Official Website of Philippine Senator Pia Cayetano

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  • Pia seeks Congress oversight to assess education programs

    Senatorial aspirant Pia S. Cayetano on Monday (April 29) said she plans to use Congress’ oversight function to assess whether the country’s existing education programs are truly benefiting Filipino students.

    “I want to make sure that every Filipino has access to education services, and that our current laws are implemented in a manner that is consistent with our legislative intent,” Cayetano said in an interview with reporters in Lanao del Norte.

    Among the education measures Cayetano authored was Republic Act 10687 or the Unified Financial Assistance System for Tertiary Education Act (UniFAST).

    The law properly allocates government resources to ensure efficient distribution of financial assistance programs for Filipino students. It provides scholarships and loans to students based on certain qualifications.

    The congresswoman said she particularly wants to find out whether enough students are benefiting from the said measure. 

    “There are academically gifted students that deserve our support for their education. Those are all covered by the UniFAST law,” Cayetano noted.

    “Kaya hihimayin ko ang batas na ito to be sure that it is being implemented in the way it was intended,” she added.

    The senatorial candidate further expressed commitment to push for more education policies that could respond to the ever changing needs of Filipino students. 

    “It is very important that we are willing to adjust and make the kind of changes necessary to meet our people’s needs,” Cayetano said.

    “There’s so much to be done not just in lawmaking but in pushing for policies and more budget for the proper programs, to ensure that more deserving students are able to finish their studies,” she added.#

    Senatoriable Pia Cayetano gets a warm in Lanao del Norte led by Governor Imelda ‘Angging’ Quibranza-Dimaporo, 1D Rep Mohamad Khalid Dimaporo and 2D Rep. Abdullah Dimaporo.

  • Pia welcomes news about release of Extended Maternity Leave Act IRR

    Senatorial aspirant Pia S. Cayetano expressed her excitement over news that the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the 105-Day Expanded Maternity Leave (EML) Law will be issued in time for this year’s Labor Day celebration.

    The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) recently announced that it would be releasing the IRR of the newly enacted law on May 1. 

    “I am very excited to hear that the IRR for our landmark measure will finally be released on Labor Day,” said Cayetano, who was the principal author and sponsor of the measure in Congress.

    “A lot of mothers have been messaging us and asking us whether they can already avail of the maternity leave benefits provided by the law. Now, we can inform them that they can do so because we already have an IRR,” she added.

    The President signed the EML or Republic Act 11210 in February, granting working mothers 105 days of paid maternity leave credits, among other specified benefits. 

    A known advocate of women’s welfare, Cayetano had been fighting for the measure’s passage since her term in the Senate, when she sponsored the bill as former chairperson of the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality.

    “Hindi naman madali sa mga babae na maging working mother. Kaya kailangan ay bigyan natin ng sapat na pagkakataon na maka-recover ang mga nanay at maalagaan ang kanilang mga baby bago sila bumalik sa pagtatrabaho,” she noted. 

    With the law’s IRR now in place, Cayetano said all new and expecting mothers working in government and private offices, as well as those belonging to the informal sector, can now fully avail of the expanded maternity leave benefits, provided that they are members of SSS. 

    “That’s why I am encouraging all working mothers, especially those who are self-employed like market vendors, to contribute to SSS so that your pregnancy will be covered by the law,” the congresswoman stressed.#

  • Pia to help promote tourism industry of Isabela

    Senatorial candidate Pia S. Cayetano vowed to promote the province of Isabela as a tourism gateway for Northern Luzon, stressing that fostering the country’s tourism industry would be among her agenda should she win a Senate seat.

    “It would be an honor for me to promote Isabela by making it the gateway for the provinces in the North. Kasama ‘yan sa mga nasa agenda ko,” Cayetano said in an interview with reporters in the province.

    The congresswoman visited the municipality of Cabatuan on Thursday (April 25) where she met with local officials, barangay health workers, and local residents to discuss her priority measures for the benefit of Filipino families. 

    Cayetano expressed her excitement over personally exploring what the entire province has to offer for tourism. 

    “I fully support the promotion of Isabela as a destination for local and international tourists alike,” she said. 

    The largest island in Luzon in terms of land area, Isabela is known for several natural attractions including mountain ranges, valleys, white sand beaches, and also a rich cultural heritage.

    The province is a good stop for tourists who are interested in seeking peace and tranquility in historical churches, one of which is the St. Matthias Church in the town of Tumauini.

