House reaffirms commitment to job creation, food security

 

MANILA, Philippines —The House of Representatives has reaffirmed its commitment to addressing concerns about job creation and food security, Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez said on Sunday.

Citing a recent Social Weather Stations survey revealing that 93 percent of Filipinos are most likely to vote for a candidate whose advocacy focuses on increasing job opportunities and ensuring food security, Romualdez said that the survey confirmed the legislative direction they have been proactively pursuing in recent months and years.

READ: Voters favor bets who focus on jobs, food security — SWS survey

He also highlighted Republic Act 11962, or the “Trabaho Para sa Bayan Act,” and RA 11966, or the “Public-Private Partnership Code of 2023,” which helped strengthen the country’s job generation engine.

“Ang lahat ng batas na ito, kapag pinagsama-sama, ay lumilikha ng isang buong ecosystem na nagbubukas ng mas maraming oportunidad para sa disenteng trabaho,” Romualdez said.

(All these laws, when combined, create a comprehensive ecosystem that opens up more opportunities for decent jobs.)

When it comes to food security and affordability, he said the House of Representatives supports the P20/kilo rice program.

“The House of Representatives is fully committed to sustaining and expanding the recently launched P20 Rice Program nationwide. This initiative directly addresses the need for affordable food for every Filipino family, especially the most vulnerable. Through the government’s subsidy, strategic procurement, distribution reform, and partnerships with local producers, we will work to make this program a permanent and reliable pillar of our food security efforts that will go beyond political cycles,” he said.

“Our efforts are in lockstep with the Alyansa ng Bagong Pilipinas candidates’ platforms — public servants committed to continuity, reform, and responsive governance. Their platform to prioritize livelihoods, support farmers and fishers, and protect the welfare of workers, both here and abroad, reflects the same values driving our legislative work,” he added.