EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the fifth of a series of articles which identified some
of the prominent political dynasties in the country. Studies conducted by the
Ateneo School of Government (ASOG) identify two types of political dynasties inherent to Philippine experience. “Thin” dynasties involve family members succeeding one another in office [sunod-sunod], often as a means to circumvent term limits and maintain political influence. In contrast, “fat”
dynasties are composed of family members running for and holding multiple
positions at the same time [sabay-sabay] in the legislative and executive
branches of government (Mendoza, et al., 2019).

Using the data collected by the Ateneo School of Government through the
Ateneo Policy Center from 1992 to 2022, and with additional historical
research from News5 Digital, we compiled lists of family members for the ten
vote-rich provinces in the Philippines for the 2025 elections. Through a
combination of AI tools and manual review, the dominant families in the ten
largest voting provinces were identified and arranged chronologically, from
the oldest to the youngest members on record. While some family rosters are
exhaustive, others remain incomplete due to the lack or scarcity of
information confirming each member’s position and term in office.

(May 9, 2025) — Laguna is the fifth vote-rich province of the Philippines with more than 2.1 million registered voters in 2025. The province is part of Southern Tagalog, the country’s top vote-rich region with more than 9.7 million voters. In the 2022 elections, Laguna registered a close to 80 percent voter turnout, underscoring the robust political involvement of its electorate as a traditional swing province for both administration and opposition
candidates. The push-and-pull of Metro Manila politics is always likely to
move Laguna’s massive electorate, given its proximity to the capital. Add to
that Laguna’s stature as a growing industrial hub, underscoring its
economic importance among voters and office aspirants. The province has
also been a proving ground for some of the most enduring political
dynasties in the country. Family members have nurtured mutual ties with
loyal supporters that span generations and blood lines.

AGARAO FAMILY

Operating mainly in the 4th district, the Agaraos have maintained relevance
in Laguna politics for over two decades, reflecting voter trust and strategic
alliances. While less entrenched than other political families in the province,
their recent electoral success exemplifies “vertical succession,” a strategy
where influence is maintained through generational transitions and coverage across levels of office.

Courtesy: Tropa Agarao Facebook page

Benjamin “Benjie” Agarao Jr.
PROVINCIAL BOARD MEMBER, MEMBER OF THE HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES

• Benjie entered politics as provincial board member in 1992. He would return to the capital for the same post in 2001. He was later elected representative of the 4th district in 2004. After a six-year hiatus, Benjie returned to Congress in 2013 and served until 2022. In 2014, he was implicated in the Pork Barrel Scam but denied the accusation and was not convicted. Benjie’s name was later dragged into a campaign incident when the Liberal Party invited a girl group to dance at his birthday party. The alleged lewd dance number drew criticism after it went viral on the internet. He is set to mount a congressional comeback in 2025 against former Santa Maria mayor Tony Carolino.

Maria Jamina “Jam” Katherine Agarao-Oloroso
PROVINCIAL BOARD MEMBER, MEMBER OF THE HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES

• Jam succeeded her father Benjie in Congress after winning in 2022 against Tony Carolino. She became the youngest and first female representative of the 4th district. Jam also served as provincial board member in 2019. She vies for a capitol return in 2025 to give way to her father’s congressional comeback.

Joseph Kris Benjamin “Benjo” Agarao
PROVINCIAL BOARD MEMBER

• Benjo is Benjie’s son and a brother of Jam. He was elected to the provincial board from 2010 to 2019. After taking a break from politics, he returned in 2022 for the same post as the district topnotcher. He will run for Santa Cruz mayor against Egay San Luis in 2025.

CHIPECO FAMILY

The Chipeco family pushed for urban development and increased political
visibility in Laguna. But the Chipecos’ staying power was also mired by
criticisms of political entrenchment since family members alternated in
office to consolidate their influence and build a strong machinery that
shaped local governance and development.

Courtesy: Atty. Justine Marc SB Chipeco Facebook Page

Dominador Chipeco, Sr.
MEMBER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

• He pioneered the family’s entry into politics in the modern period, serving as Laguna governor from 1947 to 1959. He had a brief stint as vice governor after the war. Dominador Sr. is remembered for leading the province’s post-war reconstruction and agricultural recovery. His 12-year term was one of the longest uninterrupted governorships in Laguna history.

Joaquin Chipeco Sr.
MEMBER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

• Following his brother Dominador Sr., he served as congressman of the old 1st district of Laguna from 1961 to 1965 and from 1969 to 1972.

