Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano is not allowing the numbers game in the Senate to distract the chamber from what he called “the important numbers” that are affecting the quality of life of Filipinos.
In his Facebook livestreams on May 29 and 30, 2026, Cayetano doubled down on his appeal to senators from both the majority and minority blocs to focus on “game-changing” solutions to the country’s economic and social problems.
“Ang numbers kasi natin, parati tayo nako-confine sa 13-11, sa 12-11 [majority-minority bloc members],” he said on Friday.
“Ang importanteng numbers ay inflation, GNP, GDP, productivity ng ating mga magsasaka. Ang importanteng numbers, y’ung dropout sa eskwelahan, y’ung pagtaas ng kaso ng AIDS, pagtaas ng teenage pregnancy. Ang dami nating kailangang pag-usapan na priorities,” he continued.
The “13-11” refers to the narrow split between the 13-member majority and 11-member minority, which has kept talk of a possible leadership change alive in news reports and on social media since Cayetano assumed the Senate presidency on May 11.
Cayetano stressed that the Senate should instead focus on the economic crisis and how it affects the quality of life of ordinary Filipinos, from education to health, jobs, and prices of goods and services.
He particularly raised alarm over the nine million unemployed and underemployed Filipinos, detailing how daily wages in the country are barely enough for families to live decently amid rising inflation.
“Sabihin mo nang minimum wage every day ay P21,000. Magkano pamasahe? Magkano renta, kuryente, pagkain? ‘Pag cinompute mo y’un, sakop na y’ung P21,000,” he said on Saturday.
“So, bawal magkasakit? Bawal na magkaroon ng sapatos or gamit pang pasukan y’ung anak mo? Bawal na magkaroon ng weekend man lang na makakain man lang ang pamilya together?” he added.
Cayetano noted that since assuming the Senate presidency, his leadership has tried to keep the chamber focused on the bigger picture beyond Senate politics.
“So far, since May 11 to now, what have we done but try to talk about the bigger picture? To talk about crisis? To talk about values? To talk about God in government? To talk about unity?” he said.
He emphasized that the Majority bloc’s main priority is to uphold good governance not just through accountability measures but through legislations that improve the lives of Filipinos.
“Kasama po d’yan y’ung mga legislation that goes into economics, para hindi gutom ang ating mga kababayan, para walang temptation for crimes and for corruption,” he said in his May 30 livestream.
While he has openly acknowledged that the Senate President serves at the pleasure of his fellow senators, Cayetano has not allowed the issue to dominate his statements in and out of the session hall.
In a privilege speech on May 18, he urged his colleagues to set clear priorities and identify reforms that could change the direction of the country.
“Let’s list down our priorities. Alamin natin ano yung game-changers na makakapagpabago sa direksyon ng ating bansa. There are so many bills in agriculture, education, health, and finances of our beloved country that we can do,” Cayetano said.
He had first made the appeal on May 11, saying millions of Filipinos here and abroad continue to suffer from the effects of the crisis.
“There are millions of Filipinos here and abroad na nagdurusa talaga. So tulong-tulong po tayo on how we can deliver solutions sa mga problemang ito,” he said.