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Dalipe: Speaker Romualdez’s trust ratings inspire House to work harder

April 20, 2023 Ryan Ponce Pacpaco 406 views

And improve lives of Pinoys

THE increasing public trust and approval ratings of Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez spur the House of Representatives to work harder for the expeditious passage of pending bills seeking to improve the lives of ordinary Filipinos, according to House Majority Leader Manuel Jose “Mannix” M. Dalipe.

“We are proud to have a leader like Speaker Martin. His leadership has restored faith that the House of Representatives truly reflects the will of the people and acts in the best interest of the nation,” Dalipe said.

Dalipe noted that before going into Lenten break last March 23 the House of Representatives succeeded in approving 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.

These 23 approved measures are meant to further stimulate economic activities, create job opportunities, reduce poverty, and provide better healthcare services for Filipinos.

“The latest survey findings of the Octa Research attest to this fact: we have regained the trust and confidence of the Filipino people. Thanks to our hard-working Speaker,” Dalipe added.

Dalipe cited the Tugon ng Masa (TNM) Q1 2023 survey of Octa Research, which showed 83% of adult Filipinos trust President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., with 87% for Vice President Sara Duterte, 50% for Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri, 55% for House Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez, and 39% for Supreme Court Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo.

According to the same survey, 80% of adult Filipinos are satisfied with the performance of Pres. Marcos, 84% for VP Duterte, 53% for SP Zubiri, 59% for Speaker Romualdez, and 41% for CJ Gesmundo.

Dalipe pointed out that among the officials covered by the survey, it was Romualdez who posted the biggest increase in the ratings, with a +17% trust rating and a +15% performance rating compared to the results of the TNM October 2022 survey.

In both categories, Romualdez’s rating posted an increase in all areas of the country and across all social classes compared to the October 2022 survey results.

It was in the Visayas where Romualdez earned the highest gains with +40% in trust rating and +36% in performance rating, while it was from Class E where he received the biggest increases in both categories or +24% in trust rating and +27% in performance rating.

According to Octa Research, the TNM national survey is an independent and non-commissioned poll that it conducts regularly. The Q1 2023 nationwide survey was held from March 24-28, 2023 based on interviews with 1,200 male and female respondents aged 18 years old and above from Class AB, C, D, and E.

Dalipe attributed the significant increase in Speaker Romualdez’s trust and approval ratings to the active role that he encouraged the House to perform to address the most pressing concerns of Filipino families.

“The House under Speaker Romualdez has turned activist. We no longer limit our job to pure legislation, having been instructed by the Speaker to exercise our congressional oversight powers to improve the living condition of our people,” the Majority Leader pointed out.

“The Speaker was hands-on in solving problems of ordinary citizens, using the full might of congressional oversight to act on wide-ranging issues. From bringing down the price of onion to stopping thefts at the airports, and restoring peace and order in the streets,” Dalipe added.

The two LEDAC bills the President has signed into law are the mobile phone SIM (subscriber information module) Registration Act, which is now under implementation, 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.

Another LEDAC bill, the Agrarian Reform Debts Condonation was already ratified by the House of Representatives to help Filipino farmers from poverty.

Aside from the 31 measures in the LEDAC list, Speaker Romualdez earlier said the House committee chairmen and members have identified 21 measures that they wanted to be given priority.

He said the 21 include 10 for LEDAC endorsement, four of which – 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.

He added that the House priority list includes Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) No. 6, which calls for a constitutional convention to amend “restrictive” economic provisions of the Charter, which would enable the country to attract more foreign investments, and its implementing measure, HB No. 7352.

The other House priorities that have been approved on the 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.

The House of Representatives also ratified the bicameral conference committee report on the AFP Fixed Term Law, which is also a House priority.

Other priority measures are the Government Procurement Act (TWG), the Department of Resilience (committee level), and the Livestock Development and Competitiveness Bill (committee level).

Several other measures — Revitalizing the Salt Industry, the 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 committee deliberation.

The remaining eight other LEDAC bills pending in the House are the: Regional Specialty Hospitals (for second reading approval), Enabling Law for the Natural Gas Industry (under technical working group or TWG deliberation), National Land Use Act (TWG); Department of Water Resources and Services and Creation of Water Regulatory Commission (TWG), Electric Power Industry Reform Act (for committee deliberation), Budget Modernization (for committee deliberation), National Defense Act (for committee deliberation), and Unified System of Separation, Retirement, and Pension for Uniformed Personnel (also for committee deliberation).

Speaker Romualdez also assured the nation that under his leadership the House of Representatives will not tolerate misconduct and wrongdoing, citing its action in the case of Negros Oriental Rep. Arnolfo “Arnie” Teves Jr., who was implicated in the recent killing of Gov. Roel Degamo and several others.

He said the 60-day suspension imposed against Rep. Teves for disorderly behavior was arrived at after an investigation by the committee on ethics and privileges, “observing due process and fully cognizant of Rep. Teves’ rights.”

“Under my leadership, the House of Representatives will never countenance any conduct unbecoming of a House member,” he stressed.

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