House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez may be one of the most powerful men in the Philippines as he presides over a chamber that churns out laws at record speed, ranking just below the Senate President, Vice President, and President in government hierarchy.
But in his home province of Leyte, many still struggle to answer a simple question: What exactly does a Speaker do
“Basta ada hiya ha Manila kanan national,”a tricycle driver from Palo said. “Bagat senador ada. Basta amo na tun,” he added laughing.
In Tacloban’s downtown area, some are more blunt.
“Basta mag urupod hira ni presidente. Salit mas hirani kita ha luwag asya mabubuligan kita dali hit aton mga hangyo,” a barker told OpinYon 8.
Unfortunately this is the current reality. Leyte is home to the man steering Congress, yet on the ground, his influence feels distant—abstract at best, irrelevant at worst.
A Productive House, But For Whom?
Romualdez assumed the speakership in July 2022, cementing the Marcos-Romualdez political alliance.
Since then, the House has broken records. Between 2022 and 2025, it filed nearly 14,000 measures and enacted 280 laws—numbers that eclipse the output of the previous 18th Congress.
Supporters boast this as “a new standard for productivity.” Romualdez himself has touted landmark measures like the Maharlika Investment Fund, the New Agrarian Emancipation Act, and the creation of a Department of Water Resources.
But critics call this efficiency shallow. “The House under Speaker Romualdez has largely acted as a rubber stamp for the executive,” a political analyst warned.
Laws may be passed quickly, but with little debate. In a supermajority-dominated chamber, dissent barely survives.
Leyteños Waiting for the Payoff
On Leyte’s streets, residents struggle to connect this legislative rush to their daily realities. Farmers still worry about poor farm-to-market roads. Students in towns still attend overcrowded classrooms. Vendors complain of rising costs without relief.
If Leyteños are represented by the most powerful man in Congress, shouldn’t they feel it in better services, jobs, or even basic infrastructure?
Instead, many see the title “Speaker” as something grand and distant—important for politics in Manila, but not for survival in Leyte.
Power Without Accountability
Romualdez’s speakership is a study in contrasts: unparalleled legislative productivity versus shallow local impact.
His dominance in Manila highlights how national politics often concentrates power far from the very communities leaders are supposed to represent.
For Leyteños, the Speaker’s office remains largely symbolic.
Without civic education to explain his role—and without visible projects that touch ordinary lives—Romualdez risks being seen not as a representative of his province, but as another national politician whose promises stay in the capital.
Looking Ahead
As Romualdez begins another three years as Speaker, his challenge is no longer about consolidating power—he has that. It is about convincing his own people that this power matters.
Until then, the paradox persists: the Philippines’ most powerful lawmaker in the House comes from Leyte, but many of his constituents still ask what he actually does for them.
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