HOUSE Ways and Means Chair Joey Sarte Salceda (Albay, 2nd district) called the recent election of Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero to the leadership of the Senate as “a golden moment for Bicol,” citing Escudero’s “transformative leadership as governor of Sorsogon” as a guide for developing the rest of the region.
“It’s certainly a rare opportunity to get things done for Bicol, especially since the region also has a strong and well-placed delegation in the House,” Salceda said.
“By the time SP Chiz term ended as Governor, Sorsogon’s GDP was growing at an eye-popping 12.2% annually, the fastest in Bicol when the PSA released its first ever provincial accounts. This was driven by innovations in governance, high-quality public works, and a sense of political unity in the province under a strong leadership” Salceda added.
“I think that’s the way to move forward for Bicol. And I think SP Chiz is best placed to help push for the continuation of the railway to Matnog, Sorsogon, the SLEX TR 5, the internationalization of Bicol International Airport, and other key public works for our region.”
Salceda adds that Escudero has longstanding relationships with local Bicol leaders.
“He knows us. We know him. So, we know he will get things done for our people.”
“As for our relationship, it goes way back. We were freshmen in Congress around the same time, usually on opposite sides of the aisle. So, we had to work together on a lot of the compromises necessary to steer the Congress’s agenda. And I’ve always endorsed him for every single post he ever ran for – without exception.”
“Moving forward, the House under Speaker Martin and the Senate under SP Chiz will have to work together to get the budget passed early and to finish as much of President Marcos’s agenda enacted as possible.”
“I think the pace of the Senate’s legislative work will be faster under SP Chiz. We’ll get more things done.”
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