Before adjourning sine die, the Senate ratified several important bills of the Marcos administration during the 19th Congress session on Wednesday night.

These bills included the Enhanced Fiscal Regime for Large-Scale Metallic Mining Act and the Accelerated and Reformed Right-of-Way (ARROW) Act, which were both marked as top priorities by the Legislative-Executive Development Council (LEDAC).

The Enhanced Fiscal Regime for Large-Scale Metallic Mining Act, originating from Senate Bill No. 2826 and House Bill No. 8937, now allows for a five percent royalty based on gross output for mines within mineral reservations and a 5-tier royalty rate ranging from one to five percent based on margin for metallic mining operations outside mineral reservations.

Senator JV Ejercito stated that with these reforms, the government stands to gain an additional P6 billion in revenues.

However, Senator Risa Hontiveros opposed the bill, citing the rejection of amendments to increase royalties for indigenous communities affected by mining and to impose an export tax to support the National Industrialization Program.

The ARROW Act, which aims to address right-of-way issues that hinder government infrastructure projects, was also ratified by the Senate through the bicam report on Senate Bill No. 2821 and House Bill No. 6571.

Sponsor Senator Mark Villar emphasized the importance of this measure in overcoming delays in infrastructure projects due to unresolved right-of-way issues.

The Senate also approved the extension of the term for barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) officials to four years, postponing the 2025 elections to November 2026.

• Judiciary Fiscal Autonomy Act (Senate Bill No. 2982 and House Bill No. 11358)
• An Act amending Sections 134 and 168 of Republic Act No. 8424, known as the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997, as amended (Senate Committee Report No. 581 and House Bill No. 10535)
• Philippine Nuclear Energy Safety Act (Senate Bill No. 2899 and House Bill No. 9293)
• Career Progression System for Public School Teachers and School Leaders Act (Senate Bill No. 3000 and House Bill No. 10270)