abolishing the 301 Days Criminal Prohibition to Remarry and Allowing the Remarriage of a Widow or Separated Woman 40 Days After the Death of the Husband or the Annulment or Dissolution of Her Previous Marriage
This bill reduces the 301 days penal prohibition for women to remarry to 40 days in fealty to custom and tradition. The bill has been referred to the Committee on the Revision of Laws.
HB 1816 An Act Providing for the Affordability and Accessibility of Medicines
This bill is one of 25 bills that seek to make medicines affordable and accessible to Filipinos. It has been substituted by HB 2844, “An Act Providing for Cheaper Medicines and Other Purposes”, which consolidates the various provisions of the 25 bills. The consolidated bill provides measures that lessen the control of big pharmaceutical companies and encourage more players in the industry; promote domestic generics industry growth; and provide for the establishment of a drug price regulation mechanism.
On June 6, 2008, President Macapagal-Arroyo signed into law the Congressional bill entitled “Universally Accessible Cheaper and Quality Medicines Act of 2008.”
HB 1980 An Act Amending R. A. 7941 Otherwise Known as the “Party-List System Act”
The bill seeks to provide remedy to the imperfections of R. A. 7941 and to clarify the grey areas with regard allotment of party-list seats, consistent with the constitutional mandate of providing representation for and enabling marginalized and underrepresented sectors to contribute to the legislative process. In the bill, we proposed a mathematical formula that ensures “proportional representation” as mandated in the constitution. We also proposed that the seat limit be increased from a maximum of 3 seats to a maximum of 6 seats. The bill has been approved by the Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms and will be scheduled for plenary deliberation.
HB 2378 An Act Providing for the Manner and Date of Election of Sectoral Representatives to the Local Sanggunians and For Other Purposes
This bill seeks to broaden participation of our people and further democratize our legislative processes.An important provision of this bill is the participation of Comelec accredited party-list groups in the election of local sanggunians (Sangguniang Panlalawigan, Sangguniang Bayan, and Sangguniang Panglunsod). This provision is consistent with the mandate provided in Article X Section 9 of the Constitution that “legislative bodies of local government units shall have sectoral representation as may be prescribed by law.” The bill, when passed, will provide marginal sectors better access to participation in local decision-making processes.
HB 2443 An Act Mandating the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas to Incorporate the Credit Information Corporation
This bill provides for the establishment of a credit information system that will be regulated by the Monetary Board and whose membership will encompass all of the organizations that provide credit to the general public. Presently, the banking and finance industry in the country relies on the Credit Information Bureau, Inc. (CIBI) for their credit bureau needs. CIBI, however, is not regulated by the Monetary Board.
This bill has been substituted by HB 4260 entitled “Establishing the Credit Information System.” The bill has been approved by the Committee on Banks and Financial Intermediaries and is with the Bicameral Conference Committee which was organized on June 4, 2008 for the purpose.
HR 120 Urgent Resolution Allowing the Active Participation of Bona Fide People’s Organizations and Non-Government Organizations in Public Hearings in Congress Annual Budget Deliberations
The Committee on People’s Participation, chaired by Coop-NATCCO Representative Guillermo P. Cua, adopted this resolution on October 9, 2007. Consequently, the resolution was approved by the House of Representatives.
The resolution supports the participation of people’s organizations and civil society in the annual budget hearings in Congress, giving due recognition to the crucial role of these groups in providing relevant and critical information on key issues for consideration in the annual budget deliberations.
HR 130 Resolution Calling on the House of Representatives to set a Guideline for the Budgetary Allocation for Mindanao in the Succeeding General Appropriation Acts Commencing on the 2008 General Appropriations Act
Mindanao is a region that is rich in natural and human resources. As such, it contributes significantly to the growth of the Philippine economy, providing a sizable share of the country’s gross national product. However, budgetary allocations for the region are not commensurate to its contribution to the nation’s economy and growth. The resolution defines the criteria on which future budgetary allocations for Mindanao shall be determined as: 1) population 2) contribution to the GDP 3) contribution to the revenue income 4) additional allocation for provinces belonging to the top 25 poorest provinces in the country. The resolution has been referred to the Committee on Appropriations.
HR 444 Resolution Calling Upon Members of the House of Representatives to Work Together in the Interest of Peace, Unity, Economic Development and in the Achievement of the Common Goal of Genuine and Meaningful Change Regardless of Political Affiliations and Advocacies.
This resolution was adopted by the Committee on People’s Participation, chaired by Cong. Guillermo Cua. The resolution called on the members of the HOR to forge a pact of peace and solidarity to further enhance their sensitivity in the quest for peace and unity and work together in dealing with problems of political dissent and insurgency so that the national goal of improving the lives of Filipinos can be attained.
HR 532 Urging the National Government Through the Department of Finance (DOF), the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), and the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) to Exempt the Poorest Provinces and Communities in the Country from the Existing Policy of Putting Up Local Cost Sharing / Mandatory Counterpart Funds for Foreign-Assisted Projects that Involved Active Participation of the Various Sectors Through Partnerships
In the granting of loans and/or grants, Official development Assistance (ODA) partners require local cost sharing / mandatory counterpart funds for foreign-assisted programs and projects. For the poorest provinces, it is a contradiction to expect them to come up with counterpart funds for the projects which might further drive them to depression and their people to extreme poverty, thus negating the purpose of the foreign-assisted programs, which is to alleviate the economic and social conditions of these provinces and their people.
Party In Congress 
