Cayetano tells House lawmakers: lose the VIP mentality

MANILA, Philippines — Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano on Monday reminded his colleagues at the House of Representatives to inculcate in their minds that it is the public who are the real VIPs (very important person), and not them.

Cayetano made the remarks in his speech at the opening of the second regular session of the 18th Congress, as he exhorted lawmakers to “rise to the occasion” and become public servants amid the coronavirus pandemic.

“Di po pwedeng sabihing tayo ang VIP dahil tayo ang representante nila. Baliktad po. Sila ang VIP at tayo ang lalaban para sa kanilang interes,” he said.

(We cannot say that we are the VIP because we represent them. It’s the other way around. They are the VIP and we will be the ones who will fight for their interest.)

Cayetano said lawmakers should not “delude ourselves with the thought that Congress is primus inter pares – or the first among equals.”

“No, I am here to tell you that it is we – the members of THEIR House – who must rise to the occasion and fulfil the mandate that the Filipino people have entrusted to us. Not just to represent them in these halls, but to truly be one with them in our hearts, in our minds and in our actions,” he said.

He underscored how the pandemic only showed how the usual societal measures of success such as money, power, position are irrelevant and can sometimes even be a distraction and a hindrance in finding solutions.

“At this time, when the whole world is facing a crisis – unprecedented in scale, at least during our lifetime,  the Filipino people expect that we — their elected representatives — will speak with all the honesty, candor, and humility that the situation demands,” he said.

“This is not the time to be unclear as to the intentions of this House of the People. Instead, we must speak frankly and truthfully. Surely about our hopes and aspirations, but — and perhaps more importantly — of our uncertainties and fears,” he added.

Actions vs pandemic

Cayetano then highlighted the need to “rebuild and retool” industries affected by the pandemic.

“I propose that we strengthen the Agriculture, Tourism, and Manufacturing sectors, augmented by robust investments in infrastructure, to be the primary source of employment and growth especially in rural areas,” Cayetano said.

“Let us take this opportunity to bring our kababayans home, not in boxes, but as the conquering heroes that they are. Properly supported and given the right opportunities, these returning OFWs will form the first wave of our offensive in the countryside,” he added.

Further, Cayetano said that the provinces can also serve as the “new centers of development,” saying that the pandemic showed “the weak underbelly of our big cities.”

“This is a clarion call for our urban planners, engineers, and architects — the government needs your ideas. Help us build a better Philippines by decongesting our cities and spreading the wealth to every island,” Cayetano said.

Moreover, Cayetano said that the House leadership will file a bill creating the Department of Arts and Culture in a move to revitalize the Philippine creative industry.

“This week the house leadership, and anyone who would like to join us, is filing a bill that will establish the Department of Arts and Culture so that instead of being a casualty of COVID-19, Filipino creativity and artistry will be an integral part of our arsenal for recovery and we will be targeting Asia and not just the Philippines,” Cayetano said.

The House opened its second regular session hours before President Rodrigo Duterte delivers his penultimate State of the Nation Address (SONA).

EDV