Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas Chairperson Danilo Ramos announces on Thursday, August 22, 2024, that he will run for the Senate in the 2025 midterm elections. (Photo from Danilo Ramos/Facebook)
MANILA, Philippines — Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas Chairperson Danilo Ramos announced on Thursday his plans to run for the Senate in the 2025 midterm elections under the Makabayan slate.
According to Ramos, who hailed from a family of farmers in Bulacan, it is “high time” to have a “genuine representation” of the marginalized sector in the Senate.
“I am accepting the challenge and difficult task of our times to carry the interests of Filipino farmers to the Senate. We must step and show that there are alternatives to traditional political parties and dynasties,” Ramos said in his speech.
Carrying the banner “Magsasaka, itanim sa Senado,” the rice farmer also said that he will push for agricultural programs for the benefits of farmers and fellow Filipinos.
“Dala ang karanasan bilang magbubukid, higit kong itataguyod ang tunay na reporma sa lupa at pag-unlad ng kanayunan, gayundin ang tunay na pag-unlad ng kapwa mahihirap at mga Pilipino sa loob at labas ng bansa,” he noted.
(With my experiences as a farmer, I am pushing for genuine land reform and development in the countryside, as well as the improvement of lives of many poor Filipinos inside and outside the country.)
READ: Farmers’ group: Rice tariff law results to P44B in economic losses
“Isusulong ko ang mga patakaran at programa para sa abot-kayang presyo ng bigas, kasapatan sa pagkain at pagpapalakas ng lokal na produksyon,” he added.
(I will push for policies and affordable prices of rice, food security, and boosting local production.)
Ramos’ involvement in peasant groups is traced back to 1983 when he was elected as a secretary-general of the Alyansa ng Magbubukid sa Bulacan (Alliance of Peasants in Bulacan). Five years later, he became the spokesperson of the Alyansa ng Magbubukid sa Gitnang Luzon (Alliance of Peasants in Central Luzon).
In 1993, he was appointed as the secretary-general of Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas. He has been the movement’s national chairperson since 2017.
Further, Makabayan Coalition welcomes the senatorial bid announcement of Ramos, citing his experiences as a farmer.
“Ka Daning Ramos brings a wealth of experience and a deep understanding of the struggles faced by our farmers,” said Makabayan Coalition Co-chairperson Neri Colmenares in a statement.
“With Ka Daning in our slate, we are reinforcing our call for policies that prioritize local production over importation, ensure affordable staple goods for all Filipinos, and uphold human rights and national sovereignty,” Colmenares added.
On Wednesday, Former Bayan Muna Representative and Bagong Alyansang Makabayan Chairperson Teddy Casiño, who also expressed his intent to run for the Senate in the 2025 polls, said that Makabayan targets to field a full senatorial slate.
READ: Teddy Casiño to run for Senate in 2025 under Makabayan slate
The following are the other aspiring senators who will be running under the Makabayan slate:
- Alliance of Concerned Teachers Representative France Castro
- Gabriela Partylist Representative Arlene Brosas
- Kilusang Mayo Uno Secretary General Jerome Adonis
- Former Gabriela Partylist Representative and former National Anti-poverty Commission Chairperson Liza Maza
- Pamalakaya Vice Chairperson Ronnel Arambulo
- Bayan Muna Representative and Bagong Alyansang Makabayan Chairperson Teddy Casiño