Alan Peter Cayetano facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Alan Peter Cayetano
Official portrait, 2019
Senator of the Philippines
Incumbent
Assumed office June 30, 2022
In office June 30, 2007 – May 17, 2017
Chair of the Senate Agrarian Reform Committee
In office July 25, 2016 – May 17, 2017
Preceded by	Gregorio Honasan
Succeeded by	Cynthia Villar
Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee
In office July 25, 2016 – May 17, 2017
Preceded by	Miriam Defensor Santiago
Succeeded by	Loren Legarda
Senate Majority Leader
In office July 23, 2013 – July 25, 2016
Preceded by	Gregorio Honasan (acting)
Succeeded by	Vicente Sotto III
Senate Minority Leader
In office July 26, 2010 – July 22, 2013
Preceded by	Aquilino Pimentel Jr.
Succeeded by	Juan Ponce Enrile
Chair of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee
In office July 23, 2007 – February 2, 2009
Preceded by	Joker Arroyo
Succeeded by	Richard J. Gordon
Member of the House of Representatives for Taguig–Pateros
In office June 30, 2019 – June 30, 2022
Preceded by	Arnel Cerafica
Succeeded by	Ricardo Cruz Jr.
Constituency	1st district
In office June 30, 1998 – June 30, 2007
Preceded by	Dante Tiñga
Succeeded by	Post dissolved
Constituency	At-large district
22nd Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Philippines
In office July 22, 2019 – October 12, 2020
Deputy	See list Paolo Duterte Ferdinand Hernandez Loren Legarda Evelina Escudero Conrado Estrella III Prospero Pichay Jr. Roberto Puno Eddie Villanueva Aurelio Gonzales Jr. Johnny Pimentel Luis Raymund Villafuerte Raneo Abu Neptali Gonzales II Dan Fernandez Rose Marie Arenas Rodante Marcoleta Henry Oaminal Pablo John Garcia Vilma Santos-Recto Deogracias Victor Savellano Mujiv Hataman Mikee Romero Fredenil Castro
Preceded by	Gloria Macapagal Arroyo
Succeeded by	Lord Allan Velasco
26th Secretary of Foreign Affairs
In office May 18, 2017 – October 17, 2018
President	Rodrigo Duterte
Preceded by	Enrique Manalo (acting)
Succeeded by	Teodoro Locsin Jr.
Vice Mayor of Taguig
In office June 30, 1995 – June 30, 1998
Mayor	Isidro Garcia
Preceded by	Daniel Castillo
Succeeded by	Loida Labao-Alzona
Member of the Sangguniang Bayan of Taguig from the 2nd district
In office June 30, 1992 – June 30, 1995
Chairman of the Philippine SEA Games Organizing Committee
In office November 30, 2019 – December 11, 2019
Personal details
Born	Alan Peter Schramm Cayetano (1970-10-28) October 28, 1970 (age 54) Mandaluyong, Metro Manila, Philippines
Citizenship	Philippines United States (until 1998)
Political party	Independent (2021–present)
Other political affiliations	Nacionalista (2005–2021) Lakas (2001–2005) LAMMP (1998–2001)
Spouse	Lani Lopez ​ (m. 2004)​
Parent	Rene Cayetano (father)
Relatives	Pia Cayetano (sister) Lino Cayetano (brother)
Residences	Bagumbayan, Taguig, Metro Manila
Education	De La Salle Santiago Zobel
Alma mater	University of the Philippines Diliman (BA) Ateneo de Manila University (JD)
Occupation	Politician, diplomat
Profession	Lawyer
Signature

Alan Peter Schramm Cayetano (born October 28, 1970) is a Filipino lawyer and politician. He has served as a senator since 2022, and previously from 2007 to 2017. He was the Senate Minority Leader from 2010 to 2013, and then Senate Majority Leader from 2013 to 2016.

Cayetano also served as a Representative for Taguig–Pateros from 1998 to 2007 and again from 2019 to 2022. He was the Speaker of the House of Representatives from 2019 until 2020. From 2017 to 2018, he was the Secretary of Foreign Affairs under President Rodrigo Duterte. He ran for vice president in the 2016 elections but was not successful.

