7 Legacion bills pass first reading in House

SEVEN priority bills authored and filed by Camarines Sur’s 3rd district Rep. Nelson S. Legacion Sur have been approved on first reading in the House of Representatives, marking the initial step in the legislative process for measures aimed at improving healthcare, disaster preparedness, social protection, and support for farmers, fisherfolk, and persons with disabilities.

The proposed measures include the Liver Center of the Philippines Bill, Plasma Donation and Collection Act, Philippine Blood Center Act, Dignified Agricultural and Fishery Retirement Act, Free Relief Goods Transportation Act, Disaster Food Banks and Stockpile Act, and a bill granting lifetime validity to identification cards issued to persons with permanent disabilities.

The healthcare-related bills seek to strengthen the country’s medical services by improving access to specialized liver care, promoting plasma donation and collection, and establishing a more efficient and sustainable national blood service system.

Meanwhile, the proposed retirement measure aims to provide social protection and retirement benefits to farmers and fisherfolk, while the disaster-related bills seek to ensure the timely delivery of relief goods and establish food banks and stockpiles that can be readily mobilized during emergencies and calamities.

Another measure seeks to exempt persons with permanent disabilities from the repeated renewal of their identification cards by granting them lifetime-valid IDs, reducing unnecessary expenses and inconvenience.

Legacion welcomed the approval of the seven measures on the first reading, describing it as an encouraging start in pursuing legislative reforms that respond to the needs of Filipinos. The bills will undergo further deliberations in the House before they can advance through the succeeding stages of the legislative process.