Risa Hontiveros

Risa Hontiveros

Hontiveros in 2016
Senator of the Philippines
Assumed office
June 30, 2016
Member of the Philippine House of Representatives for Akbayan
In office
June 30, 2004 – June 30, 2010
Personal details
Born Ana Theresia Hontiveros
(1966-02-24) February 24, 1966
Manila, Philippines
Nationality Filipino
Political party Akbayan Citizens' Action Party (2004–present)
Other political
affiliations		 Liberal Party (2010)
Team PNoy (2013)
Koalisyon ng Daang Matuwid (2016)
Spouse(s) Francisco Baraquel, Jr. (m. 1990; d. 2005)
Relations
Children 4
Alma mater Ateneo de Manila University (A.B.)
Occupation Activist
Profession Journalist

Ana Theresia "Risa" Hontiveros-Baraquel (born February 24, 1966) is a Filipino socialist activist and journalist, who was the representative of Akbayan in the House of Representatives of the Philippines from 2004 to 2010. She currently serves as senator of the Republic of the Philippines after a victory in the 2016 elections, placing 9th, overall. She is the older sister of journalists and television hosts Ginggay and Pia Hontiveros.

Early life

Hontiveros was born on February 24, 1966 in Manila. At age 14, she was part of the Von Trapp children in the Repertory Philippines' adaptation of The Sound Of Music, alongside Lea Salonga, Monique Wilson and Raymond Lauchengco during her childhood.[1] It was also during this period when she was first introduced to activist work as an organizer in the campaign against the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant in her high school.[2][3] Hontiveros graduated cum laude with an Bachelor of Arts degree in social sciences from the Ateneo de Manila University. While at Ateneo, she was active in the student council, where she participated in advocacies for peace and justice in marginalized communities.[4][5]

She was also a television journalist and news anchor who having worked for two television networks in the country, IBC (Headline Trese) and GMA Network (GMA Network News).[6] In Hontiveros's career as an activist, she has been affiliated with a number of organizations and movements:[7][8] Coalition for Peace (served as Secretary-General from 1988 to 1992), National Peace Conference (serving on its Governing Council since 1990), Government Panel for Peace Talks with the National Democratic Front (chairing the Panel's Reciprocal Working Committee on Socio-Economic Reforms from August 1998 to June 1999), Pandayan para sa Sosyalistang Pilipinas (Pandayan/Forge for a Socialist Philippines), a democratic socialist political organization (re-elected as Chairperson in August 2001), Pilipina, a socialist feminist organization, Amnesty International Pilipinas (member of the Board of Directors), Institute for Politics and Governance.

Political career

Hontiveros first entered politics as the third nominee of Akbayan Party-list in the 2004 National Elections. She is one of the prominent figures of the anti-GMA forces, especially during the height of the Hello Garci controversy of 2005.[9] In the International Women's Day of 2006, she was arrested and brought to Camp Caringal in Quezon City without warrant despite the peaceful nature of the assembly marking the global event.[10] Hontiveros eventually became Akbayan's first nominee in the 2007 Midterm Elections. She was a member of the House Minority as well as the following Committees in the 14th Congress: Appropriations, Ethics and Privileges, Foreign Affairs, Good Government and Public Accountability, Health, Higher and Technical Education, Human Rights, Natural Resources, Peace, Reconciliation and Unity, People Participation, Rules, Trade and Industry, Women and Gender Equality.

Successful pieces of legislation that were crafted and filed by Hontiveros in Congress include the Cheaper Medicines Law that lowers the cost of essential medicines by allowing parallel importation and compulsory licensing, and the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program Extension with Reforms (CARPER) Law that extends the old CARP Law as well as provides a program better suited to the needs of the farmers and the agrarian reform beneficiaries. Hontiveros’s legislative track record also include, among others, the Anti-Prostitution Bill that aims to look at prostitution as a symptom of inequitable and exploitative social structures and prostitutes, the Gender Balance Bill that aims to ensure women’s representation in all structures of governance, and the Students' Rights and Welfare (STRAW) Bill that aims to promote and protect students' liberties at all levels and in both public and private schools.[11]

Running under the ticket of then-Senator Benigno Aquino III, Hontiveros placed 13th overall in the senatorial race - almost making it to the Top 12 in the 2010 National Elections. Following her graceful defeat in the elections, she remained active in numerous issues concerning the marginalized and the abuses of the previous administration. She became a prominent figure alongside Senators Miriam Defensor Santiago and Pia Cayetano in the nationwide campaign for the passage of the Reproductive Health (RH) Law, which she co-authored during her stint in Congress.

