Official Website of Philippine Senator Pia Cayetano

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  • Stay vigilant against measles outbreak

    Senatorial aspirant Pia S. Cayetano urged Filipino families to remain vigilant about the spread of measles in their communities, even after measles cases have started to drop in the past weeks.

    The Department of Health (DOH) recently reported that there is already a downward trend in the number of new measles cases in the country, owing to the agency’s intensified immunization campaign.

    The principal author and sponsor of Republic Act 10152 or the Mandatory Infants and Children Immunization Act, Cayetano commended the efforts of the DOH, local officials, and barangay health workers on the ground in convincing Filipino parents to have their children vaccinated.

    On the other hand, she stressed that there is still no room for complacency when it comes to protecting the children from diseases.

    “We are very delighted by DOH’s report that measles cases in the country are already decreasing. But everyone should continue to be vigilant, ready, and non-complacent,” she said in a radio interview in Butuan City.

    “Kailangan bumalik nang tuluyan ang kumpyansa sa bakuna. Dahil hindi lang tigdas ang maaaring maging panganib sa buhay ng mga anak natin, marami pang ibang delikadong sakit na pwede namang iwasan sa tulong ng bakuna,” she added.

    Cayetano has long been fighting for the promotion of preventive healthcare measures for Filipino families as a way to save them from premature deaths and unnecessary illnesses.

    “During my first term in the Senate, I decided to fight for laws that sought to protect children from various diseases, because I do not want to see any child dying despite the presence of preventive measures and solutions like vaccines,” she said.

    Even before news broke out regarding the outbreak of measles in several provinces, Cayetano had been going around the country convincing Filipino families to restore their trust in vaccines.

    In February, she had led an immunization drive for young children at the Rural Health Unit 3 of Barangay Mabiga in Mabalacat, Pampanga.#

    File photo: Mass vaccination program in Mabalacat, Pampanga.

  • Let’s preserve our cultural heritage

    Senatorial aspirant Pia S. Cayetano on Saturday said measures seeking to protect and preserve the country’s cultural heritage will be among her priorities in the Senate should she win a seat in the upcoming polls. 

    “That is really what I want to give attention to, our hundreds of years of customs and cultural practices. I want to promote the preservation of our people’s history and culture,” Cayetano said in a radio interview in Quezon province on the sidelines of a rally organized by Quezon 4th District Representative Helen Tan.

    The Taguig representative stressed that protecting the country’s heritage sites and cultural practices is tantamount to fostering socio-economic growth in the provinces. 

    “From all over the world, foreign tourists spend so much money to visit heritage sites and experience intangible cultural properties like festivals, which some of us usually take for granted,” she said. 

    “This is how preserving our cultural heritage leads to growth. It gives value to our people, boosts tourism and local industries, and provides more career opportunities for our youth,” she added.

    The congresswoman then encouraged all sectors in society in the province of Quezon and in the entire country to get involved in the preservation of their cultures. 

    Cayetano is known for championing measures that strengthened the government’s mechanisms in conserving the country’s national cultural heritage.
    As former chairperson of the Senate Committee on Education, Arts, and Culture, she led the inquiry into the controversial construction of DMCI Homes’ high-rise condominium building Torre de Manila, which marred the sightline of the historic Rizal Monument at Luneta Park. #

    Senatorial aspirant Pia S. Cayetano takes a picture with Quezon 4th District Representative Helen Tan on the sidelines of a campaign rally organized by Tan in Quezon province on Saturday.

  • Pia backs Universal Health Care pilot implementation

    Senatorial aspirant Pia S. Cayetano is elated with news that the Department of Health (DOH) is now scouting for pilot areas for the implementation of the newly enacted Universal Health Care Law (UHC).

    The DOH has reportedly chosen Cagayan de Oro City in Misamis Oriental as one of the pilot areas where the new measure will be enacted. 

    “I am excited that CDO was chosen to be a pilot location. And I’m happy that this is how the government will enforce the program,” Cayetano said in an interview on the sidelines of Hugpong ng Pagbabago’s (HNP) campaign rally in the province on Thursday.

    A known health advocate, Cayetano stressed that the key feature of the UHC law is to provide equal access to quality and affordable health services for all Filipino families. 

    The measure mandates the automatic enrollment of all Filipinos in the National Health Insurance Program, which will give them access to all health care services of the government, including preventive, promotive, curative, rehabilitative, and palliative care.

    “Our job as legislators is to work, by way of law, towards strengthening our systems so that there should be no difference between the poor and the rich, especially when it comes to healthcare,” said Cayetano, who co-authored the House version of the health law.