Cayetano grew up in a political family in Taguig. His father, Rene Cayetano, was a former senator. His older sister, Pia Cayetano, is also a senator. His younger brother, Lino Cayetano, was a mayor of Taguig, and his wife, Lani Cayetano, is the current mayor of Taguig. Alan Cayetano was also the chairman of the organizing committee for the 2019 Southeast Asian Games. Since 2023, he and his sister Pia have hosted a public service TV show called Cayetano in Action with Boy Abunda on GMA Network.

Early Life and Family Background

Alan Cayetano was born in Mandaluyong to lawyer Rene Cayetano and Sandra Schramm, a former school teacher. He grew up in Parañaque and later moved to Taguig in 1991.

He lives with his family in Bagumbayan, Taguig. His wife, Lani Cayetano, is the current Mayor of Taguig. His older sister, Pia Cayetano, is a senator. His youngest brother, Lino Cayetano, is a film director and also a former politician.

Educational Journey

Cayetano attended De La Salle Santiago Zobel School for both his elementary and high school education. He later studied political science at the University of the Philippines Diliman, graduating in 1993. During his time in college, he became involved in student politics, winning a post in the UP Diliman University Student Council in 1989.

He then earned his law degree from the Ateneo de Manila University School of Law in 1997, graduating with honors. He became a lawyer in the Philippines in 1998.

Key Laws and Achievements

Many of the laws Alan Cayetano helped create focus on important areas like education, rights for persons with disabilities, health, and the environment. Here are some of the laws he authored or co-authored during his time as a senator:

• Iskolar ng Bayan Act of 2014 (Republic Act No. 10648): This law provides scholarship grants for top public high school graduates to attend state universities and colleges.
• University of the Philippines Charter Act of 2008 (Republic Act No. 9500): This law updated the rules for the University of the Philippines, the country's national university.
• Student-Athletes Protection Act (Republic Act No. 10676): This law protects student-athletes from being used for commercial purposes.
• Magna Carta for Disabled Persons (Republic Act No. 7277): This law helps people with disabilities by supporting their rehabilitation and helping them become more independent and included in society.
• Amendment of the Philippine Passport Act (Republic Act No. 10928): This law extended the validity of Philippine passports to ten years, making it easier for travelers.

Political Career Highlights

Alan Cayetano has held many important roles in the Philippine government.

Early Political Roles in Taguig

In 1992, while still a college student, Cayetano was elected as a councilor for Taguig. He was one of the youngest councilors in the country at 21 years old. He served as the Majority Floor Leader for Taguig's council. From 1992 to 1993, he also led the National Capital Region Chapter of the National Movement of Young Legislators.

In 1995, he was elected as the Vice Mayor of Taguig, serving one term until 1998.

Serving in the House of Representatives (1998–2007)

In 1998, Cayetano was elected to the House of Representatives of the Philippines for Taguig–Pateros. At 27, he was the youngest representative in the 11th Congress.

During his time as a representative, he took on important roles like assistant majority leader and chairman of the Oversight Committee on Bases Conversion. He also became a strong voice in the opposition.

Time as a Senator (2007–2017)

Senate Majority Floor Leader Alan Peter Cayetano at the Kapihan sa Senado forum on March 17, 2016

Cayetano was elected as a senator in 2007. He placed 9th in the elections. In 2010, he became the Senate Minority Leader. He was re-elected as senator in 2013.

In 2013, he was chosen as the Senate Majority Floor Leader and also chaired the Senate Committee on Rules. He was involved in investigations into corruption allegations against then-Vice President Jejomar Binay.

Running for Vice President (2016)

In 2015, Senator Cayetano announced his plan to run for vice president in the 2016 national elections. He became the running mate of then-Davao City mayor Rodrigo Duterte. While Duterte won the presidency, Cayetano did not win the vice presidency, placing third in the election.

Secretary of Foreign Affairs (2017–2018)

On May 10, 2017, President Rodrigo Duterte appointed Cayetano as the Secretary of Foreign Affairs. He officially took office on May 18, 2017, and resigned from his position as senator.

As Foreign Affairs Secretary, Cayetano focused on using historical facts and international laws to resolve the territorial disputes of the Philippines. He aimed to negotiate privately rather than making constant public statements.

