Speaker Alan Peter “Compañero” Cayetano attributed the accomplishments of the 18th Congress, including approved bills and high approval and trust ratings, to the unity of the House of Representatives workforce.
“We found the strength to come together to support our leader, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, and to set aside personal ambitions and political affiliations to be here today….A house divided will fall so we have to find a way to come together,“ Cayetano said in his message to the House Secretariat and congressional workforce during the flag-raising ceremony.
“So yung ratings na natamo natin ay hindi dahil sa isang tao, hindi rin po ito dahil sa tatlong daang Kongresista, dahil po ito sa we are a united House of the People,” the veteran legislator stressed.
The seasoned lawmaker also expressed his gratitude to the House Secretariat officials and staff, and congressional staff, for their cooperation and contribution to the passage of landmark pieces of legislation during the early months under his leadership.
Among those measures that were expeditiously approved by the chamber include the 2020 General Appropriations Bill, revenue bills prioritized by President Duterte in his 2019 State of the Nation Address, the Corporate Income Tax and Incentives Rationalization Act (CITIRA) and the Passive Income and Financial Intermediary Taxation Act (PIFITA).
“If we took the choice to fight until the end and not find a way to work together, we would not be able to approve the budget in one month.”
“The Lord has plans for us pero yung choice nasa atin. Katulad din naming mga Kongresista, if we took the choice to fight until the end and not find a way to work together, we would not be able to approve the budget in one month. We would not have passed as many revenue bills as before,” he said.
Notwithstanding other issues the country is facing, Cayetano maintained that the legislators zeroed in on measures that would truly address the needs of the Filipino people and further help improve the economy of the Philippines.
“Hindi makolekta ang pera dahil wala ang revenue bills. So yes, it might not be the kind of bills sa education, health, sa OFWs that we expected na magpabango sa first few months of Congress, pero inuna natin yung kailangan,” he said.
“I ask you as a birthday gift, please do not leave any stone unturned.”
Before he ended his message, Cayetano shared his birthday request to the House Secretariat and Congressional staff: “Iba-iba ang ating kultura, iba-iba ang ating religion, but that doesn’t mean we cannot have a shared vision and a shared mission. And in this shared vision and mission, I ask you today as a birthday gift, please do not leave any stone unturned,” he said.