Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian is pushing a package of economic reforms aimed at reviving investment, creating jobs, cutting power costs, and easing regulatory bottlenecks, including the creation of a Senate panel to coordinate the measures.
Speaking at the Management Association of the Philippines’ General Membership Meeting, Gatchalian proposed a Reinvigorate Investment and Sustainable Economic Growth (RISE) Ad Hoc Committee to give the Senate a focused mechanism for getting the economy “back on track and future ready.”
The proposed committee would coordinate Senate measures while providing a regular channel for lawmakers to work with the private sector on investment and business concerns.
Lowering electricity costs is among the immediate priorities.
Gatchalian said senators on Thursday persuaded the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) to formulate regulations that would remove the 12 percent value-added tax on system loss charges. The ERC is consulting the Bureau of Internal Revenue on the proposed tax treatment.
“Hindi dapat binabayaran ng mga konsyumer ang systems loss,” Gatchalian said, arguing that distribution utilities should shoulder responsibility for reducing system losses.
The move complements proposed amendments to the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA) that seek to remove system loss charges and strengthen the ERC’s regulatory and enforcement powers.
Gatchalian also cited the MIND Bill, which would institutionalize a 30-year national infrastructure master plan, and the GINHAWA Bill, which proposes exempting taxable income of P400,000 or less from income tax to increase workers’ take-home pay without raising wage costs for businesses.
Other priorities include the Waste-to-Energy Bill, amendments to the Magna Carta for MSMEs, a general tax amnesty covering estate taxes, and the abolition of travel tax.
“The MAP can expect more opportunities for direct and sustained dialogue with the Senate,” Gatchalian said, emphasizing the role of business feedback in identifying regulatory friction and investment bottlenecks.
The broader agenda reflects an effort to tackle both the cost of doing business and the structural constraints that can keep investment and job creation from gaining traction.