In 2018, he stated that the West Philippine Sea is "disputed," even though an international court ruling in 2016 said the Philippines has the sole legal right to the resources there. He explained that the ruling did not cover all islands in the area, which are still points of disagreement. He resigned from this role in October 2018 to run for a seat in the House of Representatives.

Speaker of the House (2019–2020)

Cayetano taking his oath of office as Speaker on July 21, 2019

On July 22, 2019, Alan Cayetano was elected as the 22nd Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Philippines. He was nominated by other representatives, including the President's son, Rep. Paolo Duterte.

Cayetano had an agreement to share his term as Speaker with Marinduque Representative Lord Allan Velasco. Under this agreement, Cayetano served for 15 months.

Organizing the SEA Games

Cayetano chaired the Philippine SEA Games Organizing Committee (PHISGOC), which was responsible for organizing the 2019 Southeast Asian Games. This was a major international sports event hosted by the Philippines.

Alan Peter Cayetano with the SEAG medalists.

After the games, when the COVID-19 pandemic began, the facilities used for the SEA Games were quickly turned into quarantine centers to help with the health crisis.

ABS-CBN Franchise Issue

In 2020, there was a major issue regarding the renewal of the broadcasting license for ABS-CBN, a large media network in the Philippines. The network's attempt to renew its franchise was rejected by a committee in the House of Representatives. This decision led to many workers losing their jobs and the closure of some of the network's operations.

Cayetano stated that he believed ABS-CBN should have been given a temporary license to continue broadcasting while the issue was being discussed.

Resignation as Speaker

Cayetano resigned as House Speaker on October 13, 2020, allowing Lord Allan Velasco to take over the position as part of their term-sharing agreement.

In January 2021, Cayetano formed a new group of lawmakers called "BTS sa Kongreso" (which stands for Balik sa Tamang Serbisyo sa Kongreso, meaning "Back to Proper Service in Congress").

10K Ayuda Bill and Initiatives

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Cayetano and his allies proposed the "10K Ayuda Bill" (House Bill 8597) in February 2021. This bill aimed to provide a one-time cash assistance of ₱10,000 to every Filipino family to help them with their daily needs or to start small businesses.

To show that this was possible, Cayetano launched the "Sampung Libong Pag-asa" (SLP) program on his Facebook page. Through donations, this program gave ₱10,000 to thousands of families across the country. By September 2021, the SLP had helped 10,000 beneficiaries.

Cayetano also started the "Sari-Saring Pag-asa" (SSP) program, which gives ₱3,500 cash assistance to small neighborhood store owners (sari-sari stores) to help them restock their supplies during the pandemic. This program was inspired by a similar local initiative in Taguig and Pateros.

Return to the Senate (2022–Present)

On October 7, 2021, Cayetano filed his candidacy to run for senator again as an independent candidate. He won in the 2022 elections, placing 7th among the 12 senators elected. He was the only winning senator who was not part of any political coalition.

In the 19th Congress, he and his sister Pia formed an independent group in the Senate. Cayetano currently chairs the Senate Committee on Government Corporations and Public Enterprises and the Senate Committee on Science and Technology.

Since February 2023, Alan Cayetano and his sister Pia have hosted the public service program Cayetano in Action with Boy Abunda (CIA with BA) on GMA Network.

Political Views and Beliefs

Alan Cayetano has clear views on several important issues in the Philippines.

Fighting Corruption

Cayetano is a strong supporter of fighting corruption. He was one of the senators who led investigations into corruption allegations against former Vice President Jejomar Binay.

Addressing Social Inequality

He believes that spreading economic growth beyond Manila is important. He supports decentralization, which means moving government offices and opportunities to different parts of the country.

Climate Change and Disasters

Cayetano believes that dealing with disasters and climate change requires many government departments to work together. He has proposed creating a new department specifically for disaster management.

Peace in Bangsamoro

Cayetano has been critical of the Bangsamoro Basic Law, which aims to create a new autonomous region. He has expressed concerns that it might give too much power to certain groups.

Supporting Overseas Filipino Workers

He believes that decentralization can help bring Overseas Filipino Workers back home by creating more job opportunities in the Philippines.

Religious Beliefs

Cayetano is a born-again Christian. He has publicly stated that he sees himself as an "ambassador of the Lord Jesus Christ."