THE “purposive, action-oriented” leadership of Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez has enabled the House of Representatives to go on being an “enormously productive” one in the 19th Congress that has passed almost all of the 64 priority measures of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., sealing the chamber’s standing as strategic partner of our Chief Executive in his pursuit of a Bagong Pilipinas vision of better lives for all Filipinos, according to CamSur Rep. LRay Villafuerte.
A former CamSur governor and now president of the National Unity Party (NUP), Villafuerte said that “alongside its record legislative productivity, the House—on Romualdez’ watch—has excellently harnessed its congressional oversight function to ensure government accountability in the implementation of programs and projects, especially those meant to uplift the lives of the poor and underprivileged sectors such as senior citizens, PWDs (persons with disabilities) and solo parents.”
Villafuerte noted that, “Speaker Martin has traced the impressive performance of the 307-member House to the continued hard work and diligence of his colleagues, but, in all modestly, has failed to mention that this unbroken record of enormous legislative productivity in the 19th Congress couldn’t have happened minus the purposive, action-oriented leadership of the congressman from Leyte in shepherding through the chamber nearly all of the priority measures of the Marcos presidency.”
“As the Speaker himself has pointed out, the House’s legacy of enormous productivity “underscores the pivotal role of legislation in shaping a stronger, more inclusive Philippines,’ which, for me, seals our bigger chamber’s standing as a strategic partner of President Marcos in his vision of a prosperous and peaceful Bagong Pilipinas where no Filipino will be left behind,” Villafuerte said.
He thus called for “greater unity in the Congress and Malacañan this new year onward so we can carry on with the splendid level of cooperation and hard work by the supermajority alliance that is behind the House’s approval of 61 of the 64 priority measures that the President had either endorsed in his past State of the Nation Addresses (SONAs) or identified with the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC).
“Spelling better lives for all Filipinos, as committed by the President, has been, and continuous to be, the priority of the 307-strong House of Representatives on the Speaker’s watch, hence the need for greater unity in lieu of political discord,” said Villafuerte, who authored or co-authored 47 of the 61 priority measures passed by the House.
Villafuerte reiterated his full backing for Romualdez’s move for the House to wield its oversight powers to, among others, compel establishments to abide by laws granting discounts and other benefits to senior citizens, solo parents and PWDs.
A co-author of laws granting financial aid to the elderly and solo parents, Villafuerte has supported the Speaker last year warning non-compliant establishments that the chamber would not hesitate to exercise its oversight power to force compliance by businesses with laws granting price discounts and other economic privileges to these vulnerable sectoral groups.
Villafuerte said that the Congress has written various laws to provide economic relief to our elderly, solo parents and PWDs to help cushion the impact on them of the ever rising living standards, “but these landmark laws on social reform will mean nothing if they are honored more in the breach.”
Romualdez last year ordered a congressional investigation into the law breaches after receiving reports on numerous violations of these laws, including the policy of coffeehouse chain Starbucks to limit the 32% discount on only one food item and a drink for every visit of a senior citizen or PWD, and the reported policy of bakeshop Goldilocks to restrict the discount to only a slice of a whole cake bought.
With Romualdez as Speaker, the House has thus far passed 1,368 measures, including 166 that have become Republic Acts (RAs) or laws, of which 73 are national laws and 93 are local ones, said Villafuerte, whose NUP is the biggest power bloc in the Congress next to the Romualdez-led ruling Lakas-CMD.
Villafuerte noted the 61 of 64 bills on the Common Legislative Agenda (CLA) list passed by the House, includes 27 of the 28 measures identified by LEDAC for priority action, earning Romualdez the right to take pride in the chamber’s strong commitment to the President’s Bagong Pilipinas agenda, most particularly about measures fostering economic recovery, national development and institutional reforms.
The CamSur solon has authored or co-authored 20 of the 28 House-approved LEDAC priority measures, including seven (7) of the 11 priority measures that have already been enacted into law by President Marcos; co-authored the two measures pending in the bicameral conference committee (bicam) process, as well as 11 of the 14 other priority measures that the House had passed already on third and final reading.
