Provinces that push back against political dynasties

The campaign period for local candidates — district representatives, governors, mayors, and other provincial, city, and municipal officials — has begun.

At the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ), we continue to shine a spotlight on political dynasties and hope to sustain conversations about the consequences of concentrating political power within families.

In our latest report, we turn our attention to the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR)—an outlier that stood out in our mapping of dynastic control across the country. Some of its provinces remain largely untouched by entrenched political families, prompting our deeper exploration into what makes the region different.

Frank Cimatu, a journalist and poet from Baguio City, unpacked the region’s political landscape. His report shows how Cordillera’s cultural norms, including its communal and participatory indigenous forms of governance, have shaped its politics.

Click the links below to read the reports. We hope you can share it on your websites and social media pages. The materials are here.

Cordillera is not entirely immune to dynasties—particularly in provinces bordering the Ilocos Region, where the country’s “fattest” dynasties can be found. But in Central Cordillera, political dynasties are relatively new and often viewed as an experiment.

In this year’s elections, Benguet is a province to watch. Two families want to build political dynasties: the Gos and the Yaps.

In the coming weeks, we’ll be publishing more reports on political dynasties in select regions, provinces, and cities. Stay updated by visiting our website and following us on social media.

We started our research on political dynasties in October last year. We’re heartened that our stories have reached many readers and sparked much-needed conversations.

The 1987 Constitution bans political dynasties but Congress has yet to pass such a law.

Advocates believe the next Congress must be pressured to act. But more importantly, the public can help make it happen.

“It happened in 2019, when a number of dynasties lost. It can happen again—especially with the public mood turning against dynasties and the breakup of the UniTeam,” said political scientist Julio Teehankee, one of the key analysts in the series.

We’re sharing our reports on political dynasties below. Please help us amplify them by posting on your websites and social media platforms.

Maraming salamat po.

PCIJ reports on political dynasties