    The structure is one of the country’s five Baroque churches submitted by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the World Heritage Centre.

    Cayetano for her part vowed to push for more measures that would boost the growth of local tourism industries in many Philippine provinces, with the goal of ensuring that all Filipinos would benefit from the country’s tourism-oriented economy. 

    “Consider me as your partner in promoting your beautiful province and the entire country,” she noted. #

  • Stay vigilant following Luzon, Visayas quakes

    House Deputy Speaker Pia S. Cayetano is urging all Filipino families to remain vigilant amid the strong earthquakes that hit several parts of the country this week.

    Following the 6.1-magnitude earthquake that hit parts of Luzon on Monday, another magnitude 6.3 earthquake rattled the Visayas region on Tuesday.
    Amid fears of aftershocks, Cayetano reminded the public to always remain calm and prepared whenever calamities strike.

    “Ang reminder ko sa karamihan, baka hindi kayo sa lindol masaktan kung hindi sa after-effect, which are panic and stampede,” she noted.

    “That’s why we have to be very careful and calm. More importantly, let’s prepare ourselves for calamities. There’s so much information out there that we can access through technology,” she added.

    The congresswoman further stressed the need to prioritize the needs of the most vulnerable sectors, including children, pregnant women, the sick, the elderly, and the differently abled, during times of disasters.

    Cayetano said local government units (LGUs) should integrate these sectors’ welfare in their disaster risk reduction and management programs. This way, incidents of maternal and infant sickness, deaths, as well as cases of rape, trafficking, and prostitution could be prevented.

    Cayetano said Taguig City has set a good example with its timely disaster response efforts during the earthquake on Monday. 

    “Ang maganda sa Taguig, agad agad may first responders na nasa labas. Meron na kaagad kaming command post na nakatayo within a matter of minutes. Sana ay lahat ng LGUs ay ganito rin kabilis ang pagresponde,” she stressed.

    The Taguig representative, who is running for re-election in the upcoming senatorial polls, authored Republic Act No. 10821 or the Children’s Emergency Relief and Protection Act.

    The measure provides emergency relief and protection for children before, during, and after disasters.#

    Senatoriable Pia Cayetano discussing with student leaders from Pangasinan State University.

  • Modern tech, livelihood assistance to protect farmers amid El Niño

    Senatorial candidate Pia S. Cayetano on Tuesday (April 23) expressed support for initiatives that would provide Filipino farmers with better access to modern technology and livelihood assistance.

    The congresswoman said this amid the early onset of El Niño, which has negatively affected the livelihood of farmers and agri-workers throughout the county.

    “We really need to spend more to improve the technology that is made available to our farmers, especially if we want to spare them from the ill effects of the drought,” Cayetano said in an interview with reporters in Pangasinan.

    A total of 487 hectares of farmlands in the province have been affected by the dry spell as of March 29, according to the Department of Agriculture (DA) in Region 1.

    Cayetano, for her part, said modern technology can do so much in protecting the farmers’ primary source of income in times of natural calamities such as this one.

    “We cannot control the weather, but we can improve how our farmers could respond to climate change by way of technological advancement,” she stressed.

    In Taguig City, for instance, the congresswoman noted that the local government has invested greatly in hydroponics farming system. The process involves growing plants without soil, which makes it ideal for urban agriculture.

    Furthermore, the senatorial aspirant has been advocating initiatives that provide sustainable livelihood opportunities for Filipino farmers and those in the informal sector. 

    Together with her brother, former Foreign Affairs Sec. Alan Peter Cayetano, they launched the Presyo, Trabaho, Kita (PTK) program in 2013, granting the poor better access to capital to start or sustain their own livelihood. 

    It has so far granted low-interest loans to 218 organizations of farmers, fishermen, market vendors, PUV drivers, and small-scale workers nationwide, including 14 organizations in Pangasinan.

    PTK is also in line with President Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s policy to eradicate the practice of the usurious ‘5-6′ money lending scheme. #

    Senatoriable Pia S. Cayetano talks at the Urdaneta Bagsakan Public Market in Pangasinan.

  • Better use of funds for health services pushed

    Senatorial candidate Pia S. Cayetano vowed to push for a better utilization of government funds to build and improve public health facilities throughout the country and to provide them with state-of-the-art equipment. 

    The Taguig representative on Monday (April 15) visited the Compostela Valley Provincial Hospital in Pantukan, where she discussed her health advocacy with the doctors and nurses working in the public hospital.

