Newly-elected Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano has come a long way from being a councilor of the former municipality of Taguig at the age of 21 to being leader of the House of Representatives in a public service career that has spanned 27 years.
Having been inspired by his father, the late Senator Renato Cayetano, the new Speaker has moved up from councilor to vice mayor to Congressman of the Taguig-Pateros District for three terms.
He cultivated his legislative skills when he ran for the Senate and spent 12 years in the chamber.
Few of the most remarkable contributions in the Senate happened when he led different committees, such as the Committee on Education and Culture and Arts.
Cayetano helped in passing Republic Act 9500 or the University of the Philippines Charter Act of 2008 and also authored Republic Act 10648 otherwise known as the “Iskolar ng Bayan” Act of 2014.
The current Speaker also chaired the Blue Ribbon Committee and Committee
on Accountability of Public Officers and Investigations, where he led the impeachment bid against former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
Cayetano also contributed while he was with the Committee on Mass Media and Information. He filed the Freedom of Information Act, which hurdled the Senate during the 14th Congress.
He let go of his legislative journey when he decided to become the running mate of then Mayor Rodrigo Duterte of Davao City.
He, however, lost to Vice President Leni Robredo, but was appointed by President Duterte as Secretary of Foreign Affairs in 2017.
Cayetano led reforms within the department and ordered a more efficient system of issuing passports.
He pushed for an independent foreign policy, which centered around diplomacy and mutual respect, earning him the Order of Sikatuna award with the rank of Datu, the highest honor that can be bestowed to a Foreign Affairs chief and Filipino diplomat.
Cayetano led reforms within the department and ordered a more efficient system of issuing passports.
Aside from that, he currently chairs the Philippine South East Asian Games Organizing Committee (PHISGOC), which will lead preparations for the 30th South East Asian Games (SEA Games).
