Kalinga Party-list Representative Irene Gay F. Saulog (Photo taken from the House of the Representatives website)
Irene Gay F. Saulog will continue the advocacies of the Kalinga Partylist as its representative in the 19th Congress, after she had served in the 18th Congress as assistant minority leader.
As an advocate for the education and welfare of Filipino families, Saulog brings with her more than two decades of experience as a teacher and school administrator.
Kalinga Partylist represents the urban poor and the education sector. Its programs aim “to provide Filipino families equal opportunities for health services, education, housing, and livelihood.” Among its various programs are the Programang Kalinga sa Kabuhayan for workers and medical missions to aid Filipinos in provinces and cities nationwide.
In reply to Manila Bulletin’s interview queries, information materials sent by Kalinga Partylist office said Saulog had completed a degree in Education specializing in Early Childhood Education at Miriam College in 1999. She began her teaching career as a preschool teacher in 1995, and eventually supervised more than 140 chapters of the National Christian Life College-Maranatha Christian Academy School System.
Saulog is the mother of two daughters, aged 15 and 12. She is married to Christian Saulog.
Information from the party-list organization also said Saulog has been a member of the House of the Representatives since 2019. During the 18th Congress, she was one of the principal authors of House Bill 5512, now known as Republic Act (RA) 11642 or the Domestic Administrative Adoption and Child Care Act, which made the adoption process accessible and less expensive. It was passed into law on Jan. 6 this year.
Saulog was one of the principal authors of 190 House Bills — 13 of which became laws. She co-authored 34 measures, one of which is the Covid-19 Vaccination Program Act or RA 11525.
Saulog also helped with the passage of a measure that enabled President Duterte to adjust the start of the class in 2020. The Republic Act (RA) 11480 was an amendment that lengthened the school calendar days from 200 to not more than 220 days with the goal of giving the government more time to respond to challenges faced by the education sector amid the pandemic.
Aside from work as a member of Congress, Saulog also did volunteer work, such as distributing personal protective equipment (PPEs) to medical frontliners. She also led the nationwide distribution of aid to pandemic-hit families.
The Kalinga Partylist counts among their representative’s accomplishments her work to push for the implementation of the Department of Labor and Employment - Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (DOLE-TUPAD), which was established amid the Covid-19 pandemic, and the Department of Social Welfare and Development - Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (DSWD-AICS) to help improve the lives of those in vulnerable and marginalized sectors of the society.