Joaquin “Jun” Chipeco jr.
MAYOR, PROVINCIAL BOARD MEMBER, VICE GOVERNOR,
MEMBER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

• The son of Joaquin Sr., Jun began his political career as provincial board member from 1971 to 1986. He was appointed as OIC vice governor by then-president Corazon Aquino from 1986 to 1987. But instead of running for the same post, Jun sought election as congressman of the 2nd district in 1987 to 1992. He returned to the same post in 1995 and served until 2004. In 2001, Jun authored the law that transformed Calamba into a component city. He was also credited for passing the Public Employment Service Office Act of 1999, a law which sought to help job seekers and employers. Jun went on to become Calamba City mayor from 2004 to 2010 before returning to the lower house in 2016 until 2022. Jun was one of the 70 lawmakers who voted to deny ABS-CBN a new franchise in 2020. He will vie for another congressional return in 2025 against incumbent Cha Hernandez and Calamba City councilor Turne Lajara.

Justin Marc “Timmy” Chipeco
MAYOR, MEMBER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

• Timmy is Jun’s son. He replaced his father as 2nd district representative from 2004 to 2010. While in the lower house, Timmy authored a law that increased Calamba City’s fiscal autonomy and access to national funding. After Congress, he completed three terms as mayor from 2013 to 2022, riding on programs related to health and education. He eyed a congressional comeback but lost to incumbent Cha Hernandez in the 2022 election. Timmy will try to regain the mayoral seat against incumbent Rosseler Rizal.

Julian Eugene “Joey” SB. Chipeco
COUNCILOR

• Joey is Jun’s son and an older brother of Timmy. He won as a councilor of Calamba City in 2019 and ran for mayor the following election but lost to incumbent Rosseler Rizal.

Rene Chipeco
PROVINCIAL BOARD MEMBER

• He is one of the sons of Joaquin Sr. and a brother of Jun. He was provincial board member from 1987 to 1992.

ALONTE FAMILY

The Alonte family’s significance lies in modernizing Biñan and
demonstrating how dynasties can drive local progress while adapting to
political changes. Their contributions span local governance, urban
development, and women’s leadership for more than three decades.

Courtesy: Len Alonte Facebook Page

Bayani Arthur Alonte
MAYOR

• Arthur began the family’s thrust into politics, winning as mayor in 1988 and governing until 1998. His decade-old tenure as chief executive was marred by a rape accusation involving a minor in 1996. The complainant, Juvie-lyn Punongbayan, accused Arthur of drugging her with water that caused dizziness, then raping her at his rest house in Biñan. She would later file an affidavit of desistance due to media harassment, prolonged litigation, and her family’s desire to “start anew.” Arthur was convicted and sentenced to reclusión perpetua despite the desistance. In 1998, the Supreme Court nullified the conviction, citing procedural defects.

Marlyn “Len” Alonte-Naguiat
COUNCILOR, MAYOR, MEMBER OF THE HOUSE REPRESENTATIVES

• Len is Arthur’s daughter. She was a two-term councilor before running for vice mayor in 2004. Instead of seeking reelection, she sought the mayoral post in 2007 and served until 2016. She was credited for shepherding Biñan’s path to cityhood in 2010. After her stint as mayor, Len was elected congresswoman of Biñan’s lone district from 2016 to 2025, even serving as one of the deputy speakers of the lower house. She co-authored among others the Alternative Learning System Act. In 2017, she was implicated in a bribery scandal involving inmates of the New Bilibid Prisons and former justice secretaries Leila de Lima and Vitaliano Aguire II. Len is also a close friend of celebrity Kris Aquino.

Angelo “Gel” Alonte
COUNCILOR, VICE MAYOR

• Gel is the son of Arthur and a brother of Len. He became councilor in 2013 before being elected vice mayor in 2016. After completing his third term, Gel is now training his sights on the mayoral post against Cookie Yatco in 2025.

SAN LUIS FAMILY

The San Luis family has played a dominant role in Laguna politics for over
half a century, shaping provincial governance through long-term
governance, policy initiatives, and dynastic continuity from the first decade
of the post-war up to the post-Edsa periods, respectively.

Felicisimo T. San Luis
GOVENOR

• His 33-year governorship from 1959 to 1992 oversaw Laguna’s transition into an industrial and agricultural hub in the Southern Tagalog region, coming from the post-war reconstruction years. Under his tenure, the new provincial capitol in Santa Cruz was constructed. Heritage sites destroyed during the war were rehabilitated.

Rodolfo “Boyie” San Luis
MAYOR, MEMBER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

• One of the sons of Felicisimo. He became mayor of Santa Cruz from 1988 to 1995 before winning a congressional seat in 1998. He was reelected in 2001.

