Before stepping into the world of politics, Kuya Choi and his group were already hard at work.

In a radio interview on Tuesday, Choi shared the origin story of Kaunlad Pinoy — not as a political movement, but as a non-profit response to the hardships brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic.

“This is our first time joining a national election under the partylist system,” Choi said, the first nominee of Kaunlad Pinoy, which now runs under Ballot Number 133.

A movement born from crisis

“Kaunlad Pinoy, the real meaning behind the name is ‘Kaisipang Positibo para sa Kaunlaran ng Pilipino’ (Positive Thinking for the Progress of Filipinos),” Choi explained. “We were originally a non-profit organization founded during the pandemic. We were never a political organization from the start.”

Describing the pandemic as “the great equalizer,” Choi explained that it pushed many people to take risks they never had before. “People who weren’t entrepreneurs had to move or they’d have nothing. So, they became businesspeople. I, being in the retail sector, saw that as an opportunity to help them.”

“We wanted them to have their own businesses,” he added. “That’s why we created Kaunlad Pinoy.”

However, the pandemic left many with deep scars. Choi noticed how fear of failure began to hold people back. “They became too cautious, choosing employment over entrepreneurship. They’re afraid of failing and of being labeled as someone who lost in business. And capital? That’s another challenge,” he said.

But despite these fears, he saw the hardship as a powerful motivator. “It pushed people to find ways to survive. They bet on business. We wanted to guide them so they wouldn’t lose that bet.”

Advocacy in action

What began as a simple initiative grew into a structured organization. “We treated it like a thesis at first. We needed a core value, and for me, that’s positive thinking. Without that, you can’t succeed.”

Choi observed that many Filipinos woke up stressed and burdened, which hindered them from receiving help. “You can offer education and resources, but if someone’s mindset isn’t ready, it won’t be absorbed. So, we registered Kaunlad Pinoy under the SEC as a legitimate non-profit. We traveled around the country providing business education, financial literacy and seed capital.”

In the five years since its inception, Kaunlad Pinoy has expanded across Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, reaching nearly half a million members.

“We’ve seen many success stories,” Choi said. “But the sad part is when people have good products but don’t know how to market them. That’s where we step in — we help them sell not just locally, but internationally.”

Why run now?

Despite their success, politics wasn’t part of Kaunlad Pinoy’s original plan. “In 2022, LGUs asked why we weren’t involved in politics, but we declined because our focus was on growing the organization,” Choi said. However, by 2025, their network had grown significantly, prompting their partners to urge them to run.

Choi had two main concerns: “First, Kaunlad Pinoy is about positive thinking, but politics is a negative field. While 99 percent of politics argues, we’ll focus on livelihood and business growth.”