Speaker voices hopes, goals

MANILA, Philippines — In an exclusive interview with The STAR on Page C-6 today, Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez reveals the ups and downs and ups again of his political journey, and how he has stayed the course.

He also bares his goals, his priority bills and how he hopes to see them into fruition by reaching across the aisle and tapping talents from the minority.

Prior to his election as Speaker, Romualdez served as the House majority leader in the 18th Congress and chairman of the House committee on rules.

A lawyer from the University of the Philippines, he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York; and holds a Certificate for Special Studies in Administration and Management from Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

He is also well-respected in the private sector for his accomplishments in several boards in the business and banking industries. At present, he is also the president of Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats, now the biggest political party in the 19th Congress.