Senate returns to full in-person proceedings from August 7

The Senate will revert to conducting public hearings and other proceedings in person starting Monday, August 7, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said Wednesday.

“In view of the Presidential Proclamation lifting the state of public health emergency due to COVID-19 and considering all activities have all returned in pre-pandemic levels, the Senate will no longer conduct hybrid hearings beginning Monday, August 7, 2023, and revert back to conducting hearings physically,” Zubiri said during the plenary session.

Zubiri said this is also in line with the policy of their counterparts in the House of Representatives, who have already cancelled hybrid sessions and hearings.

“In line with this, we will go back to having face-to-face public hearings, unless there is a force majeure or emergency and majority members decide that we conduct remote or electronic means [in conducting hearings], in accordance with Section 22 of the Senate rules,” Zubiri added.

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. lifted the state of public health emergency due to COVID-19 on July 22, two days ahead of his second State of the Nation Address.

The Senate has conducted online hearings, first fully and then hybrid, since COVID-19 grounded the world in March 2020. — BM, GMA Integrated News