Kaunlad Pinoy, a party-list group led by entrepreneur Kuya Choi, is entering the national elections for the first time under ballot number 133. Their goal is to bring to Congress an advocacy-driven campaign focused on livelihood empowerment, financial literacy, and tax incentives for aspiring Filipino entrepreneurs, especially those from informal sectors.

“In the wake of the pandemic, many Filipinos had no choice but to start small businesses to survive,” said Kuya Choi in a radio interview Tuesday. “We saw people bet their last peso on sari-sari stores, food delivery, online selling — and they did it with no government backing, no training, no roadmap. Kaunlad Pinoy wants to change that.”

From relief work to legislative action

“Kaunlad Pinoy wasn’t even meant to be political at first,” Kuya Choi explained. “The name stands for ‘Kaisipang Positibo para sa Kaunlaran ng Pilipino.’ We started as a non-profit organization during the pandemic. Back then, we just wanted to help.”

He said the organization quickly grew from a relief group into a full-fledged movement offering business education and financial literacy programs across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. “We realized that when people are taught to think positively and given the right tools, they can build something from nothing.”

Over the past five years, Kaunlad Pinoy has helped thousands of members set up their own businesses. Many of them had no experience or capital to begin with. “That’s why we believe it’s time to take our advocacy to Congress,” he said.

Push for tax holiday and Magna Carta for informal businesses

If elected, Kaunlad Pinoy’s first major legislative proposal will be a tax holiday for first-time entrepreneurs and informal business owners who are transitioning into formal enterprises.

“There are thousands of Filipinos who want to take that leap into business, but they’re scared — of failure, of bureaucracy, of taxes,” Kuya Choi said. “We want to reward the brave ones who step up. Our proposal is to give them a tax holiday during the first critical years of their business. Let them stabilize, let them grow, before the government starts collecting.”

The group is also advocating for a “Magna Carta for Informal Businesses,” a legislative framework that aims to protect small informal vendors and enterprises. These include market stall owners, online sellers, and street vendors. The goal is to help them transition into registered businesses without red tape or excessive cost.

“Right now, many of these informal businesses don’t qualify even as microenterprises. But they deserve representation and support,” he said. “We’ll be the voice of those who are betting on entrepreneurship without a safety net.”

A new kind of politics

Kuya Choi emphasized that Kaunlad Pinoy is not a recycled political brand or a dynasty-backed group. “We didn’t buy this slot. We built it from scratch. Our nominees are our own regional leaders who’ve been with us since the beginning. No big names. No families in politics. Just people who believe in our cause.”

He admitted that their organization hesitated to enter politics because of its “negative” nature.

“Our name stands for positive thinking, and politics has a negative connotation — people fighting, pulling each other down,” he said. “But after five years on the ground, we realized the best antidote to negativity is giving people the knowledge to earn and sustain a livelihood.”

He added, “Let the 99% of politics fight among themselves. Kaunlad Pinoy will focus on one thing: helping every Filipino grow their business and livelihood.”

With close to 500,000 members nationwide, Kaunlad Pinoy hopes to bring a practical and action-driven mindset to legislation. The group aims to reflect the entrepreneurial spirit that helped millions of Filipinos get through the pandemic.

“Don’t wait for another crisis to push people into entrepreneurship,” Kuya Choi said. “Let’s empower them now, and give them the support they deserve.”