House Majority Leader and Leyte 1st District Rep. Martin Romualdez is hopeful that a brighter future awaits all Filipinos in 2022 as the recent presidential aspirants' act to help those in need after the onslaught of Typhoon "Odette" proves we can "still remove the shackles of political divide" among us.

In his New Year's message on Friday, Dec. 31, Romualdez believed that while 2021 "may be unkind" to those affected by COVID-19 and "Odette," he said he has reasons to believe that "a brighter future awaits all of us in the year 2022."

For the past two weeks that he joined his presidential and vice presidential bets in their relief efforts for "Odette" victims, he said he has seen "up close that despair does not have enough sting to kill the Filipino spirit."

Never have I seen a people so united in casting aside gloom to rebuild their lives and their communities. For once, our leaders set aside their political differences to join the people in bringing aid to the needy. No colors. No religion. Just the good, old Filipino spirit of bayanihan at work," he said.

For the lawmaker, "the display of unity offers us hope that Filipinos can still remove the shackles of political divide to chart a new and better course for the next generation."

"I have no doubt that this showcase of unity will be replicated in other parts of the country in the days to come," he said.

"Sa pagkakaisang ito, naniniwala ako na kaya nating bumangon muli (With this unity, I hope we can rise up again)," he added.