    “That is what we will keep on prioritizing if we get the chance to return to the Senate,” she added. #

    Senatoriable Pia S. Cayetano discusses her health advocacy with reporters in Cagayan De Oro on the sidelines of the HNP rally in Misamis Oriental province on Friday.

  • Nat’l database could solve jobs-skills mismatch

    Senatorial candidate Pia S. Cayetano is proposing to create a national database of all available and in-demand domestic job opportunities for Filipino workers, in an effort to address the persisting job-skills mismatch in several industries. 


    In a radio interview in Cebu City on Thursday, the congresswoman stressed that there is now an abundance of opportunities for Filipino skilled workers, owing to the country’s booming construction industry. 

    In particular, she cited the Duterte administration’s ‘Build, Build, Build’ program that seeks to accelerate public infrastructure spending. Projected to reach P8 to 9 trillion between 2017 and 2022, this massive infrastructure program has opened over 25,000 job positions for Filipinos.  

    “Public spending on construction, whether by local government units or the national government, is on the rise all over the country. The private sector has also been investing and contributing,” Cayetano said.
    Despite such opportunities, she noted that many Filipinos still find it hard to get employed because they do not possess the skills required for the job openings. 

    “This is why we need to ensure that our skilled workers are really the best,” Cayetano said. “We have to put up a database of all actual and projected job opportunities so we will know which industries will be in demand in the next few years. That way, we  can also prepare our students and workers better for these jobs,” she added.  

    The senatorial candidate said she plans to discuss the issue with barangay officials throughout the country, so she could get the necessary information directly from the ground.

    Cayetano was in Cebu City to attend the Liga ng mga Barangay sa Pilipinas (LNB) 3rd Visayas Barangay Congress at the International Eucharist Center. #

    Senatoriable Pia Cayetano receives a warm welcome from barangay officials attending the Liga ng mga Barangay sa Pilipinas (LNB) 3rd Visayas Barangay Congress at the International Eucharist Center in Cebu City on Thursday.

  • Pia seeks new tack to reduce school dropout rate

    Senatorial aspirant Pia S. Cayetano believes that it is possible to effectively reduce the number of school dropouts throughout the country by giving educators the means to support students with learning disabilities. 

    Cayetano, in a radio interview in Cebu City on Thursday, stressed that students who drop out of elementary and high school usually have special needs early on that were not given proper attention. 

    “The reality is, many out of school youths dropped out because they had learning disabilities. They had no access to support systems in their school. It’s very possible that their own parents, perhaps due to poverty, also had no ability to support them,” she said.

    A 2018 study conducted by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) showed that undiagnosed learning disabilities are among the most common causes of risk for dropping out among Grades 1-6 students.

    “These children simply could not cope with the pressure. So we need to identify and assist these kids before they drop out. We need schools, especially during the first three grades, to have assistant teachers who can give additional attention to them,” Cayetano noted. 

    The congresswoman said she plans to discuss with the Department of Education a proposal to establish volunteer programs for parents who are willing to assist teachers in responding to specific needs of students in the classrooms.

    Cayetano also called on Sangguniang Kabataan leaders in the country to help encourage out-of-school youths to return to school by taking advantage of programs available to them, such as Alternative Learning Systems or ALS. 

    “Let’s find a way for them to excel and then bring them back in alternative learning systems,” she added, while citing the Open High School Program, a system of education that uses multimedia technologies and flexible class schedules to allow students to continue their studies beyond the conventional classroom setup.

    The author and sponsor of Republic Act No. 10665 or the Open High School System Act, Cayetano vowed to push for the law’s proper implementation by ensuring that every school district in the country offers ALS programs for high school students. #

    Senatorial aspirant Pia S. Cayetano discusses her proposed programs on education and employment in a local radio interview in Cebu City on Thursday.

  • Pia vows to champion pro-youth measures

    Senatorial aspirant Pia S. Cayetano on Monday vowed to fight for a ‘package’ of education laws in Congress that will cater to all the needs and concerns of Filipino students. 

    In a radio interview in Dumaguete City, the congresswoman said she plans to file bills that will complement the pro-education measures that she authored in previous Congresses. 

    “I want to file continuing laws or a series of interrelated measures that will really contribute to the welfare of our students. It’s not enough to have only one idea. We need to cover all the concerns of each sector,” she stressed. 

    For one, Cayetano said she wants to strengthen the implementation of Republic Act 10647 or the Ladderized Education Act, which she authored and sponsored in the Senate. It institutionalizes the ladderized interface between technical-vocational education and training (TVET) and higher education.

    “Under the law, students have the option to find work after finishing a short course on technical-vocation and then study an advanced course afterwards, with all their experience credited,” Cayetano explained.

