House Majority Leader
and Leyte Rep.Martin
Volume,X)0(lxn No. 2,62
ffi
Romualdez (center),
House Speaker Alan
P€ter Gayetind (right)
and Committee on
Weiiysana ileans Chair-
man Rep. Joey Salceda
talk about vital issues
during a committee
meeting on priority tax
measures at the House
of Representatives. Photo by VER NOVENO
t@
Poge

Frorn Page 1
Romualdez who chairs
the House committee on
rules, appealed to the 44
strong Visayan bloc where
he belongs fo give their full
cooperation in ensurine the
swiTt passage of the"na-
tional budgef before the 18ft
Congress tikes its first break
starting October
5.
This developed as
Davao City Rep. Isidro
Ungab, who cfiairs the
House committeie on aD-
propriationb, said Mal'a-
will submit on Tues-
c-arlang
day next week the national
builget and will begin for-
mal deliberations o-n it by
August 22.
Ungab said the House
leadership is eyeing to ap-
prove the national budebt
on third and final readilrg
before October 5.
"We will immediatelv
conduct hearings, briefingi
as soon as we receive the
national bydget on August
20. Our plan is to stait it
(deliberaiion) on August
22. Hopefully we can ap-
proyg the nalional budgbt
on third readingby Octo6er
department secretaries. We
also appeal to bur col-
leagues to avoid repetitive
questions during Tormal
budget deliberations," Ro-
mualdez told around 50
House members, including
some party-list lawmakerE
who want to be part of the
Visayan bloc duiing Tues-
day's night dinner Xnd get
togetherheld at the Garden
Ballroom of the EDSA
Shangrila Hotel.
"Because of a shorter
time frame, approving the
national budgert is tuining
up to be a Herculean task
for all of us. There's plentv
of work ahead, but #ith af
yoff support, fulI cooper-
ation and malasakit (cbm-
passion), we cein zuararitee
the timely passafe of the
nahonal budget," said Ro-
mualdez, prdsident of the
Lakas-Chiistian Muslim
D-emocrats (CMQ) aro,d.
Philippine Constiiution
Association (Philconsa).
Despite this, Romual-
dez, a lawyer and banker,
assured thi: national bud-
get "will go through the
normal and very transpar-
ent process of d6hberations
to fully discuss its merits
and main obiective to serve
the nponle'/
real benefits of the people."
FormerNegrosOcciden-
tal Rep. Albee-Benitez, out-
going president of the
Visayan bloc; Ako Bisaya
parfy-list Rep. Sonny [ag-
on, and Capiz Rep. FredE
nil Castro, the House IvIa-
jority Leadelg{ thg recently
concluded 17th Congress,
said the group met to"sup-
port Du-tert6's
p_ro-poor
programs and at-the same
time solidify their position
to get better posts in the
House of Representatives
and- "get the^ best budget
for the legislative district!."
"We fathered to show
support for the President's
legislative agenda and
make sure that our mem-
bers are given equal oppor-
tunities in the comfrittee
assignments. We welcome
and acknowledge the com-
mitment of Mafority Lead-
er Martin Romualdez to
help all House members,
in6luding the Visayan bloc
to address the rnembers'
concerns in the national
budget," said Benitez.
"trVe are committed to
pass the national budget as
soon as possible to fu-rther
propel economic develop-
ment. We thank Romudl-
dez for helninrt and orid-