SENATE Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano is calling for a shift in how the government handles crises, urging stronger preparation, deeper review of past actions, and a more deliberate approach before responding to emerging threats.
In a recent livestream, Cayetano said effective governance should begin long before a crisis unfolds, stressing that early recognition of risks allows the government to act more decisively.
“Alam natin na kung hindi man crisis, yung potential for crisis [naroon.] That’s why maraming bansa [ang] nag-create ng separate crisis committee kasi you have to continue governing, but you also have to have your contingency plans and the actual reaction whether relief iyan or on-the-spot reforms,” he said.
He emphasized the need to “review and rewind” before making decisions and warned that failure to learn from past mistakes can lead to bigger problems.
“Napakaimportante ng review at rewind. Bakit? Para hindi mo maulit y’ung problema. Para hindi maulit y’ung mali. A problem should be met by a solution, not with a bigger problem,” he said.
Cayetano said without this step, the government risks repeating the same errors. He also underscored the importance of accurate data in both planning and response, noting that wrong information leads to flawed policies and poor delivery of aid.
“If we don’t learn our lessons, we’ll keep having bigger problems. Kung mali ang facts natin, mali rin ang conclusion natin,” he said.
The Minority Leader added that preparation must reflect real conditions on the ground as challenges differ across regions.
“Hindi pwedeng ‘one size fits all’… kailangan personalized iyan. Kailangan nakatutok iyan sa sitwasyon ng lugar,” he said.
Cayetano said while the government’s crisis response is improving, the people are expecting a “coordinated, comprehensive” approach.
He added that preparation also requires focus and foresight, encouraging Filipinos to take part in building a more responsive system.
“Pray for specific points so that we will always be more prepared and we can plan better. That way, we can leverage and have a better response sa lahat ng problema ng ating bansa,” Cayetano said.
