Leni Robredo

Leni Robredo, born on April twenty-third, nineteen sixty-five, is a prominent Filipino lawyer and politician who made history as the fourteenth vice president of the Philippines from two thousand sixteen to two thousand twenty-two. She is the second woman to hold this position, following Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, and the first from the Bicol Region. Currently, she serves as the eighteenth mayor of Naga, a role she assumed in two thousand twenty-five.

Before her vice presidency, Robredo represented Camarines Sur in the Philippine House of Representatives from two thousand thirteen to two thousand sixteen. She gained national attention when she announced her candidacy for the vice presidential election in two thousand sixteen, running alongside Mar Roxas. Her victory came as she narrowly defeated Senator Bongbong Marcos, marking a significant moment in Philippine politics.

During her tenure as vice president, Robredo led various initiatives through the Office of the Vice President (OVP), including her flagship anti-poverty program, Angat Buhay, which focused on education, rural development, and healthcare. Her office partnered with over three hundred organizations to uplift the lives of many Filipinos. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the OVP under her leadership provided essential services such as free shuttle rides for frontline workers, swab tests, and telehealth services, while also raising funds for nationwide relief operations.

Robredo's leadership extended beyond her official duties; she was the chair of the Liberal Party and served as the de facto leader of the opposition against President Rodrigo Duterte's administration. Despite facing criticism for her stance on various policies, including the war on drugs and the government's pandemic response, she remained a steadfast advocate for women's empowerment and gender equality, earning recognition from the Thai government in two thousand sixteen.

In two thousand twenty-one, Robredo announced her candidacy for the presidential elections in two thousand twenty-two, with Senator Francis Pangilinan as her running mate. Although their ticket was ultimately defeated by Marcos and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, she continued her advocacy by founding Angat Buhay, a nonprofit organization, before successfully running for mayor of Naga.