Only a handful of reelected congressmen were able to retain their committee chairmanships for the fledgling 19th Congress.
This was the case as far as the latest list of House panel chairmanships sent to reporters is concerned.
The designations to the House panels were made official via omnibus motion from majority leader and Zamboanga City 2nd district Rep. Mannix Dalipe. The motion was approved during the plenary session on Wednesday night, July 27.
Based on the list, only Reps. Wilfredo Mark Enverga (Committee on Agriculture and Food), Christopher de Venecia (Committee on Creative Industry and Performing Arts), Robert Ace Barbers (Committee on Dangerous Drugs), Elpidio Barzaga (Committee on Environment and Natural Resources), Francisco Benitez (Committee on Housing and Urban Development) Glona Labadlabad (Committee on Inter-Parliamentary Relations and Diplomacy), and Florida Robes (Committee on People’s Participation) managed to retain their chairmanships from the previous 18th Congress.
The complete list of Wednesday's committee chairmanship designations is as follows:
Agrarian Reforms – Rep. Solomon Chungalao
Agriculture and Food – Rep. Wilfredo Mark Enverga
Aquaculture – Rep. Alfredo Marañon
Cooperatives Development – Rep. Nicanor Briones
Dangerous Drugs – Rep. Robert Ace Barbers
Disaster Resilience – Rep. Alan Ecleo
Environment and Natural Resources -- Rep. Elpidio Barzaga
Games and Amusement – Rep. Antonio Ferrer
Government Enterprises and Privatization – Rep. Edwin Olivarez
Housing and Urban Development – Rep. Kiko Benitez
Labor and Employment – Rep. Juan Fidel Nograles
Legislative Franchises – Rep. Gus Tambunting
Local Government – Rep. Rex Gatchalian
Public Order and Safety – Rep. Dan Fernandez
Metro Manila Development – Rep. Rolando Valeriano
Overseas Workers Affairs – Rep. Ron Salo
Peoples Participation – Rep. Rida Robes
Transportation – Rep. Romeo Acop
Special Committee on Creative Industries – Rep. Christopher de Venecia
Sessions in the 19th Congress only began last Monday, July 25. The first act the House members did for the purpose of reorganizing themselves for the new congress was to elect a speaker. Leyte 1st district Rep. Martin Romualdez ended up being elected for the position in overwhelming fashion.