In a quandary over which party-list group to elect?

MANILA, Philippines – Still undecided on what partylist to vote for on May 9?

A total of 115 groups are running in this year’s party-list elections. But voters will have to choose only one of them in the ballots.

In principle, party-list representation in the House of Representatives aims to include members of marginalized and under-represented sectors in the legislative process to draft laws that will uplift their welfare. And choosing a party-list group means choosing what sector a voter would like to be represented in Congress.

Here’s something that might help: below is a table of the 115 party-list groups, clustered per sector which they claim to represent in Congress.

Rappler based this classification on clues provided in the groups’ full names, or on the advocacies indicated in their official website, and social media pages.

Sectors	Ballot Number	Acronym	Partylist Name
Anti- corruption	34	YACAP	You Against Corruption and Poverty
	72	CIBAC	Citizens’ Battle Against Corruption
Athletes	89	PBA	Puwersa ng Bayaning Atleta
Barangay affairs	75	BANAT	Barangay Natin
Energy and environment	97	1-CARE	1st Consumers Alliance for Rural Energy, Inc.
	114	AWAKE	Awareness of Keepers of the Environment, Inc.
Farmers and fishermen	1	AGRI	Agri-Agra na Reporma Para sa Magsasaka ng Pilipinas Movement
	5	ABANG LINGKOD	Abang Lingkod, Inc.
	10	ADDA	Association for Development Dedicated to Agriculture and Fisheries, Inc.
	15	ALL-FISH	Alliance of Philippine Fishing Federations, Inc.
	33	KMM	Kaisahan ng mga Maliliit na Magsasaka
	59	AASENSO	Ating Agapay Sentrong Samahan ng mga Obrero, Inc.
	60	AAMBIS-OWA	Ang Asosasyon sang Mangunguma nga Bisaya-Owa Mangunguma, Inc.
	62	ABONO	Abono Party-List
	85	KAP/KAKASA-KA	Kaagapay ng Nagkakaisang Pilipinong Magsasaka/Kabuhayan at Kabahayan ng mga Magsasaka
	93	BUTIL	Butil Farmers Party
	94	KAMAIS	Kamais Pilipinas (Kapatirang Magmamais ng Pilipinas, Inc.)
	113	AGBIAG!	Agbiag! Timpuyog Ilocano, Inc.
Health and life	7	AKIN	Akbay Kalusugan, Inc.
	12	ANAKALUSUGAN	Alagaan Natin ating Kalusugan
	27	1-AHAPO	One Advocacy for Health Progress and Opportunity
	98	MATA	Ang Mata’y Alagaan
	104	CANCER	Cancer Alleviation Network on Care, Education and Rehabilitation, Inc.
	109	ANG PROLIFE	Ang Prolife
	110	BUHAY	Buhay Hayaan Yumabong
Indigenous groups	4	TRICAP	Tribal Communities Association of the Philippines
	79	KUSUG TAUSUG	Kusug Tausug
	91	ANAC-IP	Ang National Coalition of Indigenous Peoples Action Na
OFWs and laborers	6	DIWA	Democratic Independent Workers Association, Inc.
	19	GLOBAL	Global Workers and Family Federation, Inc.
	43	ANGKLA	Angkla (Ang Partido ng mga Pilipinong Marino, Inc.
	47	OFW FAMILY	OFW Family Club, Inc.
	48	ALE	Association of Laborers and Employees
	52	ANAKPAWIS	Anakpawis
	54	CWS	Construction Workers’ Solidarity
	57	TUCP	Trade Union Congress Party
	67	TINDERONG PINOY	Tinderong Pinoy Party
	70	MIGRANTE	Migrante Sectoral Party of Overseas Filipinos and their Families
	71	AMOR SEAMAN	Association of Marine Officer and Ratings, Inc.
	74	A TAMBAY	Ang Tao Muna at Bayan
	80	ANG NARS	Ang Nars, Inc.
	82	MARINO	Marino Samahan ng mga Seaman, Inc.
	87	SAMAKO	Sandigan ng mga Manggagawa sa Konstruksiyon
	88	ACTS-OFW	Acts Overseas Filipino Workers Coalition of Organizations
	101	PM	Partido Manggagawa
	106	1-AALALAY	Isang Alyansang Aalalay sa Pinoy Skilled Workers
	115	AMEPA OFW	Amepa OFW Access Center, Inc.
Persons with disabilities	66	DISABLED/PWD	Disabled/Pilipinos with Disabilities
