# Jonathan Clement Abalos

Jonathan Clement "JC" Miranda Abalos II (born March 18, 1994) is a Filipino politician and representative of 4Ps Party-list or Pagtibayin at Palaguin ang Pangkabuhayang Pilipino (lit.'Strengthen and Grow the Filipino Livelihood'), alongside Marcelino Libanan. Abalos has served as a Member of the 19th Congress of the House of Representatives of the Philippines as a representative of the 4Ps Party-List and was elected as an Assistant Minority Leader (2022-2025) by his colleagues in the minority bloc where he is a member.

## Early life

JC Abalos is the eldest of two children of former Mandaluyong City councilor, Jonathan 'Jon' Abalos, and Judy Miranda Abalos, a businesswoman. His paternal grandfather is Benjamin “Ben” Santos Abalos Sr., the incumbent mayor of Mandaluyong City (2022-2025) and former chairman of the Commission on Elections and the Metro Manila Development Authority. JC Abalos’ paternal uncle is Benjamin “Benhur” de Castro Abalos Jr., the former secretary of the Department of Interior and Local Government (2022-2024) and former mayor of Mandaluyong City.
JC finished his elementary education at La Salle Green Hills (2008) and graduated high school at the Ateneo de Manila University (2012). He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Interdisciplinary Studies with specializations in Communications and Philosophy from the Ateneo de Manila University (2016).
JC obtained certification in International Law from a Gender Perspective and International Human Rights Law: An Introduction from Utrecht University (Summer School Program). He also attended classes in Philosophy and Humanities at Sciences Po Paris (France) through the Junior Term Abroad program facilitated by the Ateneo de Manila University.

## Political career

JC Abalos, who grew up in a family with decades of devoted work in government, is not a stranger to public service. Though very private and avoiding the public’s attention, he’s always supported his family’s advocacies and commitment to public service albeit discreetly. His interest in politics became more evident in college when he actively engaged in activities and conversations relating to current issues and public affairs.
Abalos drew inspiration from the life of his grandfather, Lolo Ben, who came from humble beginnings and achieved success through sheer hard work. The older Abalos supported himself through university and law school while working as a factory laborer, janitor, and golf caddie. Bringing to life the same advocacies of promoting the interests of vulnerable and disadvantaged Filipinos and empowering them to an improved quality of life, Ben Abalos co-founded the 4Ps Party-List.
Initially the fifth nominee of the 4Ps Party-List for the May 2022 national elections, the party eventually elected Abalos as its second nominee following the withdrawal of his father, Jon Abalos, from the list of 4Ps Party-List nominees in November 2021. Subsequently, the 4Ps Party-List garnered sufficient votes to take two party-list representative seats. With fellow 4Ps Party-list representative and House Minority Leader Marcelino Libanan, Abalos is one of the total 318 House Members of the 19th Congress in the House of Representatives.
JC Abalos is a first-term (from 2022) party-list representative from the 4Ps Party-list. He credits his political career to his grandfather Benjamin Abalos, the current mayor of Mandaluyong City.

## Legislative Work

JC Abalos is a member of the following committees in the House of Representatives:
* Agriculture and Food
* Appropriations
* Banks and Financial Intermediaries
* Constitutional Amendments
* East ASEAN Growth Area
* Energy
* Games and Amusements
* Globalization and WTO
* Government Enterprises and Privatization
* Health
* Higher And Technical Education
* Housing And Urban Development
* Legislative Franchises
* Local Government
* Metro Manila Development
* Muslim Affairs
* Poverty Alleviation
* Rules Assistant Minority Leader
* Social Services
* Suffrage And Electoral Reforms
* Trade And Industry
* Youth And Sports Development
* Ad Hoc Committee on Agriculture Services Convergence Initiative

