SUPORTADO ni Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez ang pagpapalakas ng mga lokal na pamahalaan upang makatuwang umano ng gobyerno ang mga ito sa pagpapaunlad ng bansa.

Inihayag ni Speaker Romualdez ang pagsuporta sa mga local government units (LGU) sa kanyang talumpati sa ika-31 national convention at election of officers ng Provincial Board Members League of the Philippines (PBMLP) na ginanap sa Manila Hotel.

SiPampanga 3rd District Provincial Board Member Ananias Canlas Jr. ang inihalal na national presidente ng liga.

“Be assured that your House of Representatives recognizes the indispensable role local governments play in national development, and is taking steps to ensure that these institutions are adequately enabled so that they can discharge their responsibilities more effectively,” sabi ni Speaker Romualdez.

Ayon kay Speaker Romualdez ikinokonsidera ng Kamara de Representantes ang pag-apruba ng House Bill(HB)  2400 upang mas mabigyan ng otonomiya ang mga LGU gayundin ang HB 790 at 1089 na naglalayong taasan ang bahagi ng national tax na napupunta sa mga lokal na pamahalaan.

Pag-aaralan din umano ng Kamara ang HB 111 na nagtutulak ng reporma sa budget upang mas maging patas ang distribusyon ng pondo.

May panukala rin umano para sa pagtatayo ng environment and natural resources management office sa lahat ng probinsya, siyudad, at munisipalidad at ang HB 493 na naglalayong magtayo ng primary care network bilang suporta sa Republic Act No. 11223, o Universal Health Care Act.

“These are but some of the measures currently pending at your House of Representatives seeking to empower local governments,” sabi ni Speaker Romualdez.

Iginiit ni Speaker Romualdez ang kahalagahan ng kooperasyon ng LGU at hinamon ang PBMLP na magbigay daan para sa kolaborasyon ng iba’t ibang probinsya.

“I encourage the incoming officers to build on the victories of the previous leadership and continue blazing the trail of inter-provincial cooperation towards development,” ani Speaker Romualdez.

“Believe me when I say that with unity of spirit, there is really much we can do. If there is one hard lesson we would do well to learn from the pandemic, it is this: cooperation is imperative,” dagdag pa nito.

“We have seen with increasing frequency how the problems we face today do not recognize arbitrary territorial boundaries. And the best way to address these problems is through collaborative action,” sabi pa ng lider ng Kamara.

Ayon kay Romualdez ang pagtutulungan ng mga LGU ang nakita niya kasama sina Representatives Yedda Marie Romualdez at Jude Acidre ng Tingog party-list nang kanilang ihain ang HB 5.

Ang HB 5 na nagtatayo ng onsite, in-city, near-city, or off-city resettlement program ay pasado na sa ikatlo at huling pagbasa ng Mababang Kapulungan ng Kongreso.

“We put forward the proposal as a better approach to the traditional way informal settlers are relocated. We observed that the relocation sites do not provide employment opportunities and livelihood as well as social services, which force those resettled to go back to areas they were originally occupying illegally,” dagdag pa ni Speaker Romualdez.