Sen. Cayetano tells Taguig graduates: Crises are training grounds for future leaders

Cayetano tells Taguig graduates: Crises are training grounds for future leaders

TAGUIG CITY — Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano on Tuesday urged young Filipinos to view the crises their generation has endured — from the COVID-19 pandemic to the current oil crisis — as preparation for future leadership.

Cayetano delivered the message to hundreds of graduating and moving-up students and their parents in Taguig City on March 31, 2026, as end-of-school-year ceremonies get underway across the country.

He said effective leaders often draw their drive and commitment to service from the hardships they have lived through, noting that the Filipino concept of leadership — pamumuno — carries within it the idea of filling in what is lacking.

Cayetano said the challenges young Filipinos have faced, including the pandemic, the flood control scandal, and the ongoing oil crisis, are shaping them into a generation of more grounded and dedicated leaders.

He told the youth they are being prepared and trained not only by their parents and teachers, but by the world itself, and that many things will only become clear to them in time.

Quoting the Book of Genesis, he reminded the students that all people are called to be leaders as stewards of God’s creation, and urged them to remain resilient, warning that leaders influence those around them.

Cayetano also cautioned against giving in to despair, encouraging students who feel overwhelmed by hardship to remember that they are being trained and are deeply loved.

He closed by reminding the students to honor their parents’ sacrifices, saying that graduating is itself the greatest thank-you they can offer.