## Legislative Priorities

Into his third year as a first-term legislator, JC Abalos has over 271 principally authored and 117 co-authored House bills and resolutions. His priority legislation centers on poverty alleviation and policies that address the common concerns of the people, some of which are:
* HB 10388 — 4Ps Parent Leaders Act — seeks to enhance the country’s primary poverty alleviation program, the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), by establishing parent leaders’ roles and responsibilities and providing their allowances and other support services.
* HB 10379 — 4Ps STEEP (Support to Tertiary Education and Employment Program) — establishing a mechanism for children of 4Ps beneficiaries greater access to tertiary education, including technical-vocational courses, and providing them with comprehensive assistance to secure employment post-graduation. It seeks to foster collaboration between public and private sectors in advancing poverty reduction initiatives and strengthen the 4Ps law to break the intergenerational cycle of poverty sustainably.
* HR 00184 — Increasing Conditional Cash Grants to 4Ps Beneficiaries — increase the conditional cash grants received by 4Ps beneficiaries to keep up with the inflation.
* HR 02085 — Inquiry on the Status of Community-Based Monitoring System (CBMS) — seeking updated data crucial for enhancing the efficiency of government social protection and welfare programs, particularly poverty mapping in anticipation of the thousands of 4Ps household beneficiaries expected to exit the program in 2025 and 2026.
* HB 08925 — Philippine Islamic Burial Act — shall require the proper and immediate burial of Muslim cadavers in accordance with the Islamic rites.
* HB 09045 — Better Access of Muslim Filipinos to Shari´a Courts — amends Republic Act No. 9997 to allow the National Commission On Muslim Filipinos’ Bureau of Legal Affairs as a service provider for and on behalf of Muslim Filipinos and provides for the creation of a digital platform for the electronic processing of documents in Shari’a Courts.
* HB 05693 — National Hijab Day — allows for the free exercise and enjoyment of religious profession and worship without discrimination or preference and promotes understanding of the Muslim tradition of wearing hijab.
* HB 00755 — Election Day Holiday Act — proposes that every national election becomes a nationwide regular non-working holiday to allow the people to be unencumbered by fear or other concerns about contemplating voting.
* HB 08567 — An Act Promoting And Upholding The Welfare Of Golf Caddies — establishment of channels for golf caddies to access the government’s social protection programs and the creation of a welfare fund for golf caddies to ensure their well-being and their families in instances of work-related accidents, illness or fatality.
* HB 04349 — Early Voting for Qualified Senior Citizens and PWDs — provides sectors vulnerable to disenfranchisement, such as senior citizens and PWDs, easier access to democratic electoral processes.
* HB 10178 — Overseas Electronic Registration and Voting Act — broadens the options for Filipinos overseas in registering and voting for elections.
* HB 09346 — Comelec Integrity Act — seeks to reinforce the COMELEC’s independence to operate free from external political influence or interference by facilitating the acquisition of suitable and separate office spaces in regions and provinces.
* HB 08593 — Lifetime Validity of PWD IDs for Persons with Permanent Disabilities — seeks to alleviate the concerns and challenges of PWDs with permanent disabilities by providing IDs with lifetime validity.
* HB 07938 — Clean Slate Act — An Act Allowing The Expungement Of Criminal Records of Qualified Individuals in Government Databases – endeavors to give deserving and qualified individuals who committed petty crimes a second chance by wiping off their records to reduce the stigma and discrimination they face when re-entering society.
* HB 10128 — An Act to Promote Responsible Driving and Establish Fair Accountability for Road Safety Incidents and Violations of Traffic Laws and Regulations — provides fairness in the current traffic laws and encourages responsible road use.
* HB 11258 — Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) and Surrogacy Act — establishes the legal framework for the conduct and regulation of ART and surrogacy procedures, including standardized process and eligibility criteria to safeguard the rights and welfare of all parties involved: intending parents, surrogates, and children born from these procedures.

## Political views

Despite being new in his political career, JC Abalos took a strong stance on some of the most pressing issues in his first term as a lawmaker. He prioritizes legislative measures that aim to alleviate poverty in the Philippines and filed bills that seek to improve electoral practice and institutions, and interventions that seek to enhance labor, health, the Filipino youth, and other social services in the Philippines. His positions are evident in his chosen subjects for his privilege speech before the Congressional body and the nation, some of which are:
* “Empowering The Future Workforce: Privilege Speech on Labor Education Act” — the speech addresses the continuing failure of mandated agencies to draft the implementing rules and regulations of Republic Act No. 11551, known as the "Labor Education Act," three years after its enactment in May 2021. It also proposes to amend RA 11551 to broaden its scope to include educating the youth in senior high school to equip future and incoming workers with fundamental knowledge about labor rights, negotiation techniques, fostering harmonious interpersonal relationships in the workplace, and understanding the procedures for addressing grievances and other work-related concerns.
* “National Thyroid Cancer Awareness Week” — as a cancer survivor himself, this is a speech close to his heart so that it could raise awareness about the disease and urges for the establishment of the National Cancer Center of the Philippines, which aims to provide Filipino cancer patients and their families with easier access to treatment and care from the best specialists in a manner that is inclusive, equitable, and affordable.
* “Panawagan Para Sa Ating Mga Lider Kabataan” — addresses the inability of Sangguniang Kabataan officers to access their funds to perform their mandates. It underscores the importance of SK officers being responsible and familiarizing themselves with their rights and responsibilities. It emphasizes that as public servants and youth representatives of the nation, it is their duty and obligation to fulfill their roles effectively.
* “Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) Budget Cut” — the speech delves into the P13 billion reduction in the FY 2023 budget of the 4Ps program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in the General Appropriations Act (GAA). It highlights how the program of 4Ps has consistently faced budget cuts despite it being the government’s primary poverty reduction strategy and underscores the repercussions of these budget cuts, including delays in providing conditional cash grants to beneficiaries and the non-renewal of city/municipal links. More importantly, the speech addresses and refutes stereotypical claims labeling the program as a mere "dole out" and alleging that it fosters dependency among beneficiaries. It explains that the cash grants provided are not substantial enough to encourage complacency that these grants are conditional and that the program beneficiaries risk delistment should they fail to adhere to the specified conditions.
* "Delays in the Energy Regulatory Commission’s (ERC) rate reset process" — the speech calls for an investigation into the decade-long delays in electricity rate adjustments, which affect the price of electricity in the country, citing bureaucratic bottlenecks and stalled ERC consultancy procurements as key issues. Abalos noted that NGCP’s last reset was in 2010, while Meralco and other utilities have also failed to undergo regular rate updates, leading to outdated and unfair pricing. He stressed that these delays create uncertainty for consumers and urged reforms to streamline the process and ensure timely rate adjustments.