For Leyte 1st district Rep. Martin Romualdez, silence is not an option during times of heavy rains and flood, when Filipinos might be teetering between life and death.

“Hindi tayo maaaring manahimik habang lumulubog ang mga komunidad at nangangamba ang ating mga kababayan. Public service doesn’t stop when Congress is out of session. Ngayon mismo, dapat tayong kumilos,” Romualdez, the 19th Congress speaker, said in a statement Monday, July 21.

(We cannot remain silent while communities sink and our fellow citizens live in fear. Public service doesn’t stop when Congress is out of session. We must act now.)

This, as Romualdez activated the disaster monitoring and relief efforts under his congressional office to assist fellow House members whose districts are now battling the aftermath of Typhoon "Crising" and rains intensified by the southwest monsoon (Habagat).

“I’ve been through this myself—my home province of Leyte has seen the worst of disasters. Kaya ramdam ko ang bigat na dinaranas ng mga pamilya ngayon. Sa oras ng sakuna, hindi dapat nag-iisa ang sinoman (That’s why I deeply feel the weight families are bearing today. In times of calamity, no one should be left alone),” he said.

Romualdez was referring to his harrowing experience in November 2013 when Super Typhoon "Yolanda" struck his hometown of Tacloban City, Leyte.

“My staff and Tingog Party-list are reaching out to House members whose districts are overwhelmed,” Romualdez, president of the dominant Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD), said.

His congressional office and Tingog Party-list have reopened its Relief Coordination Desk, which became a lifeline for many lawmakers during the height of previous typhoons and the COVID-19 pandemic. This dedicated team will be a one-stop hub for urgent requests and field coordination.

Romualdez called on Filipinos to extend help in any form they can.

“Kahit hindi ka kongresista, kahit hindi ka opisyal—lahat tayo may papel sa pagtulong, kasama ang pagdarasal para sa kaligtasan ng mga nasalanta (Even if you’re not a member of Congress, even if you’re not an official—each of us has a role to play in helping, including praying for the safety of those affected)," he said.

In a separate statement Monday, Romualdez stressed the need to "legislate and institutionalize resilience and readiness into our national development strategy", as a way to "ensure consistency, efficiency, and sustainability".

The former House chief says there is a need for legislation that would embed climate resilience into the country’s disaster strategy, including the permanent funding and establishment of disaster relief hubs nationwide.

Building permanent disaster hubs and codifying preparedness protocols into law, Romualdez said, would be essential for the country’s long-term safety.

“Calamities do not follow a schedule. Our response mechanisms shouldn’t depend solely on executive discretion or seasonal budget availability,” he said.

Crising, which exited the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) Saturday morning, combined with the prevailing southwest monsoon or habagat, triggered massive flooding in many areas across the country, including the metropolis.

Romualdez welcomed President Marcos' directive to establish more disaster response centers across the country, especially with the effects of recent typhoons.

"We fully support the President’s proactive move to expand the country’s disaster response infrastructure," he said.

The veteran solon from Leyte also commended the President for skipping a scheduled infrastructure inspection to personally oversee emergency preparations. He says it “speaks volumes about his administration’s priorities".