House Speaker Ferdinand Martin RomualdezHOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — The different investigations done by the House of Representatives will continue as the chamber returns to work, Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez said on Monday.

In his speech at the resumption of the 19th Congress’ third and final regular session, Romualdez mentioned four issues that different committees are either currently probing or are set to investigate:

“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,” Romualdez said.

“Let this be our promise: public trust is sacred, and this House will never betray it. Sa mga umaatake sa atin para tumigil tayo sa mga imbestigasyon, may mensahe tayo sa kanila: itutuloy natin ang trabaho na ini-atang sa atin ng mamamayan.  Hindi tayo aatras sa anumang laban para sa bayan,” he added.

(To those who attack us so that we can stop our investigations, we have a message for them: We will continue doing the job entrusted to us by the people.  We would not back away from any fight for the country.)

The House has had a busy year in 2024, with different panels launching investigations, including the House quad committee which checked on the illegal activities linked to Philippine offshore gaming operators, the illicit drug trade, and extrajudicial killings during the past administration’s drug war.

But aside from the quad committee, the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability also launched an investigation of allegations that Vice President Sara Duterte’s offices — the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and, previously, the Department of Education (DepEd) — misused its confidential fund (CF) allocations.

READ: VP Duterte, OVP execs may face plunder raps for secret fund ‘misuse’ 

Over the course of the panel’s hearings, it was revealed that some of the acknowledgement receipts (ARs) for the CFs were signed by a Mary Grace Piattos — which Antipolo 2nd District Rep. Romeo Acop said bears a first name similar to a coffee shop, and a surname that is a famous potato chip brand.

Later on, Lanao del Sur 1st District Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong showed two ARs — one for OVP and another for the DepEd — which were both received by a certain Kokoy Villamin.  However, the signatures and handwriting of Villamin differed.

READ: House probe: OVP, DepEd CFs received by same man, different signatures 

The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) eventually said that the names Mary Grace Piattos and Kokoy Villamin do not exist within their live birth, marriage, and death registry.  Furthermore, PSA said that they have no records of the more than 400 names on the ARs for the DepEd’s CFs.

Romualdez also touted the country’s achievements regarding the economy, while also reminding the House members that there are still challenges which the Congress must address — like inflation.

“Last year, our nation weathered storms yet remained resilient.  While the final growth domestic product figures for 2024 are still awaited, 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,” he said.

“This performance is a testament to the industriousness of every Filipino farmer, worker, and entrepreneur who continue to drive our economy forward,” he added.  “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?”

(What is progress for if the ordinary Filipino would not benefit from it?)

Last January 9, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said that unemployment numbers went down by 3.2 percent in November — from 12.6 percent the previous month to 10.8 percent.  Romualdez said this indicates that the government has the right economic policies in place.

READ: PSA: PH unemployment eased in November 2024 to 3.2% 

According to the PSA, a nationwide survey of 11,276 households showed that there were 1.66 million individuals who were either jobless or out of business in November, lower than the 1.97 million recorded in October.

Furthermore, the quality of available work also improved, compared to October 2024 when the unemployment rate went down but the quality of jobs worsened.

Despite these reports, many Filipinos still feel poor.  A Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey released last Wednesday showed that 63 percent of Filipinos surveyed considered themselves as poor — the highest number since 2003.

READ: SWS: Self-rated poverty at 63%, highest since 2003 

Romualdez said that the government was able to manage the issues thanks to intervention programs, like the Ayuda sa Kapos ang Kita Program (AKAP).

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“While economic growth brought pride, inflation remained a challenge.  Thanks to decisive action, inflation eased to 4.9 percent, but the burden remains heavy for many families,” he said.

“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 added.

The Japanese Embassy in Manila provided the grant to the Pilipinas Shell Foundation, Inc., which will lead the capacity-building programs for beneficiary farmers.

Speaking before the Asean Business and Investment Summit on Wednesday in Laosye7, Marcos made the pitch for the Philippines as an ideal hub for smart and sustainable manufacturing.

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