Martin Romualdez | PHOTO: Official website of the House of Representatives / congress.gov.ph
Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez has expressed the unwavering support of the House of Representatives for President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.’s vision of a “better life for all Filipinos.”
The commitment was made during a meeting with the Filipino-American community at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Washington, D.C., following a bilateral meeting between Marcos and US President Joe Biden.
“The House of Representatives will continue working hand-in-hand with Marcos to advance his legislative, policies, and initiatives geared towards job creation, improved business climate, and a better life for all Filipinos,” Romualdez said.
Romualdez emphasized the House’s commitment to work alongside Marcos to advance legislative policies and initiatives focused on job creation, an improved business climate, and a better life for all Filipinos.
The official visit of President Marcos to the US was preceded by a series of engagements between Romualdez and US officials and business leaders.
In a gesture of appreciation for their role in the country’s economic growth, Speaker Romualdez thanked overseas Filipino workers for their contributions and for showcasing the solid work ethic, talent, and good nature of Filipinos worldwide.
“This is our way of thanking all our overseas Filipino workers for their invaluable contributions to the economic growth of our country and for showcasing to the world the solid work ethic, talent, and the good nature of all Filipinos,” he added.
Marcos also expressed gratitude to Filipino overseas workers for their remittances, which helped keep the Philippine economy afloat during the coronavirus pandemic.
The meeting between the two leaders yielded positive outcomes, including President Joe Biden’s announcement of a presidential trade and investment mission to the Philippines. This development, according to Romualdez, brings hope and optimism for more job creation and economic growth in the country.
“The prospect of a presidential trade and investment mission fills the nation with hope and optimism for a brighter future,” Romualdez said.
The House is prepared to pass necessary legislations to facilitate trade and investment from the US, as well as to ensure that the benefits are passed on to the Filipino people.
“We have already manifested our solid commitment to support the prosperity agenda of President Marcos by passing the necessary measures to help establish the Philippines as an ideal destination for foreign investments. We will continue to do so,” Romualdez said.
To date, the House has approved 23 of 31 bills identified as priority measures of the Marcos administration. The remaining eight measures are in advanced stages of deliberation.
The approved economic-related measures include the E-Governance Act, Internet Transaction Act, Waste-to-Energy Bill, Apprenticeship Act, Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) Law, and the Government Financial Institutions Unified Initiatives to Distressed Enterprises for Economic Recovery.
In addition to the 31 measures in the LEDAC list, the House has identified 21 measures for priority, with 10 intended for LEDAC endorsement. The House priority list also includes a call for a constitutional convention to amend restrictive economic provisions in the Charter, aimed at attracting more foreign investments.