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Zamboanga del Norte gubernatorial race rivals Darel Dexter Uy and Seth Frederick Jalosjos back competing party-list groups
ZAMBOANGA DEL NORTE, Philippines – The political feud between Dipolog’s Darel Dexter Uy and Dapitan’s Seth Frederick Jalosjos, once confined to rival city halls and the gubernatorial campaign trail, has now spilled over into the crowded battlefield of party-list politics.
Mayor Uy, the leader of Dipolog, is backing the pro-labor Trabaho Party-list. Mayor Jalosjos, his rival in the heritage city of Dapitan, has thrown his support behind Kasambahay, a party-list representing domestic workers.
At first glance, the endorsements seem benign – two local executives lending their names to sectoral causes. But in Zamboanga del Norte, where political loyalty and every endorsement are like chess moves, the alignment is anything but casual.
The two mayors are scions of warring political dynasties that have dominated provincial politics for decades.
Uy is the son of former governor Roberto Uy, whose tenure marked a period of consolidation for the family’s political influence, on one hand. Jalosjos, on the other hand, belongs to a well-entrenched political clan led by Romeo Jalosjos. Despite being eligible for two more terms, his aunt, Governor Rosalina Jalosjos, stepped aside from reelection to make way for her nephew’s gubernatorial bid.
With just days to go before the May 12 elections, the Trabaho and Kasambahay party-list groups are actively campaigning in Zamboanga del Norte, promoting targeted legislation and grassroots initiatives.
If Trabaho Party-list wins seats in the House of Representatives, Uy said the group would support the province’s economic development by creating job opportunities and expanding livelihood programs.
“Providing jobs, especially through Trabaho Party-list, will help. The livelihood programs needed in our province can improve their living conditions, and at the same time, we can support education through scholarship programs for students,” Uy said in a radio interview.
Beyond employment, the party-list has partnered with the Dipolog City Environment and Natural Resources Office for marine conservation efforts and has supported the sardine industry in Dipolog, Dapitan, and surrounding towns.
Trabaho’s second nominee, Ninai Chavez, reiterated the group’s commitment to local workers and their families, vowing to end the hand-to-mouth existence many endure.
“Gusto naming makapag-ipon kayo. Pag-uwi niyo sa bahay, hindi na kayo mamomroblema kung saan ninyo kukunin ang pang-emergency niyo. Kaya sana po inyong suportahan ang 106-Trabaho Party-list,” Chavez said during the Uy group’s Kuyog Ta grand proclamation rally on April 5.
(We want you to be able to save money. When you get home, you shouldn’t have to worry anymore about where to get emergency funds. That’s why we’re asking for your support for 106-Trabaho Party-list.)
Underemployment in Zamboanga del Norte rose to 18.9% in January 2024, up from 11.5% in October 2023, according to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) in the Zamboanga Peninsula.
DOLE said more than 200,000 of the region’s 1.48 million people are seeking extra hours or additional jobs to meet economic needs.
Meanwhile, Mayor Jalosjos has thrown his full support behind the Kasambahay Party-list.
Dapitan Councilor Chembeelyn Alpeche-Balucan, a lawyer, is the first nominee and chairperson of Kasambahay. She is joined by Jose Nelher Palma, Butch Jason Tormis, and Vic Lacaya III.
Balucan said they aim to amend Republic Act No. 10361, or the “Batas Kasambahay,” by introducing a penal clause for abuses, institutionalizing help desks, and holding barangay officials administratively liable for lapses in monitoring.
Zamboanga del Norte has 687,083 registered voters as of the latest count.
In 2022, the House of Representatives passed a bill amending the law to increase accountability for private employment agencies, but the measure remains pending in the Senate.
“The current Senate version lacks provisions to institutionalize the role of private employment agencies in recruiting and placing domestic workers,” Balucan said.
There are 1.4 million registered domestic workers in the Philippines, 32% of whom have reported abuse, according to government data.
If they win seats, Tormis said the group plans to establish barangay help desks and emergency shelters across the country, including in Zamboanga del Norte. He added that the group would work closely with DOLE to promote the welfare of domestic workers. – Rappler.com
Kean Bagaipo is a Mass Communication student at Silliman University in Dumaguete City and the news editor of The Weekly Sillimanian. He is from Dapitan, Zamboanga del Norte and also an Aries Rufo Journalism candidate from April-May 2025.
