Speaker Martin Romualdez met with Senate President Chiz Escudero in their first official House and Senate leadership meeting at Aguado residence in Malacañang.
This historic event marks a significant step in fostering greater unity and collaboration between the two chambers to effectively address the challenges facing the nation and work towards a brighter future for all Filipinos, according to Romualdez.
“This meeting symbolizes a renewed and reinvigorated partnership between the House of Representatives and the Senate.”
“This meeting symbolizes a renewed and reinvigorated partnership between the House of Representatives and the Senate under the leadership of Senate President Escudero,” said the Speaker, adding that the meeting serves as a preliminary to the full Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) meeting on June 25.
“Together, we are committed to working hand-in-hand to pass key legislation that will significantly benefit the Filipino people,” the veteran legislator added.
Those who joined the meeting were Senate Majority Leader Francis “Tol” Tolentino, House Majority Leader Mannix Dalipe, Senior Deputy Speaker Dong Gonzales Jr., Deputy Speaker Jay-jay Suarez, House Committee on Appropriations Chairman Zaldy Co, Presidential Legislative Liaison Office (PLLO) Secretary Dong Mendoza, Undersecretary Adrian Carlos Bersamin of the Office of the Executive Secretary, House Secretary General Reggie Velasco, Deputy Secretary General Jef Baquiran, Deputy Secretary General Robert David Amorin, Head Executive Assistant Director V Atty. Muel Romero, Senate Secretary Renato Bantug, Deputy Secretary Atty. Mavic Garcia, and Atty. Roland Tan, Escudero’s chief of staff.
During the discussions, Romualdez and Escudero reaffirmed their dedication to Marcos’ legislative agenda, prioritizing measures aimed at improving the lives of Filipino citizens.
Their collaboration, Romualdez said, is crucial for the early approval of these priority measures, ensuring swift and effective implementation.
“Our joint efforts with the Senate reflect our collective resolve to push forward the President’s priority measures,” he said as they initially discussed the legislative calendar for the 3rd Regular Session of the 19th Congress.
“With Senate President Escudero’s dynamic leadership, I am confident that we can expedite the legislative process, ensuring that the benefits reach our people without delay,” Romualdez added.
He noted that a key focus of the meeting was the amendments to the Rice Tariffication Law, identified as a top priority.
These amendments aim to provide quality affordable rice to Filipinos and increase the income of Filipino farmers.
“Amending the Rice Tariffication Law is a crucial step towards ensuring food security and economic stability for our farmers.”
“Amending the Rice Tariffication Law is a crucial step towards ensuring food security and economic stability for our farmers,” Romualdez emphasized.
“We are committed to making quality rice affordable for all Filipinos while boosting the livelihoods of our local farmers,” he said.
The meeting, Romualdez said, also reviewed the progress of existing priority legislation, identifying next steps to ensure timely approvals.
“The focus remains on the twenty LEDAC priority measures targeted for approval by June 2024, with significant advancements already made, including ten measures approved by both Houses, one enacted into law, and several others in various stages of the legislative process,” he explained.
Additionally, the discussions covered the 2023 SONA priority measures and the Common Legislative Agenda (CLA). The House has approved 56 out of 59 measures identified in the CLA, with the remaining measures – Amendments to the EPIRA, National Defense Act, and Budget Modernization Bill – still under consideration.
The prioritization of legislative measures for the adjournments of October and December 2024 was also addressed, along with the proposal of 19 other priority measures for inclusion in the LEDAC, according to Romualdez.
“This partnership between the House and Senate is not just about passing laws; it’s about making a tangible difference in the lives of Filipinos,” Romualdez emphasized.
“We are committed to an efficient and cohesive legislative process that will bring about meaningful reforms and improvements for our country,” he added.
