House Speaker Ferdinand Martin RomualdezHOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES / FILE PHOTO

MANILA – Speaker Martin Romualdez on Thursday called on the bicameral conference committee (bicam) to prioritize Filipinos in the 2025 national budget and produce a spending plan that addresses their daily needs.

“We’re all here because we’ve been trusted with a responsibility. Let’s live up to that trust. Let’s have honest, productive discussions, and let’s find the common ground that puts the people first,” Romualdez said at the bicam’s first meeting.

“We owe it to every Filipino who wakes up every day trying to make ends meet, hoping that their government has their back. Let’s give them a budget that says, ‘Yes, we hear you. Yes, we care. And yes, we’re doing something about it,’” he added.

Romualdez said the bicam should not complicate its budget deliberations to reconcile the versions of the House of Representatives and the Senate.

“Let’s keep things practical and straightforward. We don’t need to overcomplicate this. Let’s focus on what will make the biggest difference for the Filipino people. The programs that matter, the services they rely on, and the investments that will move this country forward — those should be non-negotiable,” he said.

Romualdez reminded the bicam members of the gravity of their task, noting that the budget’s impact “has the power to either improve or disrupt the lives of millions of Filipinos.”

“This is no ordinary task. We’re not just crunching numbers; we’re crafting solutions to real problems faced by real people every single day,” he stressed.

Romualdez noted that the House ensured its budget version reflects key priorities, including food affordability, job creation, accessible healthcare, improved education, and disaster preparedness.

“We focused on what’s urgent: keeping food prices down, creating jobs, making healthcare accessible, improving education, and ensuring disaster preparedness,” he said. “I am confident that our colleagues in the Senate share these goals.”

Romualdez expressed optimism that the bicam could bridge the gap between legislative chambers and deliver solutions to pressing needs.

“This is where we prove that we’re capable of working together, not just as representatives of our respective chambers but as leaders who genuinely care about the future of this country,” he said.

While the two chambers have differing approaches, he highlighted the shared goal of creating an inclusive budget.

“The outcome must be the same: a budget that works for everyone — from the farmers in rural provinces to the workers in urban centers, from small business owners to young students dreaming of a better life,” he said.

“I know we can get this done, and I know we can do it right. So let’s get to work,” Romualdez said.

Meanwhile, House Appropriations Committee chairperson Elizaldy Co highlighted the budget’s critical role in sustaining government operations and advancing essential services.

“This budget is the lifeblood of our nation. It enables government to operate effectively and deliver essential services to the Filipino people,” Co said.

Co said the proposed budget also ensures continuing progress under the Marcos administration’s eight-point socioeconomic agenda, which aims to lower the poverty rate to a single digit and elevate the country’s status to an upper-middle-income economy.

“The Official Poverty Statistics for 2023 show a compelling narrative of progress. Poverty incidence has fallen to 15.5 percent, a significant improvement from 18.1 percent in 2021. This means 2.45 million Filipinos were lifted out of poverty in the last two years,” Co said.

Co further noted that the number of food-poor individuals declined from 6.5 million in 2021 to 4.484 million in 2023, reflecting the direct benefits of socioeconomic initiatives supported in the budget.

“These figures speak loudly of the changes in the lives of many poor Filipinos. They are direct beneficiaries of the initiatives and socio-economic programs we supported in this budget. They represent lives changed, families given hope, and communities strengthened,” Co said.

Co emphasized the budget’s role in addressing inflation, climate change impacts, and providing hope to vulnerable sectors.

“By continuing the socio-economic programs and infrastructure investments in this budget, we will profoundly impact every Filipino battling inflation and the impact of calamities brought by climate change,” he said. “More importantly, this budget will bring hope and optimism to vulnerable sectors that look to us for leadership and support.”

READ: Japan to hire more Filipinos — Speaker Romualdez

As the bicam deliberations progress, Co urged lawmakers to reconcile their differences and align efforts with the administration’s priorities.

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“Let us seize this opportunity to shape the legacy of our collective work—one that reflects our shared commitment to build a stronger, more equitable, more resilient Philippineslucky royal,” Co said.

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