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<\/p>\n\u201cI wouldn\u2019t say there was a transition when it comes to activism. It\u2019s a constant presence in my life, something I carry with me no matter what profession I choose. Kahit na nasa pulitika ako, I would say na nasa prinsipyo at puso ko ang activism.\u201d \u2013 Sen. Risa Hontiveros<\/p>\n
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From joining the 1978 Lakas ng Bayan noise barrage to pursuing broadcast journalism as a profession, Hontiveros has always been amplifying the voice of the masses. Her family is not the only thing close to heart, it\u2019s also the people she gets to serve.<\/p>\n
\u201cI realized that I could shed light on social issues and mobilize people through policy solutions. Politics provides a larger platform to push for the advocacies I have long been fighting for,\u201d says Hontiveros, whose political labor is also fueled by the involvement of individuals and groups who share the same calling as her.<\/p>\n
\u201cI can\u2019t take all the credit for myself because there were people who believed in me \u2013 my party Akbayan, our coalition partners, the advocacy groups we\u2019ve worked with. They became my motivation and reason to transition to public service,\u201d she continues.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/pageone.zyndk8.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Love-and-Labor-2.jpg\")
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Like a mother in labor, Hontiveros has seen and felt the birth pangs of politics firsthand \u2013 there is the challenge of having \u201cless voice\u201d for being in the minority, navigating the legislative system while staying true to one\u2019s own values, and pushing through progressive reforms. For her, \u201cpolitics is a space of compromise,\u201d where she learned to establish a balance between her primal roots and new convictions. \u201cPushing for women\u2019s rights, accountability, and good governance wasn\u2019t always popular, but it is the heart of my service.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen it comes to women\u2019s rights, as a woman, I experience firsthand the struggles and our limited opportunities in education, employment, and even leadership,\u201d says Hontiveros. \u201cEven though progress has been made, true success cannot be achieved if there are still women left behind. Every Filipina deserves the freedom to make choices, pursue careers, and live without fear of violence or oppression,\u201d she continues.<\/p>\n
Hontiveros, who was first elected to the Senate in 2016, revels in her landmark laws, including the Expanded Maternity Leave Law (RA 11210) and the Mental Health Law (RA 11036) which is the first in the country. Other bills she has pushed into law are the Expanded Solo Parents Welfare Act (RA 11861), Safe Spaces Act (RA 11313), and the Anti-Online Sexual Abuse or Exploitation of Children Law (RA 11930) or AOSAEC \u2013 which are what she calls the \u201cproducts of both [her] love and labor.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/pageone.zyndk8.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Love-and-Labor-3.jpg\")
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\u201cThese laws were the result of collective efforts from women\u2019s groups, advocates, labor organizations, and the working moms and solo parents who are directly affected and will benefit from them,\u201d says Hontiveros, who has also championed policies on public health.<\/p>\n
\u201cEven before the pandemic, the country already had many challenges when it came to healthcare\u2014many people die without ever having the chance to see a doctor or be hospitalized, and those who have often end up buried in debt due to the high cost of medical treatment,\u201d she continues, stressing that it\u2019s a fundamental Filipino aspect that doesn\u2019t get much attention. \u201cMy dream is for every Filipino to have access to healthcare, regardless of their economic status.\u201d<\/p>\n
Besides women empowerment and public health, Hontiveros has been leaving a fingerprint on justice since becoming a public servant. She led the Pastillas scam investigations that caused the Ombudsman to file charges against officials involved in 2022, and uncovered a far more terror scheme in 2024 involving former Bamban mayor Alice Guo and the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators, leading to the total ban of POGOs in the country.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/pageone.zyndk8.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Love-and-Labor-4.jpg\")
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Keeping her head high, Hontiveros holds integrity with greater importance. For her, it\u2019s a value that ought to be protected at all times, especially when one enters the political stage. \u201cThat\u2019s why it\u2019s important to always keep your north star at the heart of everything you do. It will guide you on the right path and ensure that your decisions are always made with integrity,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
Behind all these love and labor are the individuals who embody the reasons why Hontiveros took this path \u2013 her family, team, and political party. As her eldest son Francisco \u201cKiko\u201d Baraquel puts it, she is the very definition of beauty, grace, and liberty \u2013 the true definition of a woman.<\/p>\n
Hontiveros\u2019 landmark laws on women\u2019s rights and public health reflect her commitment to the people. #LetsAllWelcome #LetsAllWelcome_SenatorRisaHontiveros<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":102,"featured_media":257263,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[19603],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-257259","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-lets-all-welcome"],"zyndk8_nxtgen_metadata":{"nxtgen_comments":[{"55":"hindi nadadala sa politika!","56":"Super proud ako sayu!","57":"jUsTicE & HeAlTh \ud83d\udc96\ud83d\udc96","58":"Walang katulad si mam!","59":"Daming batas!","60":"Wahahahah solid!","61":"Ew, naiyak ako! \ud83e\udd7a","62":"ang pangarap ng bayan!"}]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/diplomatic-fuchsia-armadillo.46-250-226-234.cpanel.site\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/257259","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/diplomatic-fuchsia-armadillo.46-250-226-234.cpanel.site\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/diplomatic-fuchsia-armadillo.46-250-226-234.cpanel.site\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/diplomatic-fuchsia-armadillo.46-250-226-234.cpanel.site\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/102"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/diplomatic-fuchsia-armadillo.46-250-226-234.cpanel.site\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=257259"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/diplomatic-fuchsia-armadillo.46-250-226-234.cpanel.site\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/257259\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":257261,"href":"https:\/\/diplomatic-fuchsia-armadillo.46-250-226-234.cpanel.site\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/257259\/revisions\/257261"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/diplomatic-fuchsia-armadillo.46-250-226-234.cpanel.site\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/257263"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/diplomatic-fuchsia-armadillo.46-250-226-234.cpanel.site\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=257259"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/diplomatic-fuchsia-armadillo.46-250-226-234.cpanel.site\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=257259"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/diplomatic-fuchsia-armadillo.46-250-226-234.cpanel.site\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=257259"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}