Speaker meets Chiz; no talks yet on economic Cha-cha

MANILA, Philippines — Speaker Martin Romualdez and newly installed Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero met at Malacañang last Monday when President Marcos signed into law the Kabalikat sa Pagtuturo Act.

Romualdez, however, admitted in a chance interview with reporters covering the House of Representatives that he and Escudero have not discussed the economic Charter change bill that congressmen had approved before the Congress went on a break late last month.

“(Charter amendment) was not discussed specifically. But of course, that bill (Resolution of Both Houses 7 that the House had approved) remains pending in the Senate, along with their RBH 6. So we’ll get to that,” the Speaker said.

Romualdez was interviewed on the sidelines of yesterday’s groundbreaking ceremonies held at San Mateo, Rizal, where Marcos’ socialized housing projects – the Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino (4PH) – have been implemented.

The Speaker said he and Escudero would get in touch eventually since they have each other’s numbers, and that all of the priority bills set by Marcos had already been approved by the House, which means that the two Congress leaders will most likely see each other during bicameral conference committee hearings.

Romualdez revealed that Senate Majority Leader Francis Tolentino is also in close coordination with his House counterpart, House Majority Leader Manuel Jose Dalipe of Zamboanga City.

“We will allow the Senate to fully organize itself or reorganize itself, and the common legislative agenda will be outlined, as well as the priority legislation,” he added.

Other lawmakers have chimed in, saying it is imperative for the Philippines to open up and lift its restrictive economic policies toward foreign investments so that the country can still catch up with neighbors whose economies have soared for the past decades or so.

“Status quo is the last thing we need. We have to wake up from our long slumber, so to speak. Don’t we need to catch up? Can we not entertain change at all? Can we not try something new?” Lanao del Sur 1st District Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong asked.

“In this era of fast global digitalization, the Philippines needs to level up by trying to