LEYTE 1st District Rep. Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez was reelected unopposed as Speaker of the House of Representatives on Monday, securing a second consecutive term with overwhelming support from the chamber’s supermajority coalition at the opening of the 20th Congress.
This marks the second straight time that Speaker Romualdez clinched the top post without a challenger— a clear show of unity and confidence in his leadership.
Speaker Romualdez, who also served as Speaker in the 19th Congress, reclaimed the top House post with a landslide vote of confidence from lawmakers, reaffirming his leadership as the chamber’s presiding officer and legislative strategist under the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.
Speaker Romualdez received a total of 269 votes for the speakership.
In the presence of his family led by his wife, Tingog Party-list Yedda K. Romualdez, Speaker Romualdez took his oath of office before Bulacan Rep. Salvador Aquino Pleyto Sr.
House Secretary General Reginald “Reggie” S. Velasco, the presiding officer of the session, named Iloilo Rep. Lorenz R. Defensor as acting floor leader to ensure an orderly proceedings.
His unopposed nomination was formally delivered by Quezon 2nd District Rep. David “Jay-jay” Suarez, a stalwart of the ruling Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD).
Suarez hailed Speaker Romualdez’s transformative leadership in the previous Congress, crediting him for turning the House into “a true House of the People — responsive to the needs of the nation, attuned to the voice of the common Filipino, and anchored in the values of unity, service and progress.”
“Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez is not only a public servant of experience and stature — he is a leader of empathy, integrity and conviction. A unifier. A reformer. A partner of the President and a champion of the people,” Suarez said.
Reaffirm commitment to good governance
“Let us entrust the Speakership to a man who has already shown us what dignified, decisive and compassionate leadership looks like. Let us reaffirm our commitment to good governance by placing the gavel once more in capable, steady hands,” he added.
Speaker Romualdez’s nomination was swiftly seconded by key leaders representing the country’s largest political parties, signaling broad consensus across party lines.
Presidential son and Ilocos Norte 1st District Rep. Ferdinand Alexander A. Marcos seconded the nomination on behalf of the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP), the President’s party.
Quezon 1st District Rep. Mark Enverga seconded the nomination on behalf of the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC), Antipolo 1st District Rep. Ronaldo V. Puno for the National Unity Party (NUP), and Misamis Oriental 2nd District Rep. Yevgeny Vincente Emano for the Nacionalista Party (NP).
Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) Party-list Rep. Raymond Democrito Mendoza of the Party-list Coalition Foundation Inc. likewise expressed full support for Speaker Romualdez’s continued speakership, cementing backing from party-list representatives who comprise a significant voting bloc in the chamber.
Speaker Romualdez’s reelection marks the continuity of leadership that oversaw one of the most productive legislative terms in recent memory.
During the 19th Congress, the House passed a series of priority measures aligned with the Bagong Pilipinas agenda, including 61 out of 64 priority measures outlined by the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC); strengthened executive-legislative coordination, and earned public trust through transparency, responsiveness and inclusive governance.
The trust rating of Speaker Romualdez rose from 26% to 34% based on the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey. Public trust in the House of Representatives also climbed from 34% in April to 49% in May, and reached 57% in June.
Not just experience, but character
According to Suarez, Speaker Romualdez “brought not just experience, but character — marked by quiet strength, strategic foresight, and unwavering commitment to public service.”
“With clarity of vision and steadiness of hand, he championed landmark reforms, strengthened legislative–executive cooperation, and ensured that every voice, regardless of affiliation or region, found space in our national conversation,” Suarez said.
Suarez emphasized that Romualdez’s leadership style sets him apart from traditional politics.
“Colleagues, I have seen firsthand how Speaker Romualdez works — not for the spotlight, but for results. His leadership transcends titles; it is grounded in listening, guided by principle, and driven by an enduring faith in the Filipino people,” he said.
He added: “In the face of adversity, he remains calm. Under pressure, he stays grounded. Amid political divisions, he builds bridges. And in times of doubt, he leads with heart.”
Suarez also cited Speaker Romualdez’s track record during the previous Congress, describing it as “one of the most productive and purposeful legislative terms in recent memory.”
“We passed priority measures that advanced the goals of Bagong Pilipinas, empowered communities, and created pathways for inclusive and sustainable growth,” Suarez said. “But more than numbers or laws, he gave us direction — and he gave the public something more important than power: trust.”
That trust, Suarez stressed, was “earned through hard work, transparency, and a kind of leadership that listens more than it speaks, delivers more than it promises, and unites more than it divides.”