    On the other hand, she cited that ladderized programs are not yet available in many schools in the country. Hence, she wants more educational institutions to develop such programs.

    “What I am planning to do if I get back to the Senate is to check how many schools are already offering this program. Not all students have the means to continue studying, some have to work after they graduate,” Cayetano said. 

    Furthermore, the Taguig representative said she wants to introduce an amendment in Republic Act 10648 or the Iskolar ng Bayan Law, to provide additional educational assistance to deserving students. 

    “Without the support in terms of allowances for transportation, board and lodging, and other school supplies, free tuition will not be enough for many students,” noted Cayetano, who also authored RA 10648.

    “One of the work that I really need to do is to bring back my original proposal under the Iskolar ng Bayan Law. I will amend that to include allowances for deserving students,” she added, stressing that the welfare of Filipino students should be a public concern.#

    Senatorial aspirant Pia Cayetano consults SK leaders at the ‘Painitan sa Tiangge’ in Dumaguete City about her proposed measures for the youth.

  • Pia seeks bigger budget to boost PH education

    Pushes for measures beyond free tuition

    In time for this year’s graduation season, Senatorial aspirant Pia S. Cayetano reiterated her commitment to champion measures that will improve the quality of education for Filipino students and provide them with more assistance.

    Cayetano was in Bacolod City on Sunday, where she met with members of the city’s Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) Federation to discuss how she will push for programs to help the youth. The congresswoman said she intends to lobby for increased budget allocation for education to institutionalize measures that will complement the law on free tuition in State Universities and Colleges (SUCs).

    “Our education budget should not stop at free tuition. It should include investments in the quality of education. We should rank our universities and even the private schools based on this kind of quality,” she said in a mix of Ilonggo and English.

    Cayetano said more funds should be allotted for the improvement of schools’ infrastructure, training programs for Filipino teachers, as well as additional assistance for poor and deserving students. She noted that, despite the free tuition for college students, parents still have to shoulder expenses required to take their children to school, including costs for food, transportation, board and lodging, books, and other school supplies, among others.

    “There are many more benefits for our students that I plan to institutionalize if I return to the Senate,” Cayetano said in a radio interview also in the city. She said she plans to adopt the best practices of local governments in promoting better access to quality education, such as Taguig City’s Lifeline Assistance for Neighbors In-need (L.A.N.I.), a comprehensive scholarship program intended for the city’s constituents.

    The LANI Program offers different scholarship types, including scholarships for students enrolling in premier Philippine universities, grants for those pursuing Masteral or Doctoral degrees, and review assistance for graduates preparing for their board or bar examinations.

    “In Taguig, we are very proud that we have a comprehensive program on education. Those are the kinds of programs that I want replicated; the best practices in education that we can institutionalize and standardize,” Cayetano noted. #

    Senatorial aspirant Pia Cayetano speaks to SK leaders at the Manukan Country in Bacolod City regarding measures she plans to champion for the youth.

  • Pia to SK leaders: Promote entrepreneurship, financial literacy among youth

    Pia to SK leaders: Go beyond sponsoring sports tournaments; encourage financial literacy, entrepreneurship in your generation

    Nacionalista Party senatorial bet Pia S. Cayetano is encouraging youth leaders across the country to take the initiative in promoting financial literacy and entrepreneurship among members of their generation, as a means to secure their future.

    “I want to plant these seeds in the minds of our youth leaders in the hope that they would come up with programs like this, and I would love to have the opportunity to help them also,” said Cayetano, a lawyer and entrepreneur who earned her economics degree from the University of the Philippines.

    The congresswoman was in Pampanga earlier this week where she had a sit-down discussion with leaders of the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) Federation in San Fernando City.

    In her talk with the SK leaders, Cayetano encouraged them to go beyond sponsoring the usual sports tournaments in their community, and try to initiate other programs that will promote financial literacy and entrepreneurship among their constituents. 

    “It’s interesting that we have a common interest, which is sports. But I also realize that it is not enough, because, as they told me, that’s what their sector already expects from them,” she said. 

    “I’m so happy because sports fills a big need in their sector. But I am encouraging them to explore other areas like financial literacy and entrepreneurship, (in order) to understand what they need to secure their future,” Cayetano added.

    Cayetano has been going around the country to discuss with youth leaders possible ways through which the government could respond to the needs and aspirations of their generation. 

    “God willing, if I’m re-elected to the Senate, I would make laws for the Filipino people – and they say we have a very young population. I have to always be in tune with the views of the Filipino youth. And there’s no other way but to sit down, discuss and listen to them,” she said, while stressing the need to prepare young Filipinos to become job-ready, globally competitive, and productive members of society. #

    Senatorial aspirant Pia S. Cayetano holds a sit-down discussion with youth leaders in San Fernando, Pampanga on Tuesday to talk about how the government could respond to their sector’s needs.

