Background
ALONA or the Alliance of Networks and Associations purports to be a party-list that fights for general poverty alleviation. Aside from their own social media releases showing members involved in feeding programs during election season, there is little public information available regarding any concrete platforms or advocacies.
Dynasty
Its incumbent representative Anna Villaraza Suarez is seeking reelection as the first nominee. She is the wife of the representative from the 2nd district of Quezon and re-electionist David Suarez. The second nominee is Monica Arcilas Nazareno. Her mother – Arlene Arcilas – is the current mayor of Sta. Rosa City Laguna since 2019. She served three terms as mayor from 2007 to 2016. From 2016 to 2019, she served as the representative of the first district of Laguna before becoming mayor again in 2019. Her uncle, Arnold Arcilas, was Vice Mayor of Sta. Rosa from 2016 – 2019.
Both the first and second nominees, therefore, belong to entrenched political families. In the case of Anna Suarez, her husband has had an entrenched political career serving as governor of Quezon province from 2010 – 2019, before running as representative after being term-limited. The second nominee Monica Nazareno’s mother has been the perpetual mayor of Sta Rosa, except for 2016-2019, when she had to run as representative first after being term-limited.