Running under the Team PNoy ticket, Hontiveros ran again for a Senate seat in the 2013 midterm election. However, she lost for the second time, placing 17th in the Senate race. Her campaign slogan was 'Paglalaban ka, aalagaan ka,' which reflected the gains from the enactment of the RH Law and the continuing struggle for universal health care and good governance. In the aftermath, Hontiveros acknowledged Senator Osmena's observation of her mixed messages in the campaign may have been the reason for her loss.[12]

In December 2014, Hontiveros was inducted as a Trustee of the PhilHealth board.[13][14] She ran again for Senator and won in the 2016 election under the Koalisyon ng Daang Matuwid of President Benigno Aquino III. Landing 9th place, she was proclaimed a Senator-elect by the Philippine Commission on Elections, sitting en banc as National Board of Canvassers, on May 19, 2016.[15][16] She is part of the coalition of congresspersons and senators who are collectively called the Equality Champs for their advocacy on the passage of the Anti-Discrimination Bill which has been neglected in Congress for more than 16 years. Her platform is activism for equality and justice for all. Her focus legislation covers health, women's rights, LGBT rights, children's rights, environment, fishermen's rights, farmers' rights, government reforms, positive activism, and students' rights.

Personal life

Hontiveros' husband, Francisco Baraquel, Jr., died in May 2005 after suffering from a heart attack due to severe asthma. They have four children together.[5][17] Her nephew, Luis Hontiveros, became a housemate of Pinoy Big Brother: Lucky (season 7) regular edition.[18]

Having served as a journalist for ten years before venturing into politics, Hontiveros is a recipient of the Kapisanan ng Mga Broadkaster ng Pilipinas' Golden Dove Award for Best Female Newscaster. Because of her work in the peace talks with the National Democratic Front, she also received the Ten Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) Award for Peace and Advocacy in 2001, and a Nobel Peace Prize nomination in 2005.[19]

References

  1. ↑ VIDEO: Repertory Philippines' The Sound of Music guesting in Student Canteen (1980)
  2. ↑ VIDEO: Risa Hontiveros' profile
  3. ↑ "Women Leaders (Philippines)". Resources, publications, and papers of the Center for Asia Pacific Women in Politics. Center for Asia Pacific Women in Politics. October 16, 2002. Retrieved 2008-02-14.
  4. ↑ "Risa Hontiveros to continue women's, social justice advocacies in the Senate". Liberal Party of the Philippines. February 28, 2013. Retrieved May 14, 2016.
  5. 1 2 ""The beautiful fight": Risa Hontiveros". Philippine Online Chronicles. April 1, 2013. Retrieved May 14, 2016.
  6. ↑ Silvestre, Edmund (May 2, 2016). "The Risa that I know". The Philippine Star. Retrieved May 23, 2016.
  7. ↑ "Hontiveros-Baraquel, Risa". Member Information - 14th Congress. Retrieved 2008-02-14.
  8. ↑ "Rep. Risa Hontiveros". AKBAYAN: Ibangon Dangal ng Pilipino (Party Website). Akbayan Citizens' Action Party. Retrieved 2008-02-14.
  9. ↑ Marcelo, Pepper (September 1–15, 2006). "Risa Hontiveros Baraquel: Not Your Typical Politico". Planet Philippines. Buzzword Media Corporation. Retrieved 2008-02-14.
  10. ↑ VIDEO: ABS-CBN's news report of the arrest of Cong. Risa Hontiveros, 9 March 2006
  11. ↑ "Personal Information, BARAQUEL, Risa Hontiveros". I-Site: The Information Site on Philippine Politics and Government. Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism. Retrieved 2008-02-14.
  12. ↑ http://www.rappler.com/nation/politics/elections-2013/29917-serge-jun-magsaysay-risa-hontiveros-lost-reason
  13. ↑ http://www.interaksyon.com/article/100456/akbayans-hontiveros-appointed-to-philhealth-an-warays-noel-to-pcso
  14. ↑ http://politics.com.ph/post/risa-hontiveros-named-to-philhealth-board
  15. ↑ Bea Cupin (2015-10-11). "It's final: LP completes 12-person Senate slate". Rappler. Retrieved 2015-10-12.
  16. ↑ http://ph.rappler.com/elections/2016/results
  17. ↑ "Risa Hontiveros: Single and ready to mingle". ABS-CBN News and Current Affairs. May 13, 2016. Retrieved May 14, 2016.
  18. ↑ "Beauty queen at pamangkin ng pulitiko, papasok sa PBB (Beauty queen and nephew of a politician to enter in the PBB)". ABS-CBN News. October 29, 2016. Retrieved October 29, 2016.
  19. ↑ "Nobel Peace Prize Nominee Risa Hontiveros on 1000PeaceWomen". Retrieved 2012-07-17.
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