“The Cayetanos’ legislative priorities reflect a deep understanding of the daily struggles and hopes of ordinary Filipinos”
AS WE look forward to the 20th Congress in July, we cannot help but have an overview of the 19th Congress which ended this month, with our eyes on the 24-member Senate, composed of 12 serving out their second terms and 12 new or re-elected in the May 2025 polls.
Immediately, we hear the words of outgoing two-term Senator Grace Poe, a member of the august body since June 2013, interrupted only in 2016 when she ran for president, with now Senate President Francis Escudero as her running mate.
Poe capped her 12-year, two-term stint at the Senate with a valedictory address on June 11, thanking Filipinos for their trust and the opportunity to serve.
On that final session day of the 19th Congress, Poe took space for the Cayetano siblings – Alan Peter Cayetano, and the recently re-elected sister Pia Cayetano – as a “formidable duo” in what is often dubbed as the upper chamber of Congress.
Poe praised Senator Pia for being “a true advocate for health,” and Senator Alan for “giving valuable insights and interesting viewpoints in a debate,” and both for “steering the Senate in very productive discussions.”
Senate observers say the Cayetano legacy in the 19th Congress is clear: real public service measured by improved lives, with this country assured of more meaningful reforms which define these legislative fireballs in the next Congress.
The same observers say the siblings’ priorities reflect a deep understanding of the everyday struggles and hopes of the average Juan, the Joe-Six-Pack or Joe Blow, the everyman as it were – from expanding access to education and healthcare, to digital transformation and strengthening the country’s disaster preparedness.
Senator Alan represented servant leadership through the passage of landmark laws: the PHVOLCS Modernization Act, the E-Governance Act, the Konektadong Pinoy Act, Revised Polytechnic University of the Philippines Charter, and the Philippine National Nuclear Energy Safety Act (establishing the PhilATOM).
Beyond steering committees, he listened – the direction and substance of these laws he authored or co-sponsored were shaped through inclusive consultations, reflecting his broader push for national transformation through meaningful, principled, and future-ready reforms for the next generation.
On the other hand, Senator Pia brought matching excellence, energy, and across-the-board leadership to her role as Vice Chair of the Senate Committee on Finance.
We note that her continued sponsorship of key agencies like the Department of Education and the Department of Health secured funding for health and education programs that directly benefit millions of Filipinos.
She authored and sponsored major measures, with two of her most significant achievements which include the Virology and Vaccine Institute of the Philippines Act, which establishes the country’s first research facility to combat future pandemics; and the Philippine Natural Gas Industry Development Act (now Republic Act 2120), which helps families access clean and affordable energy.
Both were active in the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, with Senator Pia making history as the first woman to chair the powerful body.
Together, they steered high-profile probes into issues like tobacco and vape regulation, fake birth certificates, and the collapsed Cabagan-Sta. Maria Bridge in Isabela, and the scrapped Masungi Georeserve project in Baras, Rizal.
In a different but somewhat similar effort, Senator Alan’s review of the completion of the New Senate Building project refined the iconic building to be “the best in quality at the right cost.”
Apart from their legal beam, they have on-the-ground experience while listening to the problems of the hoi poloi, visiting communities and ensuring their respective teams translate their efforts for the benefit of the masses.
(The author is a freelance writer who writes orations for necrological services as well as theses and dissertations for graduate students.)
