About Senator Pia Cayetano

SENATOR PIA S. CAYETANO

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

            She ran for the Senate in 2004 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 14th Congress, she is the Senate Chairperson of the Committees on Health and Demography and on Environment and Natural Resources. She is also Co-Chairperson of the Joint Congressional Oversight Committees on the Philippine Clean Air Act of 1999, Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000 and Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004.

            Sen. Cayetano is also active in international parliamentary work. She is currently the President of the Committee of Women Parliamentarians at the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) -- the very first Filipino and Asian to head the committee, which was formally organized in 1990 by women delegates to give them a permanent voice in the IPU.

She is also a principal co-author in the Senate of the "Universally Accessible Cheaper and Quality Medicines Act of 2008" (Republic Act 9502), which was signed into law last June 6.

Among her legislative achievements is the “Oil Spill Liability Act” (Republic Act 9483) which institutes a mechanism for the prevention, mitigation and control of oil pollution. This measure is a product of a series of on-site inquiries she led on two of the worst oil spill incidents to hit the country recently: Semirara Island on December 2005 and Guimaras Island on August 2006.

            Another is the landmark law mandating the use of alternative, environment-friendly fuels. Known as the “Biofuels Act of 2007” (RA 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.

            Cayetano is likewise credited for shepherding vital measures on the health front. Among these is the “Hospital Detention Law” (RA 9349) which prohibits any hospital or medical clinic from “detaining” charity patients for non-payment of their hospital bills or medical expenses.

            Another is the “National Anti-Rabies Act” (RA 9482) which mandates responsible pet ownership and requires pet owners to have their dogs immunized against rabies. It also pushes for the establishment of local dog pounds and launch an information campaign on rabies prevention and control.

            Three of her bills upgrading local hospitals have likewise been enacted and are expected to benefit poor residents in the highly urbanized cities of Valenzuela, Caloocan and Marikina in Metro Manila.

            A firm believer of the superiority of breast milk, Cayetano has been pushing for the enactment of the “Expanded Breastfeeding Promotion Act” (Senate Bill No. 1698) which seeks to arrest the alarming downtrend in breastfeeding rates among Filipino mothers by encouraging breastfeeding among working mothers through the establishment of lactation stations in public places and the workplace. This bill has been approved on third reading in the Senate.

            Her other bill, "Environmental Awareness and Education Act of 2007" (SBN 766) which seeks to integrate environmental education at each school level, has likewise been approved on third reading.

            A champion of women’s rights, Sen. Cayetano authored the Magna Carta of Women (SBN. 1701) which seeks to end all forms of gender discrimination.

            Aiming to promote a tobacco smoke-free lifestyle, Cayetano is also pushing for the passage of the “Picture-Based Health Warning Law” (SB 2377) which requires all cigarette and tobacco product packages to bear highly visible full color photographic picture warning and an accompanying textual warning explaining the health hazards of smoking. She is also batting for SB 2378, which introduce amendments to RA 9211or the Tobacco Regulation Act.

            Outside the halls of Congress, Sen. Cayetano has been aggressively promoting various advocacies. She has initiated several events, including “Pinay in Action” which aims to empower women and girls in the country by providing venues for a healthier lifestyle and tools and information for a better future; “Bike for Hope,” which raises community awareness on pressing health and environmental issues; and the “12-hour event in memory of Gabriel,” named after her late son, which supports differently abled children.

            Under her “Pinay in Action” empowerment program, she conducts community seminars on breastfeeding and on Republic Act No. 9262, or the Anti-Violence Against Women and Children Act of 2004, and a running program for young girls.

            She is currently at the forefront of a multi-sectoral campaign to clean up and revive the heavily polluted Marilao-Meycauayan-Obando River System in Bulacan province—site of one of the worst toxic waste dumping incidents in 2006, and likewise sponsors community seminars on proper waste segregation all over the country.

            An athlete herself, Sen. Cayetano advocates sports as part of a holistic youth development program and in promoting a fit and healthy 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 Western Australia Ironman in 2007, the grueling New York Marathon, Venice Marathon, and Chronicle Marathon in San Francisco, California.

            Sen. Cayetano stands firmly by her principles, whether on the Senate floor defending a proposed measure, out in the communities promoting her advocacies, or when leading sports activities for a cause. The daughter of the late “Compañero” has come into her own and has made her mark in the Philippine Senate. #