SPEAKER Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez on Monday vowed that the House of Representatives would continue to pursue its investigations that aim to eventually bring down prices of rice and other food items and electricity.
He made the commitment in remarks at the resumption of the session of the 19th Congress after its Christmas recess.
“Good governance demands transparency and accountability. This chamber is the vanguard of that principle. In the coming weeks, we will hold oversight hearings to ensure that the people’s money serves the people’s needs,” he told his colleagues.
“We will investigate the smuggling and hoarding that undermine our farmers and inflate food prices. We will probe ₱206 billion in disallowed expenditures by the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP), ensuring energy reforms that lower electricity costs,” he said.
The leader of the 307-strong House said his chamber would also “demand answers for ₱11.18 billion worth of expired medicines and underutilized Philhealth funds – an affront to every Filipino who struggles for access to healthcare,” he said.
“And we will scrutinize the alleged misuse of confidential funds, for no peso must go unaccounted for,” he added.
The Quinta Comm and the committee on ways and means have starting looking into the high cost of rice and other agricultural products, and of electricity and alleged violations by NGCP of its legislative franchise.
NGCP is the transmission monopoly owned 40 percent by China and 60 percent by billionaire Filipino-Chinese partners.
“Let this be our promise: public trust is sacred, and this House will never betray it,” Speaker Romualdez said.
“Sa mga umaatake sa atin para tumigil tayo sa mga imbestigasyon, may mensahe tayo sa kanila. Itutuloy natin ang trabahong ini-atang sa atin ng mamamayan. Hindi tayo aatras sa anumang laban para sa bayan,” he said.
At the same time, the House leader took pride in what the House has accomplished in 2024.
“Last year, our nation weathered storms yet remained resilient,” he said.
He said early projections indicate “a solid growth rate in the range of 5.9 percent to 6.5 percent, despite the challenges brought about by a series of typhoons and global economic uncertainties.”
“This performance is a testament to the industriousness of every Filipino farmer, worker and entrepreneur who continue to drive our economy forward,” he said.
“This growth is the fruit of visionary leadership under President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and his transformative Build, Better, More infrastructure program, which injected over ₱1.2 trillion into projects that now connect dreams to opportunities across the archipelago,” he stressed.
However, Speaker Romualdez pointed out that economic growth should benefit the ordinary Filipino.
“Yet, let us be clear: numbers alone cannot define progress. Progress is meaningful only if it uplifts the lives of our people. Para saan ang pag-unlad kung hindi makikinabang ang ordinaryong Pilipino?” Speaker Romualdez asked.
He said while the nation achieved economic progress, inflation remained a big challenge.
“Thanks to decisive action, inflation eased to 4.9%, but the burden remains heavy for many families. Programs like Ayuda sa Kapos ang Kita Program (AKAP) and Kadiwa ng Pangulo were launched not just as economic interventions but as expressions of our empathy. Governance, after all, must be both strategic and compassionate,” he said.
He also cited the accomplishments of the House in terms of approved legislative measures.
“In 2024, this chamber achieved an extraordinary milestone: 183 measures became laws. But true success lies not in the quantity of laws passed but, in their quality – how they change lives,” he said.
