HOUSE Majority Leader and Leyte Rep. Martin G. Romualdez said Wednesday the House leadership under Speaker Lord Allan Velasco has made the necessary adjustments and sacrifices in the 2021 national budget to ensure sufficient funding for coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) vaccination and social amelioration programs.
“Now we are actually one with the President in achieving and providing the proper, appropriate and timely legislation to make the COVID pandemic and the portion of that obviously the national budget,” Romualdez, chairman of the powerful House committee on rules told House reporters during the weekly Ugnayan sa Batasan News Forum hosted by dzME’s Ed Sarto.
“We have made all the requisite adjustments, congressmen have made all the sacrifices to prioritize the vital needs of the nation, in terms of medical concerns like vaccines and social amelioration program. We are one with the President and one with you and the nation to defeat this COVID pandemic and help us recover economically,” added Romualdez, president of the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (CMD).
Despite the pandemic, the lawmaker also assured that the efficient leadership of Velasco has been working hard to pass vital legislations to help the country recover from the blows of the COVID-19.
“The Speaker is very focused on this and he is providing the efficiencies and better performance of this Congress,” Romualdez said.
“We are very confident that with the able and steady hands of the Speaker and the unified leadership, we shall achieve these goals and reach our destination to full recovery and back to prosperity in 2021.”
Romualdez, a lawyer and president of the Philippine Constitution Association (Philconsa), also extended his gratitude to the House media who have been risking their safety to cover sessions and events in the chamber and inform the Filipino people despite the pandemic.
“To our very, very important partners, the media, you are the ones who bring forward the issues, sensitize us to what is the daily in terms of the needs of our countrymen, brothers and sisters, we most appreciate these efforts of yours,” Romualdez said.
“Your job is sometimes well they say unrewarding, but I say, I assure you that you are very, very much remembered, you are always in our hearts and minds, and I hope that the Speaker feels that more than also now that he is leading the House of Representatives,” he added.
On Monday, the House unanimously approved on third and final reading a measure extending the availability of funds under Bayanihan 2.
Velasco also said the House will set aside P50 million of its internal funds for the COVID-19 vaccination of its employees and members of the House media, including their five immediate family members.
