The House of Representatives will center its legislative work on the urgent needs of ordinary Filipinos as it opens the 20th Congress, with a focus on food, employment, education and public health.

“We will build an economy not just for the top 1 percent, but for the struggling 99 percent — an economy where ordinary people don’t just survive, they succeed,” Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez said in a speech during the resumption of session Tuesday.

He emphasized that the goal of the House is to bring the government closer to the people by aligning its agenda with the priorities laid out by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. in his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA).

For food security, he said the House would pass the proposed Rice Industry and Consumer Empowerment (RICE) Act to ensure a stable supply of affordable rice while protecting farmers from exploitation.

He said smuggling, hoarding and price manipulation must be eliminated through better law enforcement and agricultural reforms.

He also announced plans to expand irrigation and post-harvest infrastructure, alongside efforts to modernize farming to make agriculture more profitable.

The Speaker said the House would institutionalize the Walang Gutom Program in the 2026 national budget through monthly electronic food credits for vulnerable families.

“Sa bayan ng masisipag na magsasaka, walang karapatang magutom ang mamamayan (In the land of hardworking farmers, the people have no right to get hungry),” Romualdez said.

On employment, Speaker Romualdez said legislation must generate dignified and sustainable work, particularly through support for small businesses, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) programs, and access to capital.

He also backed the President’s push to develop industries like automotive, electronics, biotechnology and construction to create long-term jobs.

“Ang trabaho ay hindi lamang kabuhayan, kakambal nito ang dangal. Ito ang kinabukasan (Work is not just livelihood. It gives dignity. It is the future),” he said.

In education, Romualdez committed to bridging the gap for underserved learners by passing the Last Mile Schools Act and amending the Expanded Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education (E-GASTPE) Law.

The Speaker also vowed to expand the Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) Program and strengthen mental health support in schools.

“Ang edukasyon ay hindi dapat premyo sa may kaya, kundi karapatan ng bawat bata (Education should not be a prize for the elite, but a right of everyone),” he said.

On health care, Romualdez reiterated the House’s goal to achieve zero billing and eliminate out-of-pocket costs in all government hospitals.

He said this would be matched by the deployment of more health workers in remote areas and improved access to essential medicines.

He also identified peace and order as a central priority, saying that laws must guarantee not only the absence of conflict but also the presence of justice and opportunity.

He said this included support for local peace and order councils, law enforcement, and national electrification.

“Kapag may kapayapaan, may kinabukasang tiyak (When there is peace, the future is bright),” he said.

Meanwhile, Romualdez committed to fast-tracking defense modernization and disaster resilience, citing the need to protect lives, not just territory.

He also echoed the President’s call for full household electrification by 2028 and promised the House would allocate the resources needed to meet that target.

On governance, the Speaker called for a shift toward a more responsive bureaucracy, and called on the House to pass laws to digitalize services, eliminate red tape and professionalize public service.

Romualdez ended his address with a call to action, urging his colleagues to legislate with compassion and to earn the public’s trust through meaningful reforms.

“Let the 20th Congress be a turning point — not just in the laws we pass, but in the lives we changed,” he said. “We are the House of the People. Let us be remembered for being worthy of that name.” (PNA)