The Senate gave major main-character energy to local governance on Monday afternoon, officially passing on third and final reading a bill extending the terms of Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) officials from four to five years, effectively hitting pause on upcoming local elections.
Voting 15-5 with zero abstentions, lawmakers cleared Senate Bill No. 2387. The measure sets a five-year tenure for local village and youth leaders, matching a counterpart bill that also scored final approval in the House of Representatives.
The five senators who voted against the measure, Vicente Sotto III, Francis Pangilinan, Joel Villanueva, Paolo Benigno Aquino, and Risa Hontiveros, held their ground after previously opposing the bill on second reading last week. Sotto confirmed he will file a written “turno in contra speech” to outline his dissent.
Senate Secures Wins for Student Nutrition, Tourism Safety, and Social Housing
The chamber also went on a legislative roll on Monday, approving several key measures with zero negative votes.
Passing 19-0-0, Senate Bill No. 2272 (the Expanded National Nutrition Program) mandates universal feeding for public school students from kindergarten to Grade 3 while boosting support for local agricultural producers.
Bill sponsor Sen. Paolo Benigno Aquino stressed that the measure tackles young learners’ undernutrition head-on, calling it a major barrier to academic success among Filipino students.
Meanwhile, Senate Bill No. 1926 passed 18-0-0 to level up safety protocols for child tourists across leisure and vacation destinations. Officially designated as the “Child Tourism Safety Act” or “Sandy’s Act,” the legislation honors six-year-old Sandy Garrovillas, who tragically died at a Palawan resort after a box jellyfish sting.
“Sandy’s Act ensures that a response to any emergency is both immediate and adequate by requiring a certified staff presence at all times. Being prepared can no longer be merely optional,” emphasized bill sponsor Sen. Risa Hontiveros.
On the housing front, senators voted 18-0-0 to pass Senate Bill No. 2421, institutionalizing a free housing program where beneficiaries can reside on government-owned land under a legal usufruct arrangement, allowing families to use public property while the state maintains land ownership.
“Usufruct allows the government to give families access to decent homes without surrendering public land ownership,” noted sponsor Sen. Francis Escudero.
Closing out the session, all 20 senators present voted unanimously for Senate Resolution No. 623, ratifying the ASEAN Extradition Treaty to strengthen cross-border judicial cooperation.