    “If we can help in any way, please let us know. Let us know what we can do to push the policies na diretso sa inyo ang benepisyo, to make your lives better,” Cayetano told them.

    She stressed the need to complement the newly enacted Universal Health Care (UHC) Law by ensuring that the health facilities and services made accessible to all Filipinos are properly equipped and of great quality. 

    The UHC law, of which Cayetano was co-author, makes all Filipinos members of PhilHealth, thus making them eligible to preventive, promotive, curative, rehabilitative, and palliative health care services provided by government.

    “You can be rest assured that, apart from the laws that we already made, we will keep on providing you with whatever intervention possible. Because sometimes, no matter how much you give, if you have limited facilities and equipment, the quality of health care services will be affected,” she said.

    “My inspiration is to work to a point where the average Filipino has access to quality health care services,” she added. 

    Cayetano then expressed her gratitude to the country’s public health workers for their dedication to protect the lives of every Filipino, especially the poor.

    “Ang paghanga ko sa mga nagseserbisyo sa ating bayan, especially on healthcare, is really high. So please accept my gratitude to you for serving our people. And I want to remind you that your work never goes unnoticed,” she said. 

    As former chair of the Senate the Committee on Health, Cayetano pushed for the passage of several landmark measures, including the Sin Tax Law, which led to the collection of billions worth of funds for the development of health centers and facilities.#

    Senatoriable Pia S. Cayetano greets two nursing mothers at the Compostela Valley  Provincial Hospital in Pantukan on Monday (April 15). Cayetano has committed to work to make public health services more responsive once elected to the Senate.

  • Pia wants year-round sports programs in schools

    Senatorial aspirant Pia S. Cayetano is urging local government officials and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) leaders to promote year-round sports programs in their respective communities, to encourage Filipino students to stay in school.

    In a radio interview in the “Home of the Champions” General Santos City on Tuesday, Cayetano stressed the importance of sports in providing more opportunities for the youth to be productive and to develop their discipline. 

    “Having year-round sports programs for the youth can really help our kids stay and excel in school. For me, the kind of discipline that they learn from sports is beneficial to their growth and development,” she said. 

    The congresswoman added that sports activities are a good way to motivate young Filipinos to keep coming to school, which would in turn reduce the number of out-of-school youths and student dropouts in the country.

    She then called on Filipino parents and teachers to keep encouraging their kids to harness their energy in sports and apply the same in their studies. 

    Cayetano was a varsity volleyball player during her college days, and was even recruited to play for the Philippine Women’s Volleyball Team. When she became a senator, she authored laws that provide benefits to young athletes, one of which is the Student-Athlete Protection Act (Republic Act 10676). 
    Meanwhile, Cayetano also urged local officials and SK leaders to give assistance to the families of out-of-school youths in order to ensure that the kids are properly guided to continue their studies and have a better future.

    “One of the most common causes of children dropping out from schools is usually problems in their homes. Kaya nananawagan ako sa mga leaders natin on the ground na tulungan ang mga pamilyang ito para matuloy sa pag-aaral ang mga anak nila and make something of their lives,” Cayetano stressed. #

    Senatoriable Pia S. Cayetano speaks at the International Youth Forum’s World Youth Camp held on Monday (April 15) in Lagao Gymnasium, General Santos City.

  • Pia calls on youth volunteers to help prep for SEA Games

    LAKESHORE, TAGUIG CITY – House Deputy Speaker and sports advocate Pia S. Cayetano is encouraging young Filipinos from different provinces to volunteer and take part in the Philippines’ hosting of the 30th South East Asian (SEA) Games. 

    The Philippine South East Asian Games Organizing Committee (PHISGOC), in cooperation with the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) and Philippine Olympic Committee (POC), launched its Volunteers Program on Friday (April 11) to mobilize youth volunteers for the region’s premiere multi-sport event.

    Cayetano said local communities play an important role in ensuring the success of the country’s hosting of the SEA Games from November 30 to December 10 2019.

    “Once the organizing committees finalize all the venues for the games, we need each community within that area to volunteer, especially the youth,” she stressed.

    “On a macro scale, the Philippines will be the host; but on a micro scale, we need to harness our local communities so that we can really win as one,” she added.
    The Taguig congresswoman said engaging local communities for the 30th SEA Games could also boost local tourism in their respective areas.
    Moreover, she said it opens opportunities to showcase what the Philippines has to offer to the region and the world, apart from being the home of talented athletes.

