Senator Pia S. Cayetano

Biography | Resume

THE DAUGHTER ALSO RISES

Senator Pia S. Cayetano is the youngest elected female senator in the history of the Republic of the Philippines. She is a mother of two, a lawyer, successful entrepreneur and triathlete. Prior to entering politics, she was actively involved in various advocacies on health, children's rights and women empowerment.

Cayetano ran for the senate in 2004 in a bid to continue the legacy of her father, the late Senator Compañero Rene L. Cayetano. She won and even bagged the top sixth slot, which was quite a feat for a political neophyte.

In the 13th Congress, Senator Pia stood as the Senate's Assistant Majority Floor Leader and Chairperson of the Committees on Health and Demography and Environment and Natural Resources. She also co-chaired the Joint Congressional Oversight Committees on the Philippine Clean Air Act of 1999, the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000 and the Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004.

Cayetano is actively involved in international parliamentary work. She is currently the First Vice-President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union's (IPU) Coordinating Committee of Women Parliamentarians-one of the highest positions ever held by a Filipino in the 118-year-old international body.

Under her watch as chairperson of the environment and health committees, Cayetano sponsored and facilitated the enactment of a number of key measures in the 13th Congress.

Among her legislative achievements on the environment is the "Oil Pollution Compensation Act of 2007" (RA 9483) which institutes a mechanism for the prevention, abatement, mitigation and control of oil pollution within the country's territorial boundaries. The law creates an Oil Pollution Management Fund, which will be created to cover containment and cleanup operations by the Philippine Coast Guard in case of an oil spill. This measure is the product of the series of on-site inquiries led by Cayetano's committee on two of the worst oil spill incidents that hit the country recently: Semirara Island in December 2005 and Guimaras Island in August 2006.

Another is the landmark law mandating the use of biofuels. Known as the "Biofuels Law of 2007" (Republic Act 9367), the measure seeks to reduce the country's dependence on imported fossil fuels, protect public health and the natural ecosystem, and support domestic industries engaged in biofuels production, particularly the sugar and coconut sectors.

Also recently signed into law is the "Cebu Central Protected Landscape Act of 2007" (RA 9486). It consolidates the management of Cebu province's five remaining forest areas and critical watersheds to be known as the Cebu Central Protected Landscape. Its co-sponsors include Sen. Sergio Osmeña III, Cebu Reps. Eduardo Gullas (1D, Cebu Province) and Raul Del Mar (1D, Cebu City) and Rep. Joel Virador (PL-Bayan Muna).

On the other hand, the "Mimbilisan Protected Landscape Act of 2007" is scheduled for signing by the President as of this writing. The measure creates a protected zone within the Mimbilisan Watershed in the province of Misamis Oriental as part of efforts to safeguard the area from deforestation, poaching and pollution.

The lady senator also sponsored 17 other bills in the 13th Congress declaring different biodiversity hotspots across the country as protected areas.

Cayetano is also credited for shepherding vital measures on the health front. Foremost of which is the "Hospital Detention Law" (RA 9439) which prohibits any hospital or medical clinic to detain, directly or indirectly, charity patients who have fully or partially recovered, or who may have died, for reasons of nonpayment of their hospital bills or medical expenses.

Another is the "National Anti-Rabies Act" (RA 9482) which mandates pet owners to have their dogs immunized against rabies and registered with their local government unit. It also pushes for the establishment of local dog pounds to house stray and unvaccinated dogs, launch an information and education campaign on rabies prevention and control, and encourage the practice of responsible dog ownership.

On the other hand, three of her bills upgrading local hospitals were enacted last April, and will soon benefit poor residents in the highly populated cities of Valenzuela, Caloocan and Marikina in Metro Manila. The new local health laws include:

• Republic Act 9421 - Upgrading the Valenzuela General Hospital into a 200-bed capacity tertiary hospital to be known as the Valenzuela Medical Center;
• Republic Act 9420 - Converting 200 beds of the 2,000-bed Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial Hospital and Sanitarium for tertiary general health care; and
• Republic Act 9419 - Increasing the bed capacity of the Amang Rodriguez Memorial Medical Center in Marikina from 150 to 300 beds.

