Dette Escudero

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Dette Escudero
Rep. Marie Bernadette Escudero (20th Congress).jpg
Official portrait, 2025
Deputy Majority Leader of the House of Representatives of the Philippines
Incumbent
Assumed office
July 29, 2025
Servingwith several others
Relatives
Residence Sorsogon City
Alma mater University of the East (BBA)
OccupationPolitician
Website House website

Marie Bernadette "Dette" Guevara Escudero-Quirante (born May 7, 1978 [1] ) is a Filipino politician who has served as the representative of Sorsogon's 1st district in the House of Representatives of the Philippines since 2022. She was reelected to the position in 2025. Escudero has also served as the House deputy majority leader since 2025, having previously served as assistant majority leader from 2022 to 2025.

Contents

She is a member of the prominent Escudero political family in the Philippines.

Early life and education

Escudero (right) with her sister-in-law, Heart Evangelista (left), on the sidelines of the 2025 State of the Nation Address Heart Evangelista and Dette Escudero.jpg
Escudero (right) with her sister-in-law, Heart Evangelista (left), on the sidelines of the 2025 State of the Nation Address

Marie Bernadette Guevara Escudero was born on May 7, 1978, [1] to Sorsoganon politicians Salvador and Evelina Escudero. She has two siblings, including older brother Francis (Chiz), who has served as the president of the Senate of the Philippines since 2024. [2] Her nephew, Mart, is an actor and media personality. [3]

Escudero graduated from the University of the East with a degree in business administration. [4]

Elections

2022

Escudero entered politics following her mother's retirement from elective office. Running under the Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC) party, she contested the 2022 elections for the House of Representatives in Sorsogon's 1st congressional district. [2] She won the seat, effectively succeeding her mother, Evelina Escudero, as district representative. [1]

2025

By October 2024, Escudero had announced her intention to seek reelection in the 2025 general elections. Her older brother, Senate President Francis Escudero, publicly endorsed her candidacy for a second term. [2] The younger Escudero ran and won unopposed. [5] She vowed to continue her projects in the first district, including infrastructure improvements, educational scholarships, health services, and support for farmers and fisherfolk. [6]

Tenure

First term (2022–2025)

Escudero assumed office on June 30, 2022, as a member of the 19th Congress. In August 2022, she was appointed as one of the assistant majority leaders in the House of Representatives. [7] In this capacity, she helped decide the legislative agenda on the floor, assisting Majority Floor Leader Mannix Dalipe in managing House business. Under the NPC banner, she aligned with the House majority bloc. In the 19th Congress, NPC was part of the supermajority coalition supporting the legislative agenda of President Bongbong Marcos. Escudero was a member of the congressional committees on basic education, agriculture and food, trade and industry, tourism, rural development, and the rules. [8]

Escudero was one of the authors of the New Agrarian Emancipation Act, a law that condoned about ₱58 billion (almost US$1 billion) in unpaid amortizations and interest for agrarian reform beneficiaries. This law, which was a priority measure of the Bongbong Marcos administration, aims to free thousands of farmers from decades-old land debt and was signed as Republic Act No. 11953 in 2023. [9]

Escudero also co-authored the proposed New Philippine Building Act, a comprehensive update to the 1977 National Building Code aimed at making structures more disaster-resilient. The House approved this measure (House Bill No. 8500) in 2023 in response to the need for safer buildings against earthquakes, typhoons, fires, and other hazards. [10]

She introduced a bill known as the Magna Carta of Barangay Health Workers, which aimed to institutionalize a minimum stipend and additional incentives for barangay (village) health workers nationwide. The bill gained bicameral approval in the 19th Congress; however, its ratification was briefly recalled in 2023 due to funding source concerns. Nonetheless, Escudero and her colleagues pledged to refine and refile the proposal. [11]

In addition, Escudero has authored or supported legislation to expand senior citizens' benefits. For example, she filed House Bill No. 7919, titled the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2023, which sought to increase the electricity consumption discount for senior citizens to five percent on the first 200 kilowatt-hours of electricity for qualified senior households and broaden the coverage of seniors eligible for utility discounts. [12]

She had been active in House deliberations on education (sitting in the Committee on Basic Education and Culture) and has advocated for inclusive curricula and parental involvement in schools. [13]

Second term (2025–present)

On July 29, 2025, Escudero was appointed as one of the deputy majority leaders in the House of Representatives during the 20th Congress. [14]

Personal life

Escudero is married to businessman Jose "Jet" Quirante. The couple has children. [15]

Escudero resides in Sorsogon City. [16]

Electoral history

2025

Sorsogon's 1st congressional district
CandidatePartyVotes%
Dette Escudero (incumbent) Nationalist People's Coalition 197,919100.00
Total197,919100.00
Valid votes197,91982.70
Invalid/blank votes41,40117.30
Total votes239,320100.00
Registered voters/turnout282,35284.76
Nationalist People's Coalition hold
Source: Commission on Elections [17] [18]

2022

Sorsogon's 1st congressional district
CandidatePartyVotes%
Dette Escudero Nationalist People's Coalition 141,92265.92
Joan Lorenzano National Unity Party 71,21733.08
Rommel JapsonIndependent2,1491.00
Total215,288100.00
Total votes239,581–
Registered voters/turnout274,53287.27
Nationalist People's Coalition hold
Source: Commission on Elections [19] [20]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Marie Bernadette Guevara Escudero". Rappler. Retrieved July 31, 2025.
  2. 1 2 3 Cayabyab, Jason (October 4, 2024). "Escudero endorses reelection of younger sister in Congress". The Philippine Star. Retrieved July 31, 2025.
  3. ↑ Liabres, Aprylle (June 3, 2007). "Mart dreams of becoming a politician". Khaleej Times. Retrieved July 31, 2025.
  4. ↑ "Marie Bernadette Escudero". Serbisyo PH. Retrieved July 31, 2025.
  5. ↑ Balonzo, Reinnard (May 12, 2025). "Chiz Escudero's sister Dette secures another term as Sorsogon's 1st District rep". Rappler. Retrieved July 31, 2025.
  6. ↑ "Escudero vows not to block anti-political dynasty bill". Politiko. October 4, 2024. Retrieved July 31, 2025.
  7. ↑ Inojales, I. (July 30, 2025). "Rep. Baba Yap among 23 named Assistant Majority Leaders". Bohol Island News. Retrieved July 31, 2025.
  8. ↑ "Committee Membership: Marie Bernadette G. Escudero". Congress of the Philippines. Retrieved July 31, 2025.
  9. ↑ De la Cruz, Jovee Marie N. (November 10, 2022). "Bill condoning agrarian reform loans gets nod". BusinessMirror. Retrieved July 31, 2025.
  10. ↑ Pacpaco, Ryan Ponce (August 10, 2023). "House approves new National Building Code". People's Journal. Retrieved July 31, 2025.
  11. ↑ Basilio, Kenneth Christiane L. (June 15, 2025). "Bill for health workers to be refiled". BusinessWorld Online. Retrieved July 31, 2025.
  12. ↑ Quismorio, Ellson (May 11, 2023). "More senior citizens to enjoy 5% electricity discount under House bill". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved July 31, 2025.
  13. ↑ Lalu, Gabriel Pabico (January 27, 2025). "Solons fear DepEd leniency on crossdressing infringes parