QUEZON CITY -- The House of Representatives under the leadership of Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez on Tuesday approved on Second Reading, House Bill 8370 which seeks to increase the authorized election campaign expenses of candidates and political parties. Under HB 8370, the aggregate amount that a candidate or political party may spend for every voter would be as follows: P50 for presidential candidate; P40 for vice-presidential candidate; and P30 for senator, district representative, governor, vice-governor and political parties, among others.

The House also approved on Second Reading HB 8466 or the proposed "Philippine Indigenous Games Preservation Act" which would mandate the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), in coordination with the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC), National Commission on Indigenous People (NCIP), and local government units (LGU), to conduct annual regional and national indigenous sports competition. The bill seeks to protect traditional sports passed down through generations, while also developing the physical and mental health of Filipino youth.

Other bills that hurdled Second Reading are: 1) HB 7587, declaring March 10 of every year as a special working holiday to be known as the "National Junior Chamber International (JCI) Philippines Day"; 2) HB 8268, declaring April of every year as the "National Basketball Month"; 3) HB 8390, granting the PSC the authority to acquire real properties by other modes; 4) HB 8468 or the proposed “Philippine National Games Act"; 5) HB 8495, strengthening local sports programs to develop young athletes; 6) HB 8452 or the proposed "Philippine Physical Therapy Law”; 7) HB 8463 or the proposed "Disaster Food Bank and Stockpile Act”; and, 8) HB 8586 or the proposed "Revised Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act." Deputy Speaker Isidro Ungab presided over the session.(Congress)