Similarly awaiting enactment is the proposed "Mandatory Hepa-B Immunization Act" (SB 2012). It expands the national immunization program by making basic immunization services against Hepatitis-B mandatory for infants within 24 hours from childbirth.

Senator Pia also pushed for the passage of two important health bills in the Senate. First is the "Expanded Breastfeeding Promotion Act" (SB 2490) which seeks to strengthen the national policy on breastfeeding to reverse the decline in breastfeeding rates among Filipino mothers. It pushes for greater public awareness on the benefits of breastfeeding and the disadvantages of breastmilk substitutes. It also mandates the establishment of lactation stations in the workplace and public places where nursing mothers can express their milk.

The other is the proposed "Affordable Medicines Act" (SB 2263) which Cayetano co-sponsored with Sen. Mar Roxas III, the main author. The measure seeks to reduce drug prices by amending specific provisions of the Intellectual Property Code.

Also passed on third reading in the Senate is a bill declaring May 7 of every year as "Health Workers' Day" and another declaring February as "Liver Cancer and Hepatitis-B Awareness Month."

The lady senator led inquiries in aid of legislation on pressing issues including the migration of health professionals, proliferation of counterfeit medicines, and destruction of the country's remaining watersheds, particularly the famed La Mesa reservoir. She also filed comprehensive reports on the committee's findings and recommendations on said issues.

Even outside the halls of Congress, Senator Pia has been aggressively promoting her various advocacies on health, environment, women and children.

Having breastfed all her children, Cayetano believes in the immense and indisputable benefits of breastfeeding to infants and mothers alike. In addition to her legislative efforts, she conducts regular education campaigns and seminars on breastfeeding for midwives, nurses, barangay health workers, and pregnant and lactating mothers.

She is also a staunch defender of the rights of women and children. She helps spread awareness on existing laws against domestic violence and abuse by sponsoring seminars for barangay officials, teachers, students and women's groups. She contributed to the production of educational materials on Republic Act No. 9262, the Anti-Violence Against Women and Children Act of 2004, for prosecutors, judges, and law enforcers.

Cayetano helps in the promotion of proper waste segregation by sponsoring community seminars on ecological solid waste management all over the country. She is also active in the campaign to revive the heavily polluted Marilao-Meycauayan-Obando River System in Bulacan-the site of one of the worst toxic waste dumping incidents in 2006.

An athlete herself, Senator Cayetano advocates sports as part of a holistic youth development program and in promoting a healthy and fit lifestyle. A member of the Philippine Volleyball Team in her college days, she continues to participate in local and international sporting events, including marathon, duathlon and triathlon competitions. She is a proud finisher of the grueling New York Marathon, Venice Marathon, and Chronicle Marathon in San Francisco, California.

The senator is involved in various causes for poor and sick children, women, and persons with disabilities. She is founder of Gabriel Symphony Foundation, established in memory of her son Gabriel who was diagnosed with multiple congenital anomalies and passed away at the age of nine months in 2001. The Foundation helps children with disabilities and life-threatening ailments. She is also founder of the Compañero Rene Cayetano Foundation, set up in memory of her father to help the underprivileged.

She has initiated several sporting events for a cause, including "Bike for Hope," which raises community awareness on pressing health and environmental issues; "Pinay in Action," an all-women's run aimed at educating women on breast and cervical cancer, empowering women and promoting a healthy lifestyle; and the annual "12-hour walk-run-bike event in memory of Gabriel" which supports disadvantaged and differently abled children.

The lady senator is always ready to speak her mind on urgent social and political issues. She was among those who resisted recent attempts to curtail civil liberties and clamp down on democratic institutions, including the Senate. She called for an end to extrajudicial killings of activists and journalists and for authorities to immediately bring the perpetrators to justice. She's also been an active voice in the campaign to stop toxic waste dumping in the country and in the promotion of renewable energy.

Senator Pia stands firmly by her principles, whether on the senate floor defending a proposed measure, out in the communities promoting her many advocacies, or when leading sports activities for a cause. The daughter of the late Senator 'Compañero' Rene L. Cayetano has come into her own and has made her mark in the Philippine Senate.

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