Why Risa Hontiveros is Seeking Another Senate Term

Sen. Risa Hontiveros on Wednesday said she was seeking another term in the Senate as she wanted to continue working with the marginalized sectors, as they bear the health and economic costs of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hontiveros, who is on her first-term in the Senate, earlier confirmed her reelection bid next year.

"A health and economic crisis of this magnitude really will require continuity and commitment," she told Summit Sandwich Sessions.

"Gusto ko namang maipagpatuloy yung nasimulan [ko] na, working with different sectors on their health and economic dreams and agenda. [Kasama diyan] yung mga magsasaka, mga mangingisda, yung mga informal workers," she said.

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic last year, Hontiveros has been calling out the government over its shortcomings in responding to the health crisis while making suggestions on how to better address it.

She recently urged the Inter-Agency Task Force on COVID-19 to coordinate first with local government units  on travel policies for fully-vaccinated individuals after an initial announcement caused confusion.

The senator stressed the need to strengthen the country's health system so that the economy would not further suffer.

"The pandemic and the recession have exposed the structural weaknesses both of our health system and our economy and exacerbated those," Hontiveros said.

"Dapat hindi natin payagan manoot yung mga further blows to those two systems for the longer term kundi mas lalong tatagal yung recovery natin, health and economic-wise," she added.

Aside from farmers, fisherfolk, and workers in the informal sector, Hontiveros said she wanted to continue helping delivery riders, gig workers, small-time entrepreneurs, overseas Filipino workers and women.

She currently chairs the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations, and Gender Equality, where she pushed for measures seeking equal rights and opportunities for women and members of the LGBTQIA+ community.