Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez met Thursday with Senate President Chiz Escudero in their first official House and Senate leadership meeting at Aguado residence in Malacañang.
It 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 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.
During the discussions, Romualdez and Escudero reaffirmed their dedication to President 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,” the House leader 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.
The meeting, Romualdez said, also reviewed the progress of existing priority legislation, identifying next steps to ensure timely approvals.
Additionally, the discussions covered the 2023 SONA priority measures and the Common Legislative Agenda (CLA). The House has approved fifty-six out of fifty-nine 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 nineteen other priority measures for inclusion in the LEDAC, according to the Speaker.*
