In 5 P’sinenses Lead Party Lists, Only 2 Wins - Poll

 By Mortz C. Ortigoza, MPA

DAGUPAN CITY – Among the five Pangasinenses lead partylist, only the province’s homegrown party Abono and Kabayan entered the winning circle in the last survey of the Social Weather Station (SWS).

Based on the February 16 – 19, 2025 poll commissioned by Stratbase, Abono Party  and Kabayan entered the winning Top 56 partylist seats for the 63 congressmen from the partylist needed to fulfill the constitutional mandates that twenty percent (20%) of the 313 members of the the House of Representatives should be allocated to partylists. Fifty-six (56) partylists should have won incase election was held on that period and not 63 because 4Ps, Duterte Youth, FPJ Panday Bayanihan, Act-CIS, and Asenso Pinoy got additional seven seats based on the number of 2.6% to 9.61% respondents that voted for them as seen on the table of the pollster.

A party that got 6% or more of the total votes cast for the present 156 party lists that joined for the May 12, 2025 election gets three seats while those that got 4% and 2% of the total votes get two seats and one seat, respectively.

In the survey, Abono got 0.84% (ranked 33-34) while Kabayan 0.84 (ranked 33-34).   Aksyon Dapat, Tulungan Tayo, and API (Abante Pangasinan Ilokano) poorly chalked up 0.41% (ranked 69-71), 0.39% (ranked 74-75), 0.27% (ranked 89-90), respectively.

There are 156 partylists that vie for the May 12, 2025 national and local elections.

Abono Partylist represents the agriculture and marginalized sector especially the population of Pangasinan province. Its first nominee is Congressman Robert Raymund Estrella – a resident of Rosales, Pangasinan -- while its chair and treasurer is Eng. Rosendo O. So.

In the elections of 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2022, Abono got 1 seat, 2 seats, 2 seats, 2 seats, 1 seat, and 1 seat, respectively.

Kabayan Partylist represents marginalized sectors of the Filipino community, including the disabled, senior citizens, overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), fishermen, farmers, and the poor.

Kabayan was founded by Ron Salo – a resident of Binmaley, Pangasinan -- in 2009. Salo is the present congressman of Kabayan in the 19^th Congress and he is the first nominee in the May 12, 2025 election.

The first nominee for this year’s election of Aksyon Dapat Partylist is former Alaminos City, Pangasinan Mayor Hernani Braganza. He said – as culled from online data -- that his group initial plan was to create a peace advocacy organization, but his group’s diverse and inclusive platform paved the way for them to run under the party-list system.
Braganza – a former Press Secretary and Congressman -- stated that part of their advocacy was to increase the capacities of public hospitals in the country and also look into reducing the out-of-pocket expenses through the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation.

Tulungan Tayo Party List’s first nominee is Cisco Jay Flores, a media practitioner from Dagupan City. He vowed to introduce bills designed to empower peasants, women, and youth. Its second nominee is JB Acosta of Calasiao, Pangasinan. Acosta’s wife is Pangasinan chain of malls heiress Dagupan City Councilor Irene Lim.

The first nominee of Abante Pangasinan Ilocano (API) is the former Governor of the Province of Pangasinan Amado T. Espino, Jr. while its second nominee is Laoac Vice-Mayor Atty. Nelson Valdez Gayo. In the May 9, 2022 election, API made raves and waves as it got 449, 346 (1.24%) votes while its rival Abono settled for 287, 460 (0.80%). API then was basking on the popularity of the former Governor and his son and namesake who was the governor of the gargantuan province. But after the latter lost to Pangasinan Governor Ramon V. Guico III, API lost its glitter under its congressman Mike Morden and even plunged to the cellar among the 156 partylists that shoved and jostled to be a member of the 20^th Congress. 

The survey asked 1,800 registered voters nationwide and had a margin of error of plus-or-minus 2.31 percent.

It’s the U.S not the Colombians that destroyed Escobar

MORTZ C. ORTIGOZA

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I am a twenty years seasoned Op-Ed Political Writer in various newspapers and Blogger exposing government corruptions, public officials idiocy and hypocrisies, and analyzing local and international issues. I have a master’s degree in Public Administration and professional government eligibility. I taught for a decade Political Science and Economics in universities in Metro Manila and cities of Urdaneta, Pangasinan and Dagupan. Follow me on Twitter @totoMortz or email me at totomortz@yahoo.com.