Tacloban City—Leyte First District Representative Yedda Marie Romualdez cited the gains during her three-year stint in the 17th Congress as she now leads the Tingog party-list for the party-list representation in the May 13 elections.
“A lot has been accomplished, yet so much remains to be done. When the opportunity to serve comes your way, I believe we need to embrace with a deep sense of duty. That is why when Tingog nominated me to its first seat—I readily accepted the challenge, knowing that if we work together as hard as we did in the last three years—we can do so much more, not only for the First District of Leyte but for the rest of the region,” said Romauldez who is now the first nominee of Tingog party-list.
“We had a fruitful term in Congress, with the bills we passed, with the projects implemented and the leadership role that was given to us. Despite being a first-termer, we were able to deliver strong results, positively impacting the quality of life in our district, of course with the help of our partners, including Tingog,” said Romualdez, who is a registered nurse.
With the support of her colleagues, Romualdez was instrumental in the passage of the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act, which provides for free college education in all state colleges and universities and the Ease of Doing Business Act, which intends to help our budding small and medium entrepreneurs.
These happened in less than two years since the start of her term in Congress.
“We passed on third reading the Alternative Learning System Bill, which aims to strengthen the alternative learning system, the Expanded Maternity Leave Bill, which enables new mothers to care for their newborn for the first hundred days and recently, the Disaster Resilience Bill, which provides for the creation of the Department of Disaster Resilience as the country’s principal agency responsible for preparing and responding to natural disasters and climate change,” the lady solon added.
A committee chair on Accounts and vice chairperson of “Interparliamentary Relations and Diplomacy,” Romualdez is also a member of Committees on Climate Change, Labor and Employment, Tourism, Trade and Industry, Women and Gender Equality.
Romualdez authored 57 Housing bills, including “The Budget Impoundment Control Act” under the Committee of Accounts that also includes the budget preparation and internal budget of the House.
Her husband, LAKAS-CMD President and former Leyte First District Representative Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, will run for the position in the district for the midterm elections.
Meanwhile, Romualdez assured her constituents that Tingog is composed of “very competent team of nominees” who are all from the region.
“We know the people and their concerns. We are more than willing to be their voice in Congress,” said Romualdez.
She cited the “integrity, dedication, and competence” of the party nominees.
“I have always been part of Tingog. In the three years that had the opportunity of representing the First District of Leyte in the House of Representatives, Tingog has always been one of our strongest, if not our foremost, partners and allies, in serving not only the First District which I represented, and also the rest of the region,” added Romualdez.
In a statement, Tingog nominees maintained that they are running for the Congress “because our people deserve our fair share – so that they will have an equal opportunity to get out of poverty into a better and brighter future.”
“This is what we hope to accomplish: Leyte and Samar comprise 4% of the country’s population. But in the last ten years, we have been receiving a little than 1% share of the national budget – funding that could have made more schools and hospitals, or build the needed infrastructure, or start-up sustainable livelihood.
“Tingog could make that happen – a louder and clear voice for the people of Samar, Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, Leyte, Southern Leyte, and Biliran in Congress!” Tingog said.
The other nominees of Tingog are Philip Jude Acidre, a former youth leader, community volunteer and political consultant, who hailed from Barugo, Leyte, as second nominee.
Jaime “Boy” Go, entrepreneur and community volunteer from Javier, Leyte, is third nominee. Go became one of the key movers during the relief operations after the 2013 Super Typhoon Yolanda.
The fourth nominee is Alexis Yu, a pharmacist and community leader from Basey, Samar while the fifth nominee is Jenifer Padual, community leader and human resource management professional from Guiuan, Eastern Samar.
