THE House of Representatives on Tuesday designated Majority Leader and Leyte (1st District) Rep. Martin G. Romualdez as caretaker of the lone district of Southern Leyte.

The appointment of Romualdez came as Southern Leyte Rep. Roger Mercado was picked as the new chief Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), replacing Mark Villar who resigned from his post to pursue a Senate seat.

Deputy Majority Leader and Camiguin Rep. Xavier Jesus “XJ” Romualdo announced that Mercado informed the House through  a letter of his resignation as congressman.

“In view of the foregoing, I move that we accept the resignation of Rep. Roger G. Mercado to be dropped from the roll of members effective October 30, 2022,” Romualdo said in his motion.

In another motion, Romualdo named  Romualdez as caretaker.

The twin motions received no objection.

Romualdez is a lawyer from University of the Philippines (UP) and president of the Philippine Constitution Association (Philconsa), the oldest and most respectable association of legal luminaries in the country.

Romualdez is the principal author of the following laws: RA 11463 or Malasakit Centers, RA 11589 or Modernization of the Bureau of Fire and Protection (BFP), RA 11569 or An Act Extending the Period of Availment of the Estate Tax Amnesty, RA 11469 or the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act (Bayanihan Act 1), RA 11494 or the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act (Bayanihan 2), RA 11534 or the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises (CREATE) Act, RA 11510 or An Act Institutionalizing the Alternative Learning System in the Basic Education for out-Of-School Children in Special Cases and Adults, RA 11517 or An Act Authorizing the President to Expedite the Processing and Issuance of National and Local Permits, Licenses and Certifications in Times of National Emergency, RA 11525 or An Act Establishing the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Vaccination Program Expediting the Vaccine Procurement and Administration Process, RA 11465 or 2020 national budget, RA 11518 or 2021 national budget, RA 11466 or An Act Modifying the Salary Schedule for Civilian Government Personnel and Authorizing the Grant of Additional Benefits, RA 11467 or An Act Institutionalizing Good Manners and Right Conduct and Values Education in the K to 12 Curriculum, RA 11566 or the Conversion of the Schistosomiasis Control And Research Hospital in Palo, Leyte into a general hospital to be known as the Governor Benjamin T. Romualdez General Hospital and Schistosomiasis Center and increasing the hospital’s bed capacity from 25 to 100, RA 11567 renaming the Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center in Tacloban City into Eastern Visayas Medical Center and increasing the hospital’s bed capacity from 500 to 1,500 beds, among others.

Romualdez also authored RA 10754, which exempts more than 1.5 million persons with disabilities (PWDs) from paying the 12 percent value added tax (VAT) on certain goods and services. It was enacted in the 16th Congress or during the time of the past administration.

Romualdez is running unopposed for congressman of Leyte’s first district in next year’s elections.

Romualdez is the lone candidate who filed his certificate of candidacy (COC) for the position based on official records of the Commission on Elections’ (Comelec) provincial office.

On Monday, Romualdez and his wife, Tingog Rep. Yedda Marie K. Romualdez on cited the Waraynons’ resiliency that will enable them to recover from the devastating effects of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic following their gallant stand against the massive destruction of  Super Typhoon Yolanda (international name: Haiyan).

The Romualdez couple was joined in Tacloban City by presidential aspirant Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr., who received a rock star welcome from Leyteños, and Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez.

“Eight years after hitting rock bottom, Tacloban City and the entire Region VIII have moved on and recovered from the destruction of Yolanda. We will continue to rise and we will recover once again, this time from the pandemic’s crippling effects,” said Majority Leader Martin Romualdez, chairman of the House committee on rules.