The Philippine-proposed “Save Our Industries Act” legislative piece to save the country’s sunset garment and textile industry is expected to be filed in the US Senate by end this month.

Lawrence de los Santos, president of the Confederation of Garment Exporters of the Philippines (CONGEP), told reporters last Friday of their successful trip to the Capitol Hills in Washington D.C. last  February 27-March 5 to lobby for the passage of the Philippine bill.

“It was a successful trip and we are sure the bill will be filed in the next two weeks in the US Senate,” said De los Santos, who accompanied Trade and Industry Undersecretary and Board of Investments managing head Elmer C. Hernandez during that mission.

He said the introduction of the bill in the U.S. Senate followed the successful sponsorship of the bill by Rep. Jim McDermott in the House of Representatives on June 25, 2009.

CONGEP executive director Maria Teresita Jocson-Agoncillo, who also accompanied the mission, said that Hernandez was able to speak at length to three Senators, the likely sponsors of the Senate version. Agoncillo, however, refused to identify the Senators.