Romualdez seeks governors’ help to fight poverty

MANILA, Philippines — House Speaker Martin Romualdez met with 27 provincial governors Thursday night to enlist their help in a “whole-of-government approach” to fight poverty and other problems in the country.

During the meeting, Romualdez underscored the importance of cooperation between the national government and local government units to achieve “meaningful progress in confronting poverty and other issues.”

“The problems we face – poverty, lack of infrastructure, health and education disparities – require the collective will and resources of the entire government. I am calling on all of you, our provincial governors, to be our partners in this whole-of-government approach,” he said.

The governors who attended the meeting were Ben Evardone (Eastern Samar), Victor Yu (Zamboanga del Sur), Alexander Pimentel (Surigao del Sur), Yvonne Cagas (Davao del Sur), Emmylou Mendoza (Cotabato), Edwin Ongchuan (Northern Samar), Ysmael Sali (Tawi-Tawi), Reynaldo Tamayo (South Cotabato), Dakila Cua (Quirino), Ramon Guico III (Pangasinan), Malou Cayco (Batanes), Jerry Singson (Ilocos Sur), Elias Bulut (Apayao), Enrique Garcia (Bataan), Jun Ebdane (Zambales), Melchor Diclas (Benguet), James Edubba (Kalinga), Jerry Dalipog (Ifugao), Bonifacio Lacwasan (Mountain Province), Jose Riano (Romblon), Ricarte Padilla (Camarines Norte), Nina Ynares (Rizal), Joseph Cua (Catanduanes), JC Rahman Nava (Guimaras), Arthur Defensor Jr. (Iloilo), Jake Villa (Siquijor) and Xavier Jesus Romualdo (Camiguin).

The meeting was also attended by former Davao del Norte congressman Anton Lagdameo, who is the Special Assistant to President Marcos. This provided the opportunity for the governors to discuss their concerns with him.

Lagdameo echoed the call for cooperation, acknowledging the essential role of provincial governors in ensuring that national programs are successfully implemented on the ground.

According to Romualdez, the President is targeting to reduce the poverty rate to a single digit by the end of his six-year term in 2028.

He urged the governors to help achieve this goal. “Let us help our beloved President to attain that goal, which means getting millions of Filipinos out of poverty.”

Romualdez noted the governors and local officials can help in substantially reducing poverty by assisting the national government in keeping the food prices down, improving agricultural productivity and in efficiently delivering services to their communities.

“This event is just the beginning. I am inspired to reach out to more governors moving forward, and I want to assure you that my office in the House of Representatives will always be open to any governor who wishes to discuss solutions for their provinces,” he added.