Political opposition	41	UNIDO	United Nationalist Democratic Organization
Poverty alleviation	35	TAMA	Tanggol Maralita
	58	KALINGA	Kalinga-Advocacy for Social Empowerment and Nation-Building through Easing Poverty, Inc.
	65	ANUPA	Alliance for National Urban Poor Assembly, Inc.
	76	UMALAB KA	Ugnayan ng Maralita Laban sa Kahirapan
	83	ANG KASANGGA	Kasangga sa Kaunlaran, Inc.
	102	1-SAGIP	Social Amelioration & Genuine Intervention on Poverty
	103	1-PABAHAY	Isang Pangarap na Bahay sa Bagong Buhay ng Maralitang Kababayan, Inc.
	107	AANGAT TAYO	Aangat Tayo
Professionals	39	ABS	Arts Business and Science Professionals
	45	TGP	Talino At Galing Pinoy
	64	AGHAM	Alyansa ng mga Grupong Haligi ng Agham at Teknolohiya para sa Mamamayan, Inc.
Regional groups	11	AWAT MINDANAO	Anti-War/Anti-Terror Mindanao Peace Movement
	16	AKO BICOL	Ako Bicol Political Party
	23	ACP	Anak Central Party
	28	TINGOG SINIRANGAN	Tingog Sinirangan (formerly Tingog Leytenhon)
	61	AAB	Ako An Bisaya
	63	AMIN	Anak Mindanao
	77	AI	Abyan Ilonggo
	78	AN WARAY	An Waray
	108	ABAMIN	Abante Mindanao, Inc.
Security/Brotherhoods	24	GUARDIANS BROTHERHOOD	Guardians Republican International, Inc.
	46	MAGDALO	Magdalo para sa Pilipino
	53	RAM	Rebolusyonaryong Alyansang Makabansa
	96	ACT-CIS	Anti-Crime and Terrorism Community Involvement and Support, Inc.
	112	KGB	Katipunan ng mga Guardians Brotherhood, Inc
Senior citizens and retirees	69	SENIOR CITIZENS	Coalition of Association of Senior Citizens in the Philippines
	84	AMA	Aagapay sa Matatanda
	92	ABANTE RETIREES	Abante Retirees Party-List Organization
SMEs and consumers	3	METRO	Movement for Economic Transformation and Righteous Opportunities
	8	AGAP	Agricultural Sector Alliance of the Philippines
	21	COOP-NATCCO	Cooperative Natcco Network Party
	22	ALAY BUHAY	Alay Buhay Community Development Foundation, Inc.
	32	ANG KABUHAYAN	Ang Kabuhayan
	40	LPGMA	LPG Marketers Association, Inc.
	68	CONSLA	Confederation of Non-stock Savings and Loan Associations, Inc
	86	FICTAP	Federation of International Cable TV and Telecommunications Associations of the Philippines
	111	APPEND	Append, Inc.
Teachers and education	2	ASEAN, INC.	Academicians, Students and Educators Alliance, Inc.
	13	CLASE	Central Luzon Alliance for Socialized Education
	20	1-ANG EDUKASYON	Una Ang Edukasyon
	31	ACT TEACHERS	Act Teachers Party-List
	38	ABAKADA	Abakada-Guro
	49	ATING GURO	Ating Guro
	50	AVE	Alliance of Volunteer Educators
	51	A TEACHER	Advocacy for Teacher Empowerment through Action Cooperation and Harmony Towards Educational Reforms
	90	MANILA TEACHERS	Manila Teachers’ Savings and Loan Association, Inc.
Transportation	56	PISTON	Piston Land Transport Coalition, Inc.
	73	NACTODAP	National Confederation of Tricycle Operators and Drivers Association of the Philippines
	99	DUMPER	Dumper Philippines Taxi Drivers Association, Inc.
Women and families	17	SINAG	Sinag Tungo sa Kaunlaran
	26	MELCHORA	Movement of Women for Change and Reform
	36	GABRIELA	Gabriela Women’s Party
	44	ALONA	Alliance of Organizations, Networks and Associations of the Philippines
Youth	42	KM Ngayon Na	Kilos Mamamayan Ngayon Na
	55	KABATAAN	Kabataan Party-List
	100	BH	Bagong Henerasyon
Multi-sectoral	9	SBP	Serbisyo sa Bayan Party
	14	AKBAYAN	Akbayan Citizens’ Action Party
	18	1-ABILIDAD	1-Abilidad
	25	1PACMAN	One Patriotic Coalition of Marginalized Nationals
	29	PBB	Partido ng Bayan ang Bida
	30	KABAYAN	Kabalikat ng Mamamayan
	37	SANLAKAS	Sanlakas
	81	BAYAN MUNA	Bayan Muna
	95	ATING KOOP	Adhikaing Tinataguyod ng Kooperatiba
	105	MTM PHILS	Mamamayan tungo sa maunlad na Pilipinas

