If you have not decided yet on a party list for the upcoming Philippine elections, please allow me to humbly recommend two party lists that, in my humble opinion, deserve your vote: CIBAC and Abakada Guro.

The first party list I recommend - the one I’m actually voting for - is Citizens Battle Against Corruption (CIBAC). CIBAC is a multi-sectoral organization whose legislative agenda revolves around fighting graft, corruption and government cronyism. It won two seats at the last election, and Representatives Kim Bernardo-Lokin and Joel Villanueva, son of former Philippine presidential candidate and solid Christian Eddie Villanueva, have passed priority measures benefiting us via its anti-corruption agenda.

Among them: the Freedom to Access to Information Bill, the Access to Frontline Services Information Bill, the Anti-Red Tape Bill. the Anti-Marital Infidelity Bill, and the Public Attorneys Office (PAO) Bill.

There are benefits of voting for a party list with a track record, and CIBAC has that track record.

The second party list I urge you to consider is Abakada Guro. This party list envisions itself as party list representative of teachers, school workers, and the education sector. As you know, there is a palpable decrease in the quality of Philippine education, and legislative efforts must be concerted and driven to ensure the competitiveness of our schools vis-a-vis the global community. Abakada Guro’s website details its battle plan - specifically to use legislation to protect, assist, and empower school teachers all over the country.

Remember: once your kids are of school age, your school’s teachers actually spend more time with them five days a week. I believe qualified, satisfied, well-educated and well-trained teachers translate into improved student performance, and I believe Abakada Guro has what it takes to help make it happen.

(A note to Abakada Guro, if ever you find yourselves here: fix up your website. The typographical errors are numerous and embarrassing. Hello, “Memebers”? Take your online presence seriously, Sirs; for many Filipinos, this is the only way we’ll ever get to know about you. Others may not be so forgiving, expecting topnotch content from a website defending educators.)

If you’re not particularly enthused about voting for Abakada Guro but would like to support a party-list representing the education sector, two others are running: AVE, or the Alliance of Volunteer Educators, and A TEACHER, or Action for Teacher Empowerment through Action Cooperation and Harmony Towards Educational Reforms. While I don’t have information on either party list thanks to a lack of information online, I’m sure their intentions are pure and their platform is solid.

If you haven’t decided on a party list just yet, please visit the websites of these two party lists to learn more about them and why I humbly think they deserve your vote. Thank you.

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