THE House of Representatives has completed its reorganization in record time—just two weeks after the 20th Congress opened on July 28, coinciding with President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr.’s fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA).
House Majority Leader and Ilocos Norte 1st District Rep. Ferdinand Alexander “Sandro” A. Marcos said this speed highlights the chamber’s determination to move decisively on the President’s ‘Bagong Pilipinas’ legislative priorities.
“As of August 6, upon the guidance of Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez, we are proud to report that in record time, we have filled 76 out of 80 committee chairmanships—95 percent of the total. This shows how serious we are in getting to work right away,” Marcos announced.
Historically, organizing the House would take a month or more, making this collaborative achievement a resounding success for the 20th Congress.
Marcos noted that the speed of the 20th Congress organization was about efficiency and giving lawmakers more time to act on urgent national concerns.
“The sooner we organize, the sooner we legislate. Every day we save means more time to craft solutions, respond to challenges, and deliver results for our people,” Marcos added.
Running unopposed, the House of Representatives had earlier reelected Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez to a second term, alongside Quezon 2nd District Rep. David “Jay-jay” Suarez as Senior Deputy Speaker, Deputy Speakers, and Marcos as Majority Leader and chair of the Committee on Rules.
To complete its framework, the chamber also reelected Secretary General Reginald “Reggie” S. Velasco and Sergeant-at-Arms retired Police Maj. Gen. Napoleon “Nap” Taas, reinforcing its operational stability.
Key leadership posts were quickly filled, including the chairmanships of Appropriations, Justice, Ways and Means, Agriculture, Higher and Technical Education, Foreign Affairs, Public Works, Basic Education, Energy, Transportation, Labor, and National Defense.
The Quad Comm—composed of Human Rights, Public Order and Safety, Dangerous Drugs, and Public Accounts—was also constituted to spearhead oversight and investigations.
In addition, the House finalized the election of 12 members to the Commission on Appointments and six members to the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal.
The House of Representatives is now set to open marathon budget deliberations and fast-track priority measures aligned with national goals of inclusive growth, stronger institutions, and better services for all Filipinos.
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