Cayetano tells fellow solons: We are not the VIPs, our constituents are

Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano on Monday reminded his fellow lawmakers to prioritize the needs of the public and treat their constituents as "VIP."

Cayetano issued the reminder to his colleagues during his speech at the opening of the Second Regular Session of the House for the 18th Congress.

In his speech, Cayetano urged his fellow lawmakers to stay true to their mandate and come up with solutions to address the problems that the Filipino people face amid the continued threat of COVID-19.

"Let us 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," he said.

"Hindi 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 added.

Cayetano recognized that the most difficult task for the lawmakers in this part of their term is to keep Filipinos safe and healthy while allowing them to go back to work.

"We need to rebuild and retool those industries that have been gutted by this pandemic. And in this endeavor, the government will be playing a significant role," he said.

He proposed that congressmen help strengthen the agriculture, tourism, and manufacturing sectors, along with "robust" investments in infrastructure, to become the primary source of employment and growth.

He also reiterated his proposal for the establishment of a Department of Arts and Culture in order to revitalize the Philippine creative industry. A measure for such purpose will be filed this week, he added.

"We must approach this problem and prepare as if we are at war - which to a large extent we are. Not with a foreign aggressor, but with an unseen enemy that shows no mercy, gives no quarter, and takes no prisoners," Cayetano said.

"In the face of an evolving enemy and a fluid battleground, Congress needs to continue to Adapt, Innovate, and Manage if we are to stay above water until a vaccine or a cure is found," he added.

A total of 301 House members attended the hybrid opening of the Second Regular Session earlier in the day, of which 21 were physically present at the plenary and 280 participated virtually.

Following the session, the Senate and the House of Representatives will jointly convene to hear President Rodrigo Duterte's fifth State of the Nation Address. — RSJ, GMA News