Published April 30, 2021, 4:04 PM
The House Committee on Transportation on Friday, April 30, moved strongly to push for the immediate passage of a bill that would put an end to excessive and unjustified imposition of destination and shipping charges by forwarders and agents of international shipping lines.
In a virtual committee hearing on Friday, committee chairman and Samar Rep. Edgar Mary S. Sarmiento vowed to push for the immediate approval of a consolidated version of House Bills Nos. 4316 and 4462 filed by Deputy Speaker and Bagong Henerasyon Partrylist Rey. Bernadette Herrera and Ronnie L. Ong of Ang Probinsyano Partylist.
Herrera and Ong noted that the collection of excessive and unnecessary fees, charges and surcharges has been going on for quite some time that Philippines has topped its neighbors for having the highest cost to the detriment of domestic manufacturers, exporters and importers.
(MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
Deputy Speaker and Cebu Rep. Pablo John Garcia said there is no “compelling reason” to change the airport’s name as he pointed out that this move would only “erase more than 50 years of history of the airport.”
Garcia called on the House Committee on Transportation to also consider the position of other provincial leaders, more in particular officials of the provincial government now headed by his sister, Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia.
However, Garcia is facing a formidable force of supporters of the measure that includes Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea and Speaker Lord Allan Velasco, who co-authored one of the pending bills.