Herminia B. Roman is a Filipino

Philippines

The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...

 politician. A member of the House of Representatives of the Philippines

House of Representatives of the Philippines

The House of Representatives of the Philippines is the lower chamber of the...

 under the Liberal Party

Liberal Party (Philippines)

The Liberal Party of the Philippines is a liberal party in the Philippines, founded by then senators Senate President Manuel Roxas, Senate President Pro-Tempore Elpidio Quirino, and former 9th Senatorial District Senator Jose Avelino, on November 24, 1945 by a breakaway Liberal group from the...

, representing the 1st District of Bataan since 2007.

Early life and education

Herminia B. Roman was born on July 9, 1940 in Biñan, Laguna to Dr. Marcelino Zarate Batista and Nicomedesa Vizconde Reyes. She is the third of four children of her parents.
She took her elementary education at Biñan Elementary School from 1946-1952. She finished her secondary education at St. Scholastica's College in 1956. She finished her college degree at St. Scholastica's College in 1960, and obtained her Master's Degree in Business Administration from New York University in 1964.

Accomplishments

Rep. Roman’s legislative advocacy focus on health, education, livelihood, women's rights and environmental concerns, making sure that all government programs and initiatives should center on sustainability and affordability, consistent with the State’s mandate of promoting the general welfare of the Filipino people.

To advance her goals, she filed, co-authored and supported bills and resolutions which promote the rights and privileges of women, the elderly and the veterans across the country as well as environmental concerns. Locally, she pursued programs beneficial to her constituency, such as medical health assistance, scholarships, and livelihood projects.

She believes that genuine help is not giving a needy person fish, but teaching him how to fish (one of her priorities in her livelihood).

She founded the KABAKA (Kababaihan Tungo sa Kaunlaran) in December 1997, and Kinatawan Foundation Inc. in 1999. Both are women's organizations which emphasize self-reliance by the way of the "teach-the-man-how-to-fish" approach, giving her constituents the opportunity to rise above their present conditions.

Always curious about possible livelihood opportunities, she organized and sponsored various seminars on flower arrangement, hair science and beauty culture, fish and meat processing, soap making, scented candle making, paper recycling

Paper recycling

Paper recycling is the process of recovering waste paper and remaking it into new paper products. There are three categories of paper that can be used as feedstocks for making recycled paper: mill broke, pre-consumer waste, and post-consumer waste. Mill broke is paper trimmings and other paper...

, and perfume making.

Her most recent project is the Moral Recovery Seminar, which aims to mobilize all Filipinos for nation building through the practical exercise of human values in our daily lives as citizens and to awaken us all to the power of these values in achieving our individual and national goals. It seeks the empowerment of all our people- the poor, the middle class and the rich through the sustained application of human values and a code of collective existence.

Her favorite quotations applies to the Moral Recovery Seminar:
"Do not do unto others what you do not want others to do unto you." (Golden Rule)
"Always do your best so that at the end of the day, you will have the satisfaction of knowing that you tried everything even if you have failed."
"Honesty is the best policy."

Trainings/seminars organized

Meat and Fish Preparation:
January, March and September 1999;
February, May and June 2000;
July and September 2003;
April, May and August 2005;
April 2006;
January 2007

Paper Recycling:
July and August 2000;
March 2001;
April 2005

Scented Candle Making:
September and November 2002;
October 2003;
October 2004;
October 2007

Soap Making:
August and November 2004

Food Preservation:
March 2003

Hair Science / Horticulture:
November 2005

Auto Repair:
June 2000

Flower Arrangement:
October 2006

Moral Recovery Seminar:
November, December 2010;
January, February 2011

14th Congress

• Vice Chairperson:

Committee of Inter-Parliamentary Relations and Diplomacy

Special Committee on Bases Conversion

Committee on Women

• Member:

Committee on Appropriations

Committee on Energy

Committee on Foreign Affairs

Committee on Overseas Workers' Affairs

Committee on Oversight

Committee on Small Business Enterprises

Committee on Tourism

Committee on Trade and Industry

Committee on Veterans' Affairs and Welfare

Committee on Millennium Development Goals

15th Congress

• Chairperson:

Committee on Veterans' Affairs and Welfare

• Vice Chairperson:

Committee on Bases Conversion

Committee on Natural Resources

• Member:

Committee on Accounts

Committee on Foreign Affairs

Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability

Committee on Health

Committee on Labor and Employment

Committee on Tourism

House measures sponsored/authored and co-authored

• HB00229

An act increasing the burial assistance for Veterans from ten thousand (P10,000.00) to twenty thousand pesos (P20,000.00), amending for the purpose Republic Act No. 6948, as amended, otherwise known as "an act standardizing and upgrading the benefits for military Veterans and their dependents"

• HB00230

An Act granting free hospitalization benefits in government hospitals to all retired public school teachers who have rendered a minimum of twenty years in service and providing funds therefor

• HB00231

An act changing the name of Pagalanggang High School - Annex in Barangay Sta. Lucia (Pita), Municipality of Dinalupihan, Province of Bataan, to Sta. Lucia (Pita) National High School

