Senator Bam Aquino said lawmakers are juggling an unusually heavy workload as regular legislation, budget deliberations and the impeachment trial proceed simultaneously in the Senate.
Aquino described the Senate schedule as a full-day grind, with sessions starting at 10 a.m. and extending through multiple legislative priorities.
“In the Senate kasi nag-sasabay-sabay na yung mga trabaho. Of course, you have regular session, which is legislation. You have the impeachment. And then now is the budget time also,” Aquino said.
He said lawmakers have to devote sustained attention to each responsibility, particularly the annual budget, which determines how public funds will be allocated.
Amid the Senate’s workload, Aquino is also pursuing Senate Bill No. 2517, or the Philippine Agency for the Creative Economy (PACE) Act, which seeks to create a government framework supporting Filipino creative workers pursuing opportunities overseas.
Aquino filed the measure on Sept. 30 after working with P-pop group SB19 and its management company, 1Z Entertainment. The bill has been referred to the Senate committees on Trade, Commerce and Entrepreneurship, Foreign Relations, and Finance.
The proposed agency under the Department of Trade and Industry would provide assistance related to international mobility, including visas, travel documentation, logistics and participation in international festivals, tours, showcases and markets. It would also support international promotion, business matching, partnerships and market access for Philippine creative goods and services.
Aquino said the proposal grew from a May 26 meeting with SB19 members Pablo and Josh Cullen, who shared problems they encountered while pursuing opportunities abroad.
“They asked for coffee… Nanggulat ako, …naglabas ng laptop si Josh and he started to present. Like he made a full presentation about possible legislation to help Filipino artists who are going abroad,” Aquino said.
He said the discussions centered on the difficulties faced by Filipino artists overseas, including the absence of a dedicated government office that could assist them when they encounter problems involving international engagements.
The proposed PACE framework is partly modeled on South Korea’s Korean Creative Content Agency, or KOCCA, which supports the country’s creative industries and their expansion into international markets.
The measure would cover a broad range of creative workers, including performers, filmmakers, musicians, designers and digital creators, rather than limiting assistance to established recording artists.
Aquino credited SB19 members Pablo and Josh for helping develop the proposal, saying the group brought research and firsthand experience into the discussions.
“They actually did the research, they presented. We’re using their research… Leading the way not just for themselves, but for the industry,” he said.
The senator also pointed to the difficulties Filipino creatives can encounter when working abroad, including visa processing, travel requirements and the lack of a centralized government mechanism for international creative engagements.
The bill seeks to address those gaps by establishing institutional support for Filipino talent seeking to participate in the global creative economy.
Aquino also discussed the pressure surrounding the impeachment proceedings, which he described as a high-pressure political process requiring lawmakers to closely weigh their actions and statements.
“Impeachment, which is high pressure, high politics. Everyone has got to comment on every single thing. Mamali lang yung kamay mo, may komento ka na,” he said.
He said there is a desire to move the proceedings forward and expressed hope that the impeachment process could be completed before the end of the year.
For Aquino, the simultaneous demands of legislation, budget work and impeachment underscore the amount of responsibility being carried by senators as they continue working on measures that affect public policy and Filipino workers, including those seeking opportunities on the international stage.
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