Nueva Ecija Third District Representative Rosanna “Ria” Vergara is a mixture of competence, grace, and kindness. Many recognize her for her capability and effectiveness in her roles in public service and the corporate world.
She remains prepared to face any challenge and shoulder all responsibilities that come her way, leveraging her years of professional experience on top of her academic qualifications, consisting of a Business Management degree from Ateneo de Manila University, an Apparel Production Management Associate Degree from the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, and a MBA (Master’s in Business Administration) from Harvard Business School.
Her experience as a business executive, wherein she manages the Cabanatuan Electric Corporation (CELCOR) and First Cabanatuan Ventures Corporation (FCVC), two electric utility providers that are significant contributors to the socio-economic development of Cabanatuan City, the most populous city in Nueva Ecija, also steeled her to rise to the occasion of being a public leader.
As a distinct representative, she serves as her district’s voice in the legislature and is known to be one of the most hardworking lawmakers in the House of Representatives. Aside from the many bills she has pushed and multiple infrastructure projects she has supported, her office serves as a crucial facilitator of various social assistance programs of the government, including the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), and the Philippine Charity and Sweepstakes Office’s (PCSO) employment and educational assistance programs, as well as the Department of Health (DOH) and Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) medical and financial assistance programs.
Rep. Vergara ensures that aid reaches her district’s poor and low-income households and families on time and with adequate safeguards. She is an excellent example to her peers, especially because she is the Chairperson of the Committee on Social Services for the 19th Congress in the House of Representatives.
Meanwhile, as a selfless civic leader, she is an active proponent of several social and charitable activities in her province. She directly leads and assists in food distribution programs, student financial assistance projects, penal institution visits, and medical missions within her district. In 2015, she established and personally funded the “Alagang Ina” Program, which assists pregnant women and their infants. In 2016, she started the “Kalinga sa Kabataan” program, which provides financial assistance to students from Senior High to College. In 2023, she launched the “Lingkod Kalusugan” Medical Mission program, providing residents with free health consultations and medicine. She not only extended personal funds to the social projects she has initiated, but she also shared her own money to purchase some heavy equipment to assist infrastructure projects and needs of the whole district. Selfless service is undeniably in her nature.
Infrastructure projects during Rep. Vergara’s term resulted in 42 bridges, 112 flood mitigation or slope protection initiatives, and 90 school buildings, adding 662 more classrooms to foster quality education and a conducive learning environment in the region.
She takes her constituents’ needs and amplifies their solutions immensely by giving them a voice in the House of Representatives to get better outcomes and opportunities that foster holistic community growth.
Since 2016, the district representative spearheaded various development projects in her jurisdiction, including expanding the Dr. Paulino J. Garcia Memorial Research and Medical Center (PJGMRMC) and increasing its bed capacity from 400 to 1,000 through Republic Act 11704.
Rep. Vergara also collaborated closely with the Department of Agriculture (DA) to provide Cold Storage Facilities in Barangay Marcos Village in Palayan City and Barangays Pesa and Lusok in Bongabon.
In the House of Representatives, Rep. Vergara filed House Bill 00451, An Act Encouraging Social Corporate Responsibility to empower industries to give back to their community through sustainability, livelihood assistance, and other initiatives.
As of this writing, the esteemed district representative is the principal author of 269 bills and has co-authored 189 others.
Rep. Vergara works hand-in-hand with her farmer constituents in the third district of Nueva Ecija to contribute to Bagong Pilipinas’ goal of ensuring food security in the country. Through their united efforts, they hope to see a significant positive change toward sustainable development in the food industry and continue doing their part in building a better Philippines for the generations ahead.
When asked what legacy she wants to leave in the third district, she answered, “Sana matandaan nila ako bilang isang leader na nakikinig, tumutugon, gumagawa at, ang pinakamahalaga, madaling lapitan at handang maglingkod sa lahat ng nangangailangan.”