With only two years left before the 2028 national elections, a broad coalition of sectoral groups on Friday launched the “Risa Na!” Movement, rallying support for Sen. Risa Hontiveros as a potential opposition presidential contender.

The launch brought together workers, farmers, transport groups, overseas Filipino workers, students, youth organizations, urban poor communities, and other sectoral formations, in what organizers described as an effort to consolidate growing but still dispersed support into a more structured grassroots network ahead of the 2028 race.

In a manifesto, the movement said Hontiveros embodies “strength, courage, and care” in leadership, citing her long record in public service and openness to being considered as part of a unified opposition slate.

“Handa na tayo sa pamumunong mas maayos, mas matatag, at mas maaasahan,” the group said, adding that her legislative work and Senate investigations have benefited women, children, workers, farmers, and other marginalized sectors.

The group said it will establish chapters in schools, workplaces, and communities nationwide in the coming months to broaden its base and strengthen its campaign machinery ahead of the elections.

In an interview, Akbayan president Rafaela David said preparations for the 2028 elections are already underway, noting that the relatively short electoral timeline is pushing political actors to organize early.

“Alam kasi natin na with two years, mabilis na lang ’yan,” David said, stressing the urgency of early groundwork as voters begin reassessing familiar names in early preference surveys.

She said there is a growing demand for what she described as an “alternative” political option, particularly among undecided voters and those seeking alternatives beyond established political figures.

“So klaro na gusto ng mamamayan ng alternatibo,” she said.

David added that Hontiveros is emerging as one of the more visible opposition figures in early preference surveys, which have shown her among potential contenders registering low single-digit support in a still-fragmented field of prospective candidates.

During the launch, Akbayan said Hontiveros garnered 28.4 percent in a head to head presidential survey against incumbent Vice President Sara Duterte, who is seen as a frontrunner in the elections due to her family's political prominence in the country's southern regions. But earlier data show that Hontiveros ranked 5 out of 6 preferred presidential candidates for 2028.

David said this early visibility is shaping internal discussions among democratic forces as they weigh whether to rally behind a single standard-bearer or build a consolidated slate depending on how political alignments develop toward 2028.

David also stressed the importance of early organization to translate emerging voter sentiment into structured grassroots support, noting that survey results at this stage largely reflect awareness and name recall rather than consolidated voting blocs.

Hontiveros earlier said she is considering running for higher office in 2028. 

“Ako ay seryosong nagko-consider sa possibilility kaya naghahanda ako,” she said in a television interview last week.