  • Pia aims to make senior high graduates job-ready

    If elected to a new term in the Senate, House Deputy Speaker Pia S. Cayetano said she would prioritize the evaluation of the country’s Senior High School (SHS) system to gauge whether the program has met the objective of making K-12 graduates job-ready. 

    “Sa larangan ng edukasyon, ang bibigyan ko ng prayoridad ay ang Senior High School program. Nagpa-graduate na tayo ng first batch ng Senior High Schools last year. Sa dalawang taon na kinuha natin sa buhay nila, ano bang mga skills ang natutunan nila?” Cayetano asked in a radio interview on Tuesday. 

    The youth and education advocate said that if given the chance to serve at the Upper Chamber, she would file a Senate resolution seeking to evaluate the implementation of the country’s K-12 Education Program, particularly the SHS programs in both public and private schools across the country. 

    To recall, the K-12 system aims, among others, to make senior high graduates job-ready or equipped with basic entrepreneurial skills. 
    A study conducted in 2018 by the Philippine Business for Education however showed that only 20 percent of the 70 leading companies in the country are open to hiring SHS graduates.

    Meanwhile, a separate study by JobStreet last year revealed that only 24 percent of employers using its website are ready to hire SHS graduates for entry level positions.

    “In fact, naka-draft na ang resolution. Ifa-file ko ito agad dahil gusto ko magkaroon ng immediate feedback sa lawmakers sa kung ano ba ang nangyari, kung job-ready ba itong mga bata,” Cayetano shared.

    The congresswoman recognized the need to further improve the country’s education system to better fit the demands of hiring industries, as well as to address the job and skills mismatch among Filipino graduates. 

    “May nagsasabi talaga sa side ng government at ng private sector na may demand, pero hindi raw nafi-fill. Kulang daw talaga ang mga skilled workers,” Cayetano lamented. 

    The senatorial aspirant then proposed to develop a human resource database for senior high and college graduates in the country in order to improve the government’s strategies in meeting the human resource needs of particular booming industries.

    Cayetano, who formerly chaired the Senate Committee on Education, is also pushing for the improvement of Filipino youths’ English proficiency to make them more globally competitive. #

    Senatorial aspirant Pia S. Cayetano discusses her advocacies with youth leaders in Pampanga on Tuesday, including her call to strengthen the country’s Senior High School program to make graduates job-ready.

  • Pia’s birthday wish: More families opening homes to foster care

    Taguig Representative and senatorial aspirant Pia S. Cayetano on Friday led the launching of Taguig City’s Foster Care Orientation and Recruitment program, which seeks to encourage foster parenting among more Filipino families. 

    The institutionalization of foster care in the country as a preferred way of caring for abused, abandoned, or neglected children is mandated by Republic Act 10165 or the Foster Care Act of 2012. 

    The principal author and sponsor of the measure, Cayetano said she drew her inspiration from her own experience in fostering and eventually adopting her son, Rene Lucas Cayetano. 
    “Ang wish ko ay mapalaki ang lahat ng bata sa uri ng pamilyang kinalakihan ko – a family full of love, where the parents have a sense of responsibility to prepare their children for a better future” the congresswoman said. 

    Cayetano lauded the Taguig city government, under the leadership of Mayor Lani Cayetano, for serving as a model-city in promoting the importance of foster care through its orientation and recruitment program for foster parents.

    “I worked on the Foster Care Act for quite some time until it became a law. We really need to see it working in our local government units,” she said. 
    RA 10165 stresses that in most cases, foster care is more beneficial than institutional care, in that it provides children with the proper attention and love that only families can give. 

    For her part, the congresswoman stressed that there is a need to encourage more Filipinos to consider being foster families to neglected or abandoned children, and to subsequently train them on child care and development. 

    According to the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), about 1.8 million Filipino children are abandoned or neglected due to several reasons, including extreme poverty, natural disasters, and armed conflicts. 

    On the other hand, the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) 2017 annual report showed that only 5,819 children were placed in residential care facilities run by the agency. The rest were either placed under institutional care or ended up on the streets.
    Apart from the launching of the orientation and recruitment program, Cayetano also witnessed the christening of three babies residing at the Taguig Lingap Center, the city’s temporary shelter for children at risk and the elderly. 

    Deputy Speaker Pia Cayetano watches from the audience as former representative Lino Cayetano addresses city social welfare workers, volunteers and parents.
    Taguig Mayor City Lani Cayetano recounts the programs of the local government to support families and help children at risk.