Leyte Rep. and House Majority Leader Martin Romualdez on Sunday commended his colleagues for passing legislation to support President Rodrigo Duterte’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic since the opening of the 18th Congress in July 2019.
He said the creation of the Defeat COVID-19 committee, of which he was co-chairman, was one of the best decisions that Congress had made in addressing the needs of the people during the pandemic.
“I commend my colleagues for their hard work in introducing legislative measures and producing laws that helped us survive the present crisis. Based on our public consultations, we were able to come up with legislative measures that focus on three major themes: Kaligtasan, Kabuhayan and Kaunlaran. These measures made sure that our people are safe, free from financial worries and bound for recovery at the soonest time possible,” he said.
“Through that committee, we were able to conduct public consultations and hear directly from our people their concerns with regard to the virus outbreak. The marathon hearings provided us with the real grasp of issues, which allowed us to focus on what needs to be prioritized.”
Under Cayetano’s leadership, the House of Representatives got a very impressive popularity rating with a 64-percent approval and a 62-percent trust rating in a Pulse Asia survey in 2019.
According to Romualdez, president of the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats, the passage of Republic Act 11469, or the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act (Bayanihan 1) during a special session in March 2020, and R.A. 11494 or the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act (Bayanihan 2) last September were the committee’s best.
“I consider the two Bayanihan laws as the most significant products that came out of the DCC and plenary deliberations. Without these laws, the national government would have found it difficult to address our people’s immediate needs,” Romualdez said.
On March 24, 2020, then Speaker Allan Peter Cayetano formed the committee to take up all measures on the COVID-19 response.