Based on this classification, those advocating for OFW and laborer rights dominate the party-list elections, with 19 groups. There are 12 groups that are for farmers and fishermen, and 9 groups for teachers and education.

Rappler classified 10 groups under multi-sectoral because of the multiple sectors they are promoting.

Nominees

Each group has at least 5 nominees, with a total of 673 nominees registered with the Commission on Elections (Comelec). However, only 59 seats are allotted to party-list representatives in the next Congress.

See how the party-list seats were allocated in the 2013 elections.

The party-list nominees for the 2016 polls are a mixed bag – reelectionists, political families, former congressmen and government officials, and legitimate members of marginalized sectors.

Over the years, while there have been nominees and congressmen from these sectors, some individuals and groups – mostly from political dynasties – have treated the partylist as a “shortcut” to Congress. Therefore it’s also important to know who the nominees of these groups are. (READ: 2016 party-list nominees: Taking a ‘shortcut’ to Congress?)

Congress records

Out of the 115 party-list groups, 43 of them won in the 2013 elections and are seeking another 3 years under the next administration. Are they worth reelecting?

Rappler checked the track record of these groups by looking at documents – House bills and resolutions – in which their representatives are named main authors. This is to see if these groups indeed “represented” and stayed true to the sector or advocacies they promised.

Based on the table above, Magdalo party-list representative Gary Alejano authored the most number of related bills and resolutions, with 20 bills and 16 resolutions.

There are at least 6 representatives who were not named main author of any bill or resolution that has to do with the sectors they represent, but were named co-author of sector-related bills and resolution:

• Patricio Antonio of Agbiag (co-authored 4 sector-related bills)
• Conrado Estrella III of Abono (co-authored 2 sector-related bills)
• Roberto Mascariña of Ating Koop (nothing, as he was allowed to sit in Congress only on March 2016)
• Francisco Emmanuel Ortega III of Abono (co-authored 2 sector-related bills)
• Joseph Stephen Paduano of Abang Lingkod (co-authored 9 sector-related bills)
• Jose Panganiban Jr of Anac-IP (co-authored 30 sector-related bills and 7 sector-related resolutions)

Rappler also checked other available documents such as their attendance record and their Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALNs).

In the 2014 record attendance in the Lower House, Amin party-list representative Sitti Djalia Turabin-Hataman incurred the most number of absences among the incumbent party-list representatives. She had 17 absences – 16 due to constituency work, and 1 without notice of absence.

Fourteen had no absences in Congress:

• Gary Alejano of Magdalo
• Jose Atienza Jr. of Buhay
• Christopher Co of Ako Bicol
• Cinchona Cruz-Gonzales of Cibac
• Conrado Estrella III of Abono
• Agapito Guanlao of Butil
• Catalina ‘Baby’ Leonen-Pizzaro of ABS
• Victoria Isabel Noel of An Waray
• Joseph Stephen Paduano of Abang Lingkod
• Mariano Piamonte Jr of A Teacher
• Terry Ridon of Kabataan
• Michael Angelo Rivera of 1CARE
• Erlinda Santiago of 1SAGIP
• Lorna Velasco of AMA

Meanwhile, in the SALN records, majority of the party-list representatives are among the “poorest in Congress”. Three of them even registered a net worth of less than a million: Fernando Hicap of Anakpawis, Abigail Faye Ferriol-Pascual of Kalinga, and Jonathan dela Cruz of Abakada.

The richest among the party-list representatives is Diwa’s Emmeline Aglipay, who declared a net worth of P689 million in a joint SALN filed with husband and fellow member of Congress Mark Villar. The couple got married in late 2014. (READ: 224 members of Congress richer in 2014)

Will the public still see the same party-list groups in the next Congress? – with research from interns Arleth Myka Cledera, Kathleen Abenales, and Noa Carrascoso/Rappler.com