remaining three years of Presi- "IMe need new pieces of scientific leg- dent Duterte's administration islation alongside improvements in com- is crucial to the goYernment's municatior! technology, entry of foreign massive infrastructure Pro- investors, total expenditure on research gram if the Philippines wants and development, easing of start-up [o be at oar with its Asian procedures, impiemenLation of public neighbori and the world. sector contracts, knowledge transfer. ';Global industrial giants total public expenditure on education see a sreat Dotential in us, but and development we iu"st hjve to work hard and application of to gain their trust and confi- technology," Ro- derice," said returning Leyte mualdez said. Rep. Martin Romualdez, who "At the same wis a*ong the delegates in time, we also have Duterte's visit to JaPan re- to address the ur- centlv. gent concerns of H6 added that the "incom- controlling infla- ing &ernbers of the 18th Con- tion, improving gr6ss $uly 2019-JulY 2022) arc the pay of workers, faced with the important task creating more jobs, of pulsuing vital economic fighting rriminality, leeislaion needed to sustain reducing poverry hi"gher productivity grcryt\r " fighting cormptiorf Romualdez reiterated that .and enhancing na- - pursuing structural reforms 6onal security," he , at this stage means ProsPenry added. "We need to focus more on Meanwhile, at institutionalizing r€f orms that least 156 members encourage the influx of more invest- of the House of -will ments, the creationof m ore jobs, improve- Representatives ment in human capita.l investnent, and have expressed the building of better iffiastructure," he their pre ference , Dointed out. and sipport.for ' Both the Senate and the House of Rep- Romualdez should he vie for Speaker resentatives can help achieve the govem- when the 18th Congress opens on ]uly ment's objective of alleviating poverty in 22 this year. 2022, and for the Philippines to become "Honestly, among us congressmen, a prcsperous middle-class country free if you ask us who do wd reallY want from poverty by 2040. as Speaker, it will definitely be Martin. Romuald'ez'appealed to his fellow It is'because he's down-tolearth, low- legis]ators to consider as an urgenl task key and very approachable. And most the approval of important legislative mea- importantly, he listehs to us," a House sures ihat reform the country's relatively oflicial, wlio was a signatoxy, told The restrictive and less competitive economic STAR. 'policies. He cited tn particular the amendments to the Foreign Investments Act, Public Service Act and Retail Trade Liberaliza- tion Act, which are meant to encourage investrnents in industry and services and boost private cdnstruction. \r fqge-.ga