Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez on Monday called on lawmakers to support the passage of key digital, technological, and economic reforms as the 19th Congress enters its final stretch.
“Let us pass the Open Access in Data Transmission Act to make fast, reliable internet accessible to every barangay,” Romualdez said during the resumption of House sessions in Batasan, Quezon City.
He also urged swift action on the E-Governance Act to digitize and streamline government services.
“Let us finalize the E-Governance Act so that public services become faster, smarter and less prone to red tape,” he said.
Romualdez pushed for the passage of the country’s first law on artificial intelligence, aiming to strike a balance between innovation and ethical safeguards.
“Let us pass the first-ever Philippine legislation on Artificial Intelligence, to embrace innovation while protecting ethics, privacy and human dignity,” he said.
He expressed full support for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s PHP20-per-kilo rice program, calling it a moral duty.
“Let us support the PHP20 rice program of President Marcos not just as a national policy, but as a promise to every Filipino family struggling to make ends meet,” he said.
Romualdez also highlighted the accomplishments of the 19th Congress, noting that the House acted on 27 out of 28 priority bills from the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) and passed 61 out of 64 measures under the Common Legislative Agenda.
“Let me say this with pride: This House of the People delivered,” Romualdez said. “We cracked down on smugglers and hoarders who make basic goods unaffordable for ordinary families. We gave stronger support to our rice farmers — with PHP30 billion a year for seeds, mechanization and productivity.”
He cited laws passed to address job-skills mismatches, enhance youth employment, and protect overseas Filipino workers.
“We passed the Magna Carta for Filipino Seafarers to give dignity and protection to those who power our global maritime reputation,” he said.
“These are real solutions to real problems — not just speeches, not just slogans. Tunay na malasakit, tunay na pagbabago.”
Romualdez credited the House’s achievements to unity and collaboration across party lines.
“We bridged divides. We reached across parties. We listened to one another, debated one another, but in the end, we voted for the Filipino,” he said. “We showed that in the face of challenge, this House stood strong. We chose country over color, service over self. This is the power of democracy. This is the spirit of Bagong Pilipinas.”
Between July 25, 2022, and May 28, 2025, the House filed 13,868 measures — including 11,506 bills and 2,361 resolutions. It submitted 1,451 committee reports and approved 1,493 measures on final reading, 280 of which became Republic Acts.