SENATOR Alan Peter Cayetano expressed support for the Catholic Church’s call for justice and accountability amid the corruption scandal in flood-control projects, stressing that the nation’s problems are rooted not only in weak systems but also in the erosion of values.

“The real crisis we face today is a crisis of values, of character, of who we are as a people,” Cayetano said, echoing the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), which recently described corruption as a moral and national crisis.

Cayetano emphasized that genuine reform requires repentance and values-based transformation, adding that apologies without real change are not enough.

This focus on character-building, he explained, is why he has consistently pushed for legislation institutionalizing values formation in schools and government. As House Speaker in the 18th Congress, Cayetano authored the Good Manners and Right Conduct and Values Education Act (Republic Act No. 11476), which made GMRC and Values Education core subjects in the K-12 curriculum from Grades 1 to 10.

“Education is not just about academic excellence. It’s about forming citizens who live with integrity, respect, and love for God, family, and country,” he said.

In subsequent Congresses, Cayetano continued his advocacy by filing the National Values, Etiquette, and Moral Uprightness Act and, more recently, the Filipino Identity in Values Act. These measures seek to establish a nationwide program on values education and create a Commission on Filipino Values, alongside an Inter-Faith Council for multi-sectoral implementation.

“Our development must be anchored in our cherished core values: faith in God, bayanihan, and the honor and respect we give to our elders and family,” he wrote in the explanatory note of Senate Bill No. 101.

Cayetano maintained that lasting reform must be tied to education and values formation—not just in schools, but across government institutions, businesses, and communities.

“Our mission is very simple: honor God, build communities, transform the nation,” he said.