12 more congressional committees organized

MANILA, Philippines—With only a week before the targeted completion of the organization at the House of Representatives, 12 more congressional committees have been completed with the designation of chairpersons and members.

Hearings on the 2,000 or so bills and resolutions already filed at the chamber may start as soon as all the committees have been organized.

Twelve committees were read out in plenary late Monday to be headed by the following lawmakers: Taguig Representative Sigfrido Tinga (information and communications technology); Northern Samar Representative Emil Ong (labor); Negros Oriental Representative George Arnaiz (local government); Sulu Representative Tupay Loong (Muslim affairs);

Ifugao Representative Teodoro Baguilat (national cultural communities); Cebu Representative Pablo John Garcia (public order); Agusan del Norte Representative Angelica Amante-Matba (women); Albay Representative Al Francis Bichara (foreign affairs); Aklan Representative Florencio Miraflores (tourism); Cavite Representative Elpidio Barzaga Jr. (suffrage); San Juan Del Monte City Representative Arturo Robes (social services); and Southern Leyte Representative Roger Mercado (transportation).

Last week, 12 committees were also filled up in the chamber, all headed by the members of the majority bloc: Misamis Occidental Representative Loreto Ocampos (constitutional amendments); Leyte Representative Sergio Apostol (banks and financial intermediaries); Cebu Representative Benhur Salimbangon (aquaculture); Sorsogon Representative Salvador Escudero (basic education); Coop-Natcco party-list Representative Jose Ping-Ay (cooperatives development);

Iligan City Representative Vicente Belmonte (dangerous drugs); Laguna Representative Danilo Fernandez (ecology); Iloilo Representative Niel Tupas Jr. (justice); An Waray party-list Representative Florencio “Bem” Noel (accounts); Batangas Representative Mark Llandro Mendoza (agriculture); and Negros Oriental Representative Henry Pryde Teves (agrarian reform).

The House has 59 regular committees and 11 special committees. –Lira Dalangin-Fernandez, INQUIRER.net