MANILA, Philippines ? As in the past Congresses, the Nationalist People?s Coalition (NPC) of businessman Eduardo ?Danding? Cojuangco will join the majority bloc in the House of Representatives amid assurances that it will continue to chair key committees.

One of its neophyte members, Bacolod Representative Anthony Golez, will likely head the committee on health, which goes against the tradition in the chamber as greenhorns are not usually given committee chairmanship, according to two lawmakers.

Golez, a doctor who served as deputy spokesman of former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and the National Disaster Coordinating Council, is open to taking the job, but said that his party has yet to finalize its decision.

Meetings are still ongoing among stalwarts of different political parties in the House to firm up the committee assignments in time for the opening of the 15th Congress on July 26.

The Liberal Party of President Benigno Aquino III expectedly will head the juicy committees such as appropriations, accounts, ways and means, justice, constitutional amendments and good government.

Batangas Representative Mark Llandro Mendoza, an NPC member who sits in the meetings, said the results have been "so far, so good."

He said the NPC would keep the chairmanship of most of the committees it headed in the 14th Congress such as agriculture, health, agrarian reform, economic reforms, basic education and higher education.

Mendoza said the NPC would also have two slots in the bicameral Commission on Appointments, which approves the appointments of Cabinet members and other presidential appointees.

Valenzuela Representative and NPC spokesman Rex Gatchalian said the 50-member NPC would be part of the majority in the coming congress.

They will support the speakership bid of Quezon City Representative Feliciano Belmonte.

In the 14th Congress, NPC was in alliance with Lakas-Kampi-Christian Muslim Democrats, which will now be the minority in the chamber.
An alliance of four political parties composed of the NPC, Nacionalista Party, Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino and Partido Demokratikong Pilipino is also in the works, according to Cavite Representative Jesus Crispin Remulla.

Remulla, a member of the NP, said the four parties would coalesce with LP and form the majority bloc.

"It will be a group of 77 and we will be in alliance with the LP," he said.

Remulla acknowledged that the LP would get the top committees being the party in power, but said they were negotiating for their fair share of committees, noting that the NP has the most number of senior lawmakers in the chamber.