House Speaker Martin Romualdez (left), President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. (Speaker’s office)

It was the Nationalista Party's (NP) turn Tuesday, Jan. 7 to recognize the partnership of House Speaker Martin Romualdez and President Marcos, particularly in the arena of legislation.

Hailing the duo's leadership and vision in the current 19th Congress were Deputy Speaker Las Piñas City 1st district Rep. Camille Villar, Surigao del Norte 2nd district Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, and Romblon lone district Rep. Eleandro Jesus Madrona.

President Marcos and Speaker Romualdez are the chairman and president, respectively, of the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP) and Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD). They are cousins.

The alignment of the 19th Congress’ priorities with Malacañang's Bagong Pilipinas agenda has been credited to the good working relationship of the two leaders.

Under Romualdez’s warch, the House of Representatives has approved 27 out of 28 Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) priority measures, including landmark laws such as the Anti-Financial Accounts Scamming Act, the VAT on Digital Transactions and the Self-Reliant Defense Posture Act.

“Speaker Romualdez’s leadership ensures na ang bawat hakbang natin sa Kamara ay may direksyon at malinaw na layunin para sa ikabubuti ng lahat,” Barbers said. 

(Speaker Romualdez’s leadership ensures that each step we take in the House has a  direction and clear purpose, which is for the betterment of everyone.)

“Siya ang nangunguna sa pagbibigay diin sa pagkakaisa at pagtutulungan ng lahat ng political parties,” he added.

(He is also the foremost giver when it comes to unity and cooperation to all political parties.)

Villar noted that the Speaker’s leadership style--which fosters collaboration across party lines--had been pivotal in achieving legislative objectives and beyond. 

“With Speaker Romualdez at the helm, we’ve proven that unity in Congress can lead to great outcomes. Ang masipag at masinsin niyang trabaho ang gumagabay sa atin para maipasa ang mga batas na may tunay na benepisyo sa ating mga kababayan,” Villar said.

(His industriousness and quality of work guide us in our passage of laws that lead torel benefits to our countrymen.)

“Bilang tagapamuno ng Kamara, si Speaker Romualdez ay nangunguna sa pagtutulak ng tunay na reporma para sa ating bansa. Hindi lamang ito tungkol sa dami ng naipasang batas kundi sa kalidad at benepisyo ng mga ito sa sambayanang Pilipino,” Madrona chimed in.

(As the leader of the House, Speaker Romualdez is the prime mover of true reform for our country. This isn't solely about the quantity of laws passed, but about the quality of the benefits that these bring to the Filipino nation.)

The other LEDAC priority measures that have been enacted are the Amendments to the Government Procurement Reform Act, Amendments to the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act, Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning Program (ARAL) Act, Enterprise-Based Education and Training (EBET) Program Act, Philippine Maritime Zones Act, Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act, the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises-Maximize Opportunities for Reinvigorating the Economy (CREATE MORE) Law, and Amendments to the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL).

The NP stalwarts also underscored how Romualdez--Leyte's 1st district congressman--has managed to foster an environment of cooperation in the 300-plus strong House.

“He promotes camaraderie and unity among lawmakers, enabling us to focus on what truly matters – serving our citizens and passing legislation that improves their lives,” Villar said.

Barbers added that NP fully supports the direction set by Speaker Romualdez and President Marcos Jr. for 2025. 

Madrona said: “We are witnessing a productive and unified House, and it’s largely because of Speaker Romualdez’s example. He sets the tone, and everyone follows suit."