VICE presidential candidate and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte said she believes multi-sectoral Angat Pinoy espouses the same goals as UniTeam’s to enhance the welfare of Filipinos, particularly the women sector, micro-small-and-medium enterprises (MSMEs), OFWs, and person-with-disability (PWD).

Duterte has endorsed Angat Pinoy, which is among the top 40 groups in the recent Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey. The survey said the voters will vote for them due to their credible advocacy and programs that they perceive will best serve their specific socio-economic needs.

Angat Pinoy chairman emeritus, Anthony del Rosario, said they want to thank Duterte for endorsing and believing what Angat Pinoy can bring into the table in line with UniTeam’s socio-economic platform.

“The name that we carry, Angat Pinoy, is very timely especially because over the last two years of pandemic, maraming Pilipino ang nahirapan na gusto naming i-angat muli ang mga buhay,” Del Rosario added.

Angat Pinoy, a newly formed partylist, will focus on six sectors: micro small-and-medium enterprises, women groups, senior citizens, PWDs, youth, and OFWs.

“Angat Party, aims to introduce sustainable programs and laws that will focus on helping MSMEs survive under the new normal, women groups’ welfare, especially single parents, and Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), particularly those who lost their overseas jobs and returned home to seek for employment,” added Del Rosario, spokesman of Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP) and former Davao del Norte governor.

Del Rosario said if given a seat in the Lower House, Angat Pinoy will file several legislations that will help these sectors alleviate their lives.

Angat Pinoy nominees

Among the nominees of Angat Pinoy partylist are two young women who play a dual role as successful entrepreneurs and mothers in Mindanao and Bicol regions.

Karina Anna ‘Aina’ Chiu-Del Rosario, a registered nurse and former president of Davao Del Norte Council of Women, is teaming up with Bicolana lass, Mellisa Ann ‘Missy’ Hilario, a three-termer councilor of Sto Domingo, Albay and former regional and provincial president of National Movement of Young Legislators.

Both nominees aspire to alleviate the plight of Filipino women, whether in their homes or work places, the nurses, teachers, artists, military personnel, lawyers, or just the plain streetsweepers and market vendors.

Assistance for MSMEs

He added that they will file laws particularly to help MSMEs address their current lack of capacity building.

“Marami sa mga maliliit na negosyante ang nahihirapang tumaas ang grado papunta sa pagiging medium enterprises dahil sa kakulangan ng pondo; ang binibigay ng gobyernong tulong sa kanila ay puro loan, pero wala silang collateral na magamit para makapagloan sa mga bangko,” Del Rosario said.

“We need to be creative in order to provide them funding at matulungan sila kasi yung kinikita nila sa isang araw, ‘yun din ang ginagamit nila pambili ng imbentaryo para sa susunod na araw,” he added.

Support for PWDs

For PWDs, Del Rosario said there is a need to expand their benefits from what they are currently receiving. They should not also be discriminated and given easy access to most buildings and establishments.

“Marami pa ring mga building na hindi accessible, walang rampa at elevator kaya may makikita tayong mga PWD na kinakarga paakyat sa matataas na floor. Due to absence of easy access, most PWDs lost interest in looking for a job,” he added.

At least 165 party-list groups will be vying for an estimated 63 seats in the House of Representatives in the May 9 polls, according to the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

PWDs should also be given a chance to work despite their disabilities. There are PWDs who are very good in producing products even though they are blind.

Youth development

There is also a need to help arrest the low enrolment rates in our schools, according to Del Rosario.

“For the simple reason of lack of financial resources, marami pa rin sa mga kabataan ngayon ang hindi pumapasok kahit na libre na ang edukasyon sa bansa,” he added.

Angat Pinoy believes that it is not only due to school tuitions why there are many youths not going to school today; they also worry that even if they go to schools, they lack the means to buy books, and for those in colleges, fees for dormitories and other essentials.

Winning party-lists can have a maximum of three seats in the House, depending on the number of votes they won.