Naga City marks People Power anniversary as ‘Anti-Political Dynasty Day’

ALBAY, Philippines – In a “bold stand” against entrenched power, Naga City has officially designated February 25 — the anniversary of the People Power Revolution — as Anti-Political Dynasty Day.

“In line with Mayor Leni Robredo‘s vision for Naga City to take a bold stand against political dynasties, we have deemed it wise to declare Anti-Political Dynasty Day on February 25. By coinciding with the People Power commemoration, this move emphasizes the city’s commitment to democratic reform,” said Naga City Councilor Allan Reiz Macaraig, who authored the resolution.

Macaraig said that while Robredo has long advocated for the measure, the ordinance took months to formalize due to legislative complexities.

“We have always abhorred dynasties in Naga. The youth of yesterday, today, and the future of Naga know it by heart. This declaration is us shouting to the nation — to wake up and make a stand,” Macaraig added.

Beyond resolution

The City Council said that since the 1987 Constitution took effect, Naga has served as a testament to its anti-dynasty provisions, with no single political family monopolizing city hall since the charter was promulgated.

“There is an imminent need to highlight the City of Naga’s sentiment against political dynasties across all platforms of governance to make public our outrage against the continuing perpetration of political dynasties,” the resolution reads.

Berlineth Nymia, a longtime youth leader in Naga, said that it would take more than a resolution to fight political dynasties — it requires active efforts to cultivate a more critical electorate. For her, the resolution only gains true value when the public fully realizes how dynastic rule poses a threat to democracy.

“While we welcome this ordinance, I would like to manifest that opposing dynasties should go beyond just that — local officials who truly want to end political dynasties should use their platform to echo this campaign,” she said.

Nymia suggested the inclusion of better mechanisms and penalties in the resolution to make it more effective.

“Looking at the ordinance, the penalty is too superficial and can still be improved. It must also be complimented by incorporating lectures about political dynasties and why they should be opposed and unwelcomed,” she said.

Stalled national reforms

When she was Camarines Sur 3rd District representative, Robredo was a member of the bicameral committee that successfully pushed for the anti-political dynasty provisions in the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) Reform Act which was passed in 2016.

In the Bicol region, political dynasties continue to dominate leadership across all provinces. Major clans still occupy the top seats of power, including the Villafuertes of Camarines Sur, the Hamors of Sorsogon, and the Khos of Masbate (READ: Dynasty wars: Races to track in Masbate, Camarines Sur, Camarines Norte).

Beyond the region, according to a 2025 study by the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ), 142 district representatives in the 19th Congress belong to political dynasties, with many others infiltrating the party-list system. 

In December 2025, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. also called on the 20th Congress to prioritize the anti-political dynasty bill. However, the directive was met with public skepticism and dismissed by critics as a strategic “optics” play, as Marcos and many of the country’s top officials come from entrenched political dynasties.

This same skepticism is echoed by grassroots leaders like Nymia, who reminded the public that legislative reforms must be paired with an active information drive.

She emphasized that these efforts are necessary to explain how the entrenched power of political dynasties poses a threat to democracy — much like the Marcos dictatorship, which had robbed the Philippines of the freedoms that it regained when Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr. was ousted forty years ago.

“Political dynasties will continue to thrive if people remain unaware of how having a specific family group dominate the political landscape poses a threat to democracy,” she said. – Rappler.com