Courtesy: Egay San Luis Facebook Page

Edgar “Egay” San Luis
MAYOR, MEMBER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

• Egay is a son of Felicisimo and brother of Boyie. He was elected representative of the 4th district in 2007. He was reelected in 2010. Boyie sought a congressional comeback in 2016 but lost to Benjamin Agarao, Jr. In 2019, he won as Santa Cruz mayor, beating Benjamin’s son Benjo. He retained his post in 2022 after another win against Benjamin. In 2025, Egay will contest the mayoral post for his last term against Benjo.

Rai-Ann San Luis
PROVINCIAL BOARD MEMBER

• Rai-Ann is the son of Egay. He served three terms as provincial board member of the 4th district from 2013 to 2022. He is eyeing a return to the same post in 2025.

Francis Joseph San Luis
PROVINCIAL BOARD MEMBER

• He replaced his brother Rai-Ann who was term-limited in 2022. He won as provincial board member in the same election.

EJERCITO FAMILY

The Ejercitos are closely related to former president Joseph Estrada. They
exemplify political dynasticism which combines media influence through the
entertainment industry, legal resilience, and local patronage networks to
maintain power despite controversies.

Courtesy: https://erejercito.com/family-man/

Emilio Ramon “ER” Ejercito
MAYOR, GOVERNOR

• ER is an actor known for the screen name George Estregan Jr. He became a three-term mayor of Pagsanjan, from 2001 to 2010. ER then took his political career to the provincial level, winning as governor in the succeeding election. In 2013, he was reelected but his governorship was halted in 2014 when he was removed from office for alleged campaign overspending. He attempted to regain the governorship in 2016 and 2019 but lost to Ramil Hernandez. In 2022, he ran for Calamba City mayor but lost to Roseller Rizal. The Commission on Election dismissed the election overspending case against ER in November 2024. ER is seeking to return as Pagsanjan mayor in 2025 despite facing perpetual disqualification after the Supreme Court upheld his Sandiganbayan graft conviction in 2019. His son Jerico is running for vice governor while his daughter Maria Guadalupe is vying for a seat in the provincial board in 2025.

Girlie Javier-Ejercito
VICE MAYOR, MAYOR

• She is the wife of ER and a former actress by the screen name Maita Sanchez. Girlie succeeded her husband as mayor of Pagsanjan from 2010 to 2019. Like her husband, Girlie also faced campaign overspending issues in 2013. She would later slide down to the vice mayor post in 2019. Girlie tried to regain Pagsanjan’s top post but lost to Cesar Areza in 2022. She was supposed to run for Pagsanjan mayor in 2025 but died of endometrial cancer in 2024.

John Paul “Jet” Ejercito
COUNCILOR

• Jet is the second son of ER and Girlie. He served as Pagsanjan councilor in 2016 and 2022, respectively. He is seeking reelection in 2025.

ARCILLAS FAMILY

The Arcillas family remain in control of Santa Rosa City through a mix of
crisis-tested leadership and programmatic achievements. While their
influence is arguably limited, they have demonstrated how a single-city
family can shape regional politics through sustained governance by keeping local alliances intact.

Courtesy: Arlene B. Arcillas Facebook Page

Leon Arcillas
Mayor

• He is the family patriarch, who became mayor in 1998. He was supposed to complete a third term following a 2004 victory. In July 2004, Santa Rosa became a city, making Leon its first city mayor. But this was cut short when he was assassinated in 2005 after officiating a mass wedding.

Arnold Arcillas
VICE MAYOR

• He is the son of Leon and brother of Arlene. He served as vice mayor or three terms, from 2016 to 2022. Like his sister, Arnold will be running unopposed for the same position in 2025.

Why Laguna matters in 2025

Beyond fluid party relationships, Laguna’s political arena remains tightly
controlled by longstanding families. They are not only key players in local
governance but also influential actors in national coalition-building.
Whether through tragedy, redistricting, or sheer electoral continuity, they
underscore how family-based power remains a defining feature of Philippine politics, especially in provinces like Laguna where the stakes are nationally
consequential.

To this, the gubernatorial race also becomes crucial for realigning alliances
and redrawing boundaries among the province’s major political families,
heading into the post-Ramil Hernandez era. Other key congressional battles
are also expected to impact national discourse, especially on issues
concerning the president’s agenda for the next three years. Prior to this
election, lawmakers from the province have drawn public attention in high-
profile hearings concerning security and disinformation, among others. The
upcoming polls will also put Laguna voters’ discerning power to the test,
whether to uphold a status quo that feeds on performative politics or to
elect names that promise a new order.

incident when the Liberal Party invited a girl group to dance at his

birthday party. The alleged lewd dance number drew criticism after it

went viral on the internet. He is set to mount a congressional

comeback in 2025 against former Santa Maria mayor Tony Carolino.