Speaker Martin G. Romualdez on Thursday vowed to work even harder as he expressed gratitude to the Filipino people following the results of the March 2023 Pulse Asia Survey where he received a 51-percent approval rating for his performance.
“It is heartening to know that a majority of our people appreciate our earnest effort to pass measures to create jobs and business opportunities, provide assistance to the poor, and build a better future for all Filipinos,” Romualdez said.
“As a token of our gratitude, we will work even harder to pass the pending bills to advance the 8-point socioeconomic agenda of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. designed to uplift the lives of our people,” he added.
This developed as Rep. Sonny Lagon of Ako Bisaya Party-list, vice chair of the House Committees on Ways and Means and on Games and Amusement, credited Romualdez’s high approval ratings credited to his “genuine” leadership by example.
Two other congressional leaders said the Speaker’s leadership by example has been bearing fruit as the public begins to appreciate the work done by the House of Representatives.
“This is another positive news for the House under the result-oriented leadership of Speaker Romualdez. It means that the work we do in the House of Representatives is resonating with the people,” Cavite Rep. Elpidio Barzaga Jr. told reporters.
House Majority Leader Manuel Jose Dalipe, for his part, said the high net satisfaction rating of the House is a clear sign that most Filipinos believe that the chamber is on track with its legislative priorities and they appreciate the brand of the leadership of Speaker Romualdez.
“This only means that we are doing the right thing and the people know it. This is a clear sign that people are finally appreciating the long hours of work that we all do in the House of Representatives just to make sure that we will pass laws that will benefit all Filipinos,” Dalipe said.
“The successive high satisfaction and approval ratings of both the House of Representatives and Speaker Martin G. Romualdez in recent surveys of major polling firms can be attributed to the House leader’s hands-on management of the daily affairs of the chamber,” Lagon said. Maricel V. Cruz
“Speaker Martin is very hardworking leader and public servant. No one among the members of House can deny his energetic way of conducting business in the chamber, especially when it comes to passing important pieces of legislation. And I firmly believe that the Filipino people see that in Speaker Martin,” he added.
“And we, as members, emulate the diligence we see in our leaders. This is truly genuine leadership by example. What we have is an ‘involved leadership’ that allows House leaders and members a free rein on their respective duties and responsibilities without the need for micromanagement,” he added.
Under the “Ulat ng Bayan” nationwide survey conducted from March 15 to 19, 2023, President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., Vice President Sara Duterte, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri, and Romualdez registered a majority approval rating.
President Marcos registered a 78% approval rating, VP Duterte with 83%, while SP Zubiri and Speaker Romualdez each received a 51% approval rating. Supreme Court Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo received an approval rating of 43%.
The survey results showed that most Metro Manilans (57%), Visayans (77%), Mindanawons (58%), and those in class E (66%) are appreciative of the work done by Speaker Romualdez.
The Pulse Asia survey results came out barely a week after the April 6 release of the Social Weather Stations Fourth Quarter 2022 survey, conducted between December 10-14 last year, where the House received a “very good” or +56 net satisfaction rating.
Romualdez said the SWS survey result is a “testament to the hard work and dedication of our legislators in serving the Filipino people during these challenging times.”
“As House leader, I am deeply honored, humbled, and grateful to Filipino people for their trust and confidence in the House of Representatives,” he added.
Likewise, Romualdez thanked the Members of the House for their solid support and cooperation that enabled him to steer the chamber in advancing measures that address the needs of the people.
When the House adjourned for its Holy Week break last March 23, Speaker Romualdez reported that the House has approved on third and final reading 23 of 31 bills identified by the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) as priority measures of the Marcos administration, while the remaining eight measures are in advanced states of deliberation.
Two of these measures were already signed by Pres. Marcos, Jr. into law, namely the SIM Registration Act and the measure postponing the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections to October this year.
The 20 other LEDAC-endorsed bills approved on third and final reading by the House of Representatives are the following: Magna Carta of Seafarers, E-Governance Act / E-Government Act, Negros Island Region, Virology Institute of the Philippines, Passive Income and Financial Intermediary Taxation Act, National Disease Prevention Management Authority or Center for Disease Control and Prevention; Medical Reserve Corps, Philippine Passport Act; Internet Transaction Act / E-Commerce Law, Waste-to-Energy Bill, Free Legal Assistance for Police and Soldiers, Apprenticeship Act, Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) Law, Magna Carta of Barangay Health Workers, Valuation Reform, Eastern Visayas Development Authority, Leyte Ecological Industrial Zone; Government Financial Institutions Unified Initiatives to Distressed Enterprises for Economic Recovery, National Citizens Service Training Program, and Rightsizing the National Government.
The House has likewise ratified before going into its Lenten break the bicameral conference committee report on the AFP Fixed Term bill and the Agrarian Reform Debts Condonation.
Aside from the 31 measures in the LEDAC list, Speaker Romualdez said the House has identified 21 measures that they wanted to be given priority, where 10 are intended for LEDAC endorsement. Four of these – the Maharlika Investment Fund bill, Ease of Paying Taxes Act, LGU Income Classification, and Amendment to Universal Health Care Act – have been approved on third and final reading.
The House priority list also includes the Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) 6, calling for a constitutional convention to amend “restrictive” economic provisions of the Charter to enable the country to attract more foreign investments, and its implementing measure, HB 7352.
The House voted 301 against six with one abstention to overwhelmingly approve RBH 6 on third and final reading. HB 7352 has also hurdled third reading with a vote of 301 against seven.
Other House priorities that have been approved on third and final reading are the following: On-Site, In-City Near City Local Government Resettlement Program, Open Access in Data Transmission, Online Registration of Voters, Amendments to the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation Charter, and Mandatory Establishment of Evacuation Centers in Every City, Province, Municipality/Permanent Evacuation Centers, and Local Government Income Classification.
In addition, other priority measures are in various stages of deliberation, such as the Government Procurement Act (TWG), Department of Resilience (committee level), and Livestock Development and Competitiveness Bill (committee level).
Several other measures — Revitalizing the Salt Industry, Philippine Ecosystem and Natural Capital Accounting System, Bureau of Immigration Modernization, National Employment Action Plan, Amendment to the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act, and Infrastructure Development Plan/Build Build Build Program— are for LEDAC inclusion and undergoing deliberations in various committees of the House.
To speed up the deliberations on pending measures, Romualdez has authorized the House committees to conduct hearings, if necessary, during the period of recess.