House Speaker Martin Romualdez is taking a firm stand on two urgent issues that matter most to Filipinos: job creation and food security. A recent Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey has sent a clear message—93 percent of Filipinos want leaders who prioritize more jobs and stronger agricultural support.
The SWS survey, conducted in April 2025 and commissioned by Stratbase Group, underscores what the House of Representatives has already been pushing. Romualdez, leading the 306-member chamber, vowed to keep these priorities at the forefront as the 20th Congress begins.
“We are already on this path—crafting laws and policies that deliver decent jobs, affordable food, and an economy for all Filipinos,” Romualdez said. His game plan includes fast-tracking bills to empower micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), promote agrarian innovation, and safeguard workers’ rights.
In recent years, the House has laid the groundwork for a stronger economy. The “Trabaho Para sa Bayan Act” (RA No.11962) created a National Employment Master Plan aligning education and training with industry needs. Meanwhile, the “Public-Private Partnership Code of 2023” (RA No.11966) simplifies infrastructure investment rules, making it easier to launch big projects.
Digital jobs also got a boost from the “Internet Transactions Act” (RA No.11967), establishing an E-Commerce Bureau to protect online buyers and sellers and professionalize Philippine e-commerce. For local entrepreneurs, the “One Town, One Product Philippines Act” (RA No.11960) delivers focused support to help MSMEs grow and hire more workers.
Romualdez sees all these laws as pieces of a bigger puzzle: “They create an ecosystem that opens more doors to decent work for Filipinos.”
On food security, the House is pairing long-term reforms with quick boosts to farmers. The “New Agrarian Emancipation Act” (RA No.11953) wiped out ₱57.56 billion in land debt for over 610,000 agrarian reform beneficiaries. This frees up money for seeds, fertilizers, and machinery—direct inputs that increase harvests.
Rice farmers also have reason to cheer. RA No.12078, passed late 2024, extended and tripled funding for the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) until 2031. This ensures better tools, certified seeds, irrigation, and soil health programs to raise productivity.
“Through these laws, we are giving farmers real capital—not just hope,” Romualdez said. “Higher and cheaper yields mean savings for all of us in the palengke.”
On top of these measures, the House supports the Palace’s ₱20 rice program. This subsidy aims to keep rice affordable for low-income families while nationwide logistics are worked out.
Romualdez pledged, “We are committed to sustaining and expanding the ₱20 Rice Program as a permanent pillar of our food security efforts, beyond political cycles. This initiative, backed by government subsidy and local partnerships, ensures affordable food for every Filipino, especially the vulnerable.”
His push aligns with the Alyansa ng Bagong Pilipinas candidates, who share the same mission—to prioritize livelihoods, support farmers and fishers, and protect workers at home and abroad.
As the country looks ahead, the House of Representatives, led by Romualdez, is clearly focused on turning urgent concerns into real opportunities — making jobs more accessible and food more affordable for every Filipino household.