    “There’s a lot of time for us to invite and really organize local volunteers. Regardless of your background, there is a role for you to play in this year’s SEA Games,” Cayetano said.

    ”On my part, I’d like to lead by example because as a former student-athlete, I know how it feels to win, to lose, to wake up early, and to put in my best efforts in making my country proud,” she added.

    Cayetano, who is running for re-election in the coming Senatorial polls, played for the Philippine Women’s Volleyball Team when she was in college. 
    At the launch of the volunteers program, Cayetano was seen interacting with volleyball stars Alyssa Valdez and Fille Cainglet Cayetano, as well as national athletes and sports personalities. 

    Cayetano is a known advocate of sports and the youth sector in Congress, having passed laws that give benefits to young Filipino athletes like the Student-Athletes Protection Act (Republic Act 10676). #

    Senatoriable Pia S. Cayetano and volleyball players Fille Cainglet-Cayetano and Alyssa Valdez pose “as one” during this Friday’s launching of the Volunteers Program for the 30th South East Asain (SEA) Games, which will be hosted by the country from November 30 to December 10 2019.

  • Pia lauds DepED initiative to revive “Larong Pinoy”

    Senatorial aspirant Pia S. Cayetano welcomed the reintroduction of the country’s  indigenous sports in this year’s Palarong Pambansa, which will be held in Davao starting April 27.

    The Department of Education (DepEd) announced that the 2019 Palarong Pambansa will showcase “Larong Pinoy” as a side activity in the national sporting event.

    It aims to strengthen and revive traditional Pinoy games like kadang-kadang, patintero, hilahang lubid, and karera ng sako. 

    “Natutuwa ako na mapo-promote natin ang larong Pinoy sa Palarong Pambansa. This is a good stepping stone to encourage the youth to be into sports,” Cayetano stressed.

    “Ang interes ng kabataang Pilipino sa sports ay kadalasang nag-uumpisa naman talaga sa mga larong Pinoy,” she added.

    The former student-athlete shared that her interest in sports also started with playing Pinoy games at a young age. She said such activities developed her fundamental sports skills.

    “Once you start to develop skills like hand-eye coordination, you will also begin to develop advanced skills in other sports,” she said.

    The congresswoman also encouraged Filipino parents to continue supporting their children to play sports in order to teach them the importance of discipline and teamwork.

    Cayetano, who is running for re-election in the upcoming Senatorial polls, competed at the Palarong Pambansa as a student, where she played for the National Capital Region girls volleyball team.

    She is a known advocate of sports and the youth sector in Congress, having passed laws that give benefits to young Filipino athletes like the Student-Athlete Protection Act (Republic Act 10676). #

  • Recognize role of mothers as unpaid family workers

    Favors bill seeking to compensate stay-at-home mothers

    Senatorial aspirant Pia S. Cayetano on Thursday expressed support for the measure recognizing the important role of Filipina mothers, saying that stay-at-home moms deserve to receive compensation as society’s ‘unpaid workers.’

    In an ambush interview with reporters in Naga City, the Taguig City Representative was asked about her stand on House Bill 8875, which seeks to provide P2,000 monthly subsidy for housewives and stay-at-home mothers. 

    “Naniniwala ako na dapat may katumbas na halagang binibigay sa ‘trabaho’ ng mga nanay,” Cayetano responded. 

    “I have always said that the woman is the unpaid worker. Mothers do not get compensated for the work that they do in their homes,” she added. 
    Meanwhile, the congresswoman said there are different ways by which the government could provide support to Filipina mothers taking care of their families. 

    “(The subsidy) could be monetary, it could be non-monetary. But at the end of the day, what I want is to give women more opportunities to earn income for their families even from the comfort of their homes,” she said. 

    “We have to acknowledge the contribution of women to our country’s economy. This is why we need to help them, particularly the mothers, by giving them enough support.”

    On the other hand, Cayetano said mothers can also be assisted by the government by giving them access to information and services on responsible family planning. 

    The principal author and sponsor of Republic Act 10354 or the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act of 2012, Cayetano said mothers should be given the opportunity to make responsible decisions regarding the number and spacing of their children. 

    She said a fully implemented RH Law is needed to effectively and sustainably lift people from poverty. #

    Senatoriable Pia S. Cayetano meets with mothers and youth leaders in Naga City to discuss her advocacies to make Filipino families’ lives better and more comfortable.