LEDAC prioritizes tourism bill – EMC

THE Legislative – Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) meeting in Malacañang has led to the inclusion of the Tourism Policy Act as among the top seven priority bills due for Congressional consideration. Cong. Edgar M. Chatto, House tourism committee chair said this, after emerging from the meeting presided by Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and attended by senior members of the Senate and the House, cabinet officials and leaders of local government leagues.

Chatto, main proponent of the Lower House version of the bill stressed that the measure has now passed the legislative mill in the committee level, specifically in the committees on tourism, government reorganization and ways and means. It is now awaiting approval by the appropriations committee and will soon be ready for debate in the plenary.

“The House committee on tourism is equally-passionate on the immediate passage of the bill and is exhaustively consulting all major tourism players and stakeholders to iron out issues which were raised by various sectors”, reported the solon to the president and the LEDAC members.

Chatto said that the chief executive has seen the great importance of the development of the country's industry thus has labeled the bill urgent as this would contribute economic benefits for the country. Gov. Erico Aumentado, ULAP president, expressed full support to the passage of the said bill, with its counterpart measure in the Senate authored by Sen. Richard Gordon.

Once approved by the House and the Senate, a Bicameral Conference Committee of both chambers will be convened to reconcile disagreeing provisions of the House and Senate versions. Among the bills prioritized by LEDAC are the General Appropriations Act of 2006, the Anti-terrorism Bill, Bioethanol as an alternative transport fuel, the tax relief proposal for low-income earners, the rationalization of fiscal incentives bill, the Bases Conversion Development Authority (BCDA) economic zone incentives bill and the Tourism Policy Act.

The LEDAC meeting was convened after the president signed into law the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of 2006. Chatto, a member of the Justice committee is a signatory of the law as co-author. A major part of the law prohibits the detention of youth offenders in adult jails as part of government efforts to save minors from abuse and exploitation.

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