Cong. Edgar Chatto has been elected to join several key committees in the House of Representatives. At the same time, the solon from the 1st District of Bohol keeps on raising important issues in the committees where he has been nominated and elected as officer.
For starters, Chatto is the Chairman of Committee on Climate Change. This is the 2nd straight time that he is heading this panel. Chatto was among the first congressmen elected to a committee chairmanship.
Aside from the climate change committee, Chatto is also the Senior Vice Chairman of the Committee on Tourism, Senior Vice Chairman of the Committee on Higher Education and Vice Chairman of the Visayas Development Committee.
Moreover, Chatto is a member of three committees. These committees are the Committee on Public Works, Committee on Appropriations, Committee on Science and Technology, and Committee on Information and Communications Technology.
Last week, Chatto presided over the pre-budget hearings involving the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). The DPWH team in the pre-budget meeting was led by Public Works Sec. Manuel Bonoan.
During the pre-budget hearings, national, regional and local concerns especially on the funding requirements for various infrastructure projects, were discussed.
Reports say that the 2023 proposed budgets of the DPWH and the Department of Tourism (DOT) were discussed in the pre-budget session in the Visayas Development Committee.
Furthermore, Chatto was also present in the Committee on Higher Education meeting with Commission on Higher Education (CHED) chair Prospero De Vera including presidents of state universities.
Meanwhile, at the pre-budget hearing of the Department of Transportation (DOTr), Chatto asked Transportation Sec. Jimmy Bautista regarding the status of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) in Tubigon.
The establishment of the LTO in Tubigon is mandated by Republic Act 11276. With the law in place, funds for the LTO Tubigon shall be included in the crafting of the proposed General Appropriations Act for next year.
It was also learned that funding for a new LTO office in Tagbilaran City is being eyed on to be inserted into next year’s national government budget.
A budget is going to be earmarked for the inclusion of Region 7 in the Vehicle Registration Extension Facility (VREF) Program.
He also asked for an update from Bonoan on the management agreement for the Bohol-Panglao International Airport which is under review by the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) and the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP).
Chatto also inquired about the continued development of the Loon-Bohol International Cruise Ship Port and its expansion as a multi-use international cargo transhipment port aside from pushing for a review of port terminal fees.