The 7 new laws authored or co-authored by Villafuerte are:
• RA 12009 or the Amendments to the Government Procurement Reform Act
• RA 12010 or the Anti-Financial Accounts Scamming Act (AFASA)
• RA 12022 or the Amendments to the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act
• RA 12063 or the Enterprise-Based Education and Training (EBET) Program
• RA 12065 or the Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act
• RA 12066 or the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises to Maximize Opportunities for Reinvigorating the Economy (CREATE MORE)
• RA 12078 or the Amendments to the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL)
The two measures pending in the bicam that were co-authored by Villafuerte are those on the Blue Economy and the Amendments to the Foreign Investors’ Long-Term Lease.
Villafuerte also authored or co-authored 11 of 14 bills that the House had passed on third and final reading, among them those on:
• Reforms to Philippine Capital Markets
• Excise Tax on Single-Use Plastics
• Rationalization of the Mining Fiscal Regime
• Department of Water Resources/ National Water Resources
• Amendments to the Universal Health Care
• Open Access in Data Transmission
• Waste Treatment Technology
• Instituting a National Citizens Service Training (NCST)
Program/Mandatory Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC)
• Military and Uniformed Personnel (MUP) Pension Reform Bill
• E-Governance
• Amendments to the Philippine Immigration Act
The earlier enacted laws that Villafuerte had authored or co-authored include:
• RA 11934 or the SIM Registration Act (RA 11934)
• RA 11935 or the Postponement of Barangay/SK Elections (RA 11935)
• RA 11939 or Strengthening Professionalism in the AFP
• RA 11953 or the New Agrarian Emancipation Act
• RA 11954 or the Maharlika Investment Fund
• RA 11959 or the Regional Specialty HospitalsRA 11962 or the National Employment Recovery Strategy (NERS)/Trabaho Para sa Bayan Act
• RA 11964 or the LGU Income Classification
• RA 11966 or the Amendments to the BOT Law/PPP Bill (RA 11966)
• RA 11967 or the Internet Transaction Act/E-Commerce Law
• RA 11976 or the Ease of Paying Taxes
• RA 11981 or the Tatak Pinoy (Proudly Filipino) Act
• RA 11983 or the New Philippine Passport Act
• RA 11985 or Revitalizing the Salt Industry Bill
• RA 11985 or the Philippine Ecosystem and Natural Capital Accounting System (PENCAS)
• RA 12001 or the Real Property Valuation and Assessment Reform Act (RPVARA)
• RA 12009 or the Amendments to the Government Procurement Reform Act
• RA 12010 or the Anti-Financial Accounts Scamming Act (AFASA)
• RA 12021 or the Magna Carta of Filipino Seafarers
• RA 12022 or the Amendments to the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act
• RA 12063 or the Enterprise-Based Education and Training (EBET) Program
LEDAC refers to the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council, which is the consultative body created under RA 7640 in 1992 to draw up with, and recommend to, the President socio-economic development goals, including helping identify the priority legislative measures for the Congress to pass in support of these objectives.
Villafuerte assured the public that the NUP will, in the year ahead, remain fully supportive of the Speaker and of the legislative agenda of Mr. Marcos, “in keeping with the President’s commitment to not leave any Filipino behind in our country’s quest for high and inclusive growth.”
Earlier, the NUP formally declared its continued support for Romualdez till the end of the 19th Congress in 2025 and for the legislative agenda of President Marcos till the end of his term in 2028.
Villafuerte sees a finer year ahead for Filipinos this 2025 as the socio-economic reform agenda of President Marcos starts taking bigger strides toward much higher public spending on infrastructure, social protection and other priority programs designed to create more jobs and livelihood opportunities, and provide greater financial succor especially for poor and other underprivileged Filipinos.
He said the Philippine economy has grown into one of the strongest-performing economies in the Asia-Pacific region against all odds, on the back of the bold policies and initiatives that President Marcos has pursued since 2022 to strengthen investor confidence, enhance international relations, modernize our agriculture, sustain infrastructure modernization, create jobs and improve Filipino lives
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