Kaunlad Pinoy urges partylist reforms

Kaunlad Pinoy’s first nominee and retail entrepreneur ‘Kuya Choi’ is calling for urgent reforms to the country’s party-list system, saying it has strayed far from its original mission and is now dominated by political dynasties and traditional politicians.

Kuya Choi made the appeal during Kaunlad Pinoy’s media engagement in Davao City, where he stressed that change should start even before winning a seat in Congress.

“We don’t have to wait until we’re in Congress to act. If you already know which partylists don’t deserve support, campaign now for the ones that do,” Kuya Choi urged.

He admitted that pushing reforms through legislation would be slow —especially on what he called a “highly political issue” — but said every vote for Kaunlad Pinoy is a step toward change.

“Let’s be realistic. Even the best laws need Congress to vote them through. But we can start fixing the system by supporting groups that don’t abuse it,” he added in Filipino.

Kuya Choi also addressed frustrations over business permit delays, pointing out the inconsistencies across local governments. His solution? A national standard.

“What we can do is push for a uniform system — so wherever you are in the Philippines, it’s just as easy to start and run a business,” he said.