• HB00850

An act establishing the Bataan Natural Park, Subic Watershed Forest Reserve and Roosevelt protected landscape situated in the municipalities of Dinalupihan, Hermosa, Orani, Samal, Abucay, Bagac and Morong in the province of Bataan and in the Municipality of Subic, province of Zambales and the City of Olongapo, as one protected area under the National Integrated protected areas system, providing for its management and for other purposes

• HB00851

An act reclassifying portions of Roosevelt protected landscape in the municipalities of Dinalupihan and Hermosa, province of Bataan as Alienable and disposable land

• HB03697

An act further amending Republic Act No. 6948 otherwise known as "An act standardizing and upgrading the benefits for military Veterans and their dependents,"as amended"

• HB03700

An act converting a portion of the land, embraced under proclamation No. 508 and proclamation No. 532 as alienable and disposable to the actual bona fide occupants thereof

• HR00157

Resolution expressing the sincerest gratitude of the House of Representative, Congress of the Philippines to the United States President Barack Obama and the United States Congress for the release of $67 Million as additional fund for the Filipino World War II Veterans' lump sum claims

• HR00436

Resolution directing the committee on health to conduct an inquiry in aid of Legislation on the memorandum of agreement entered into by the province of Bataan with the Department of Health with respect to the management and control of Bataan General Hospital and its annex and recommend appropriate remedial measures thereto

• HB00061

An act providing for a comprehensive revision of the charter of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) by amending Republic Act No. seventy-six hundred and fifty-three entitled "The New Central Bank Act"

• HB00093

An act to strengthen and enhance the use of English as the medium of instruction in Philippine schools

• HB00463

An act reverting to the national government the discharge of basic health services devolved to local government units (LGUs)and amending for the purpose Republic Act No. 7160, otherwise known as the local government code of 1991

• HB00464

An act reverting to the national government the discharge of basic agricultural functions and responsibilities devolved to local government units and amending for the purpose Republic Act No. 7160, otherwise known as the Local Government Code of 1991

• HB00724

An act to establish and maintain an office of Veterans Affairs in the Philippine Embassy in the United States of America, prescribing funds therefor, and for other purposes

• HB00914

An act prohibiting all corporal punishment and all other forms of humiliating or degrading punishment of children and promoting positive and non-violent discipline of children, appropriating funds therefor and for other purposes

• HB01487

An act providing for a Magna Carta of Agriculture and Fishery development workers

• HB03252

An act creating the Philippine Millennium development fund, appropriating funds therefor and for other purposes

• HR00308

Resolution directing the house committee of Foreign Affairs to conduct an inquiry, in aid of legislation, on the state and management of properties utilized by Philippine posts and maintained by our Department of Foreign Affairs

• HR00309

Resolution directing the committee on Foreign Affairs to conduct a performance evaluation of our Philippine posts

• HR00524

Resolution urging his Excellency, President Benigno S. Aquino III to grant amnesty to all active and former members of the AFP and their supporters who have or may have committed violations of the revised Penal Code, the articles of war and other special laws in connection with the so-called Oakwood Mutiny, the Manila Pen incident, and the February 2006 Marine stand-off and related incident

• HR00529

A resolution urging the house committee on rules to create a special committee to oversee the implementation of the government's P21B conditional cash transfer program

Membership in organizations

1963 to 1984 - (Member) Christian Family Movement

1989 to Present - (President) Romanville Realty & Development Corporation

1995 to Present - (Member) Couples for Christ

1997 to Present - KABAKA (Kababaihan Tungo sa Kaunlaran)

1998 to 2004 - (Member) Congressional Spouses Foundation Inc.

1999 to Present - (President & CEO) Kinatawan Foundation Inc.

2004 to 2007 - (Director, Region III) Congressional Spouses Foundation Inc.

Awards and recognition

• 2008 Principal Author

Republic Act 9499

"Filipino World War II Pensions & Benefits Act of 2008" signed by H.E. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on April 9, 2008 in celebration of "Araw ng Kagitingan"

• 2000 - 2001 Mae Carvell Awardee

Venture Club of Americas - Bataan

For Uplifting the Spirit of Women and Children

• 1999 - 2000 Woman of Distinction Awardee

Soroptomist International - Bataan

For Making a Difference for Women

• December 1997 Organized the Kababaihan Tungo sa Kaunlaran (KABAKA)

It has grown into 35,000 women members with the objective of "Dagdag Kaalaman Para sa Dagdag Kita"

Personal life

Herminia married Antonino Pascual Roman of Orani, Bataan, a former Representative of the 1st District of Bataan and the current Presidential Legislative Liaison Office (PLLO) Secretary. They have four children: Renato Marcelino (a medical doctor), Geraldine (a journalist), Antonino III (a lawyer) and Regina (a freelance artist). She is a member of Couples for Christ and the Christian Family Movement. She is president and chief executive officer of Romanville Realty & Devt. Corp. from 1989 to present. Rep. Roman is also a collector of antiques.