By Junex Doronio

MANILA — Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the Filipino people on Friday (01 Nov 2024) for their trust and approval of his performance as a lawmaker and the leader of the House of Representatives.

“I am deeply thankful to our people for this gesture, which inspires us to work hard and even harder for them. Thank you for your trust and support of our efforts,” Speaker Romualdez said.

The leader of the 300-plus-strong House made this commitment in response to the latest OCTA Research quarterly survey, which shows that a majority of Filipinos trust him and approve of his performance.

According to the September Tugon ng Masa survey by OCTA Research, Romualdez received an overall trust rating of 61 percent.

He garnered 58 percent trust in the National Capital Region (NCR), 68 percent in Balance of Luzon (BL), 62 percent in the Visayas, and 48 percent in Mindanao.

Among economic groups, his trust ratings were 64 percent in classes ABC, 61 percent in D, and 59 percent in E.

Romualdez’s overall performance rating was 62 percent, with 61 percent in NCR, 68 percent in BL, 66 percent in the Visayas, and 45 percent in Mindanao. Satisfaction rates among different classes showed 66 percent in ABC, 62 percent in D, and 59 percent in E.

“The ratings reflect not just trust in me but confidence in the collective work of my colleagues in the House of Representatives. Leadership is shaped by the strength and dedication of those who stand alongside it,” Romualdez stated.

He reiterated his commitment to supporting President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr.’s administration in its mission to “make life better for our people.”

“Our collaborative efforts are starting to bear fruit. Proof of this is the decline in inflation, which has been falling. We will continue to assist President Marcos in keeping it down to ease the burden on our people, especially the poor,” he said.

According to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), inflation in September slowed to 1.9 percent, down from 3.3 percent in August and 4.4 percent in July.

The September rate was the lowest in four years.

“The intervention measures taken by the government under President Marcos Jr.’s leadership are now yielding positive results,” Romualdez added.

ia/mnm