LIST: Measures Makabayan bets plan to file before Senate once elected

Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas Chairperson Danilo Ramos and Pamalakaya Vice Chairperson Ronnel Arambulo. INQUIRER.net / Faith Argosino

MANILA, Philippines —  Days before the 2025 midterm elections, over half of the Makabayan senatorial candidates, who also served as leaders of various sectoral groups nationwide, shared some of the measures they plan to file before the Senate once they secure a spot in the upper chamber.

In an interview with reporters, seven Makabayan candidates once again reminded the public of their platforms and the issues they plan to address should they be elected.

Below is the list of candidates and bills they intend to file:

Bagong Alyansang Makabayan chair and former Bayan Muna Rep. Teddy Casiño

Casiño, for instance, plans to file the anti-dynasty bill, which he believes will bring “meaningful” and “far-reaching implications” that would change politics.

“We will also focus on transparency and accountability mechanism so we will push for a freedom of information law, for whistleblower protection act, and an amendment to partylist law to remove the partylist system on the hands of political dynasties,” he said in Filipino hours before Makabayan’s miting de avance.

ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro

For Castro, education remains a top priority. The lawmaker said she plans to double the budget for the education sector should she be elected.

“Because right now, the entire education budget doesn’t even reach four percent of the gross domestic product, so we want to fill the needs of schools, additional teachers, additional computers and laptops needed by our teachers and students, so the education budget should be doubled,” she said in Filipino.

Kilusang Mayo Uno Secretary General Jerome Adonis

On the other hand, Adonis–a labor leader—reiterated his plan to file a counter bill before the Senate seeking to increase the daily minimum wage of private sector workers to P1,200.

“Second, we plan to address the rampant contractualizations because many employees in both public and private sectors are contractual, and to repeal Articles 106 to 109 of the Labor Code of the Philippines, which companies use in favor of them in making workers contractual,” he explained in Filipino.

Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas Chairperson Danilo Ramos

For his part, Ramos said he aims to push for two bills should he be elected.

“First is the Genuine Agrarian Reform Bill. Land for farmers, farm workers, and plowing farmers, and not for big or foreign corporations. And the rice industry development act to address the food crisis and high prices of rice that affect our fellow Filipinos,” he said in Filipino.

Pamalakaya Vice Chairperson Ronnel Arambulo

Meanwhile, Arambulo said he aims to push for the Genuine Fisheries and Aquatic Reform Bill, which he added is structured in genuine fisheries reform, giving exclusive rights to small fisherfolk to fish within their fishing areas and the right to live on these shores.

He also aims to push for the review of what he described as anti-fishermen and civil laws, such as the Fisheries Code of 1998, among others.

Sandugo Movement of Moro and Indigenous Peoples for Self-Determination Co-chairperson Amirah Lidasan

For Lidasan, the abolishment of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-Elcac) is among the issues si aims to address. She also plans to repeal the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020, which she said mainly affects locals in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. /jpv