Kaunlad Pinoy’s second nominee, Ricky Juab, took center stage during a live interview on Lead na Tama with host Jose Esgana, where he discussed the party-list’s commitment to long-term economic empowerment and sustainable livelihood for Filipinos.
Juab emphasized Kaunlad Pinoy’s independence from traditional political affiliations, stating, “Hindi kami party-list na extended political party sa mga political party, that's number one (We're not a party-list that's an extension of a political party).”
He also underscored the party’s long-term approach to livelihood, explaining, “Pag sinabi naming pangkabuhayan, ito'y isang mahabang proseso na by 2030 or by 2032, kailangan na bawat Pilipino, dapat may negosyo (When we say livelihood, this is a lot process that, by 2030 or 2032, every Filipino should have a business).”
Juab highlighted that Kaunlad Pinoy’s programs have been in place even before election season.
“Unlike other party-lists, or even politicians, na every three years lang lumalapit sa komunidad, anuman ang adbokasiya ng Kaunlad Pinoy, even before the filing of COC, ginagawa na namin (that only approach the community every years, whatever our advocacy is at Kaunlad Pinoy, we've been doing even before the filing of COC),” he said.
Since July 2024, the group has actively implemented community programs aimed at reducing consumer costs and increasing incomes for small business owners. At the heart of these efforts is NegoNation, a movement designed to promote social and entrepreneurial growth.
Juab explained that their focus on micro-businesses stems from their resilience and importance during the pandemic, saying, “Nung pandemya, lahat nagsara. Ang nakatayo lang na mapapakinabangan ng komunidad ay yung sari-sari store (During the pandemic, everything closed down. What stood and was used by the community was the neighborhood store).”
Through NegoNation, Kaunlad Pinoy offers Negosyo School, financial and business literacy training, access to cheaper commodities, business networking, and capital funding opportunities. The party-list has also established the Kaunlad Pinoy Chamber of Commerce (KPOC) to connect local products across provinces.
“Lahat ng mga homegrown products or businesses sa mga lalawigan, pinagsama-sama namin yan. Halimbawa, kung may produkto ang Iloilo na wala sa MisOcc, dinadala namin ang produkto roon,” Juab added.
(All the homegrown products or business in a province, we bring them together. For example, if there is a product in Iloilo that isn't available in MisOcc, we bring it there.)
Kaunlad Pinoy has developed a membership system that assigns members to programs based on their specific needs. Members enjoy benefits such as insurance, access to affordable rice, and structured business support.
“Kapag miyembro ka, maliban sa may ID ka, automatic insured ka, may access ka to cheaper price of rice. Habang pinapababa mo ang gastusin nila, pinapataas mo naman ngayon ang kita nila,” Juab explained.
(If you're a member, unless you have an ID, you're automatically insured, you have access to a cheaper price for rice. As you lower their costs, you increase their income.)
He also expressed concerns about the government’s reliance on aid distribution, advocating for more sustainable economic solutions.
“Dapat alam ng gobyerno kailan hihinto sa mga ayuda. Kasi kung taon-taon natin isasama sa budget natin iyan, ano mangyayari sa mga Pilipino? Walang sustainability,” he noted.
(The government should know when to stop the assistance. If every year we include that in the budget, what will happen to Filipinos? There's no sustainability.)
If Kaunlad Pinoy secures a congressional seat, Juab vowed to institutionalize their livelihood programs and ensure regular assessments of their effectiveness.
“Maraming miyembro ng Kaunlad Pinoy nakikinabang na sa mga programa natin kahit wala pang election. Paano pa kaya pag nasa Kongreso na?” he concluded.
(Many members of Kaunlad Pinoy have benefited from our programs even before the elections. What more when we're in Congress?)