Senator Alan Peter Cayetano assured the agriculture and employment sectors that they will not be left behind once the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) will be implemented.

Cayetano was among the 10 senators named to the Senate Oversight Committee on RCEP.

Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda, will be the chairperson while Senator Sonny Angara, Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva, Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel, Senators Imee Marcos, Cynthia Villar, Grace Poe, Mark Villar, Sherwin Gatchalian and Jinggoy Estrada comprise the oversight committee that will monitor the implementation of RCEP.

“Our desire from the very beginning is to see the entire nation grow, not just the urban centers,” Cayetano said.

Cayetano cited the agriculture as well as the employment sector as two of the most vulnerable sectors in the country today that need urgent attention given the persistent increase in prices of basic commodities and low farm-gate prices.

He said he will continue to help farmers afford farm inputs and bring their produce directly to the market through his flagship program Presyo, Trabaho, Kita/Kaayusan (PTK).

Cayetano also urged his colleagues and the executive department to ensure safety nets for sectors that could possibly be affected by the implementation of the trade deal.

“I want that kind of assurance from the executive department because I do really believe that RCEP would really be such a good vehicle for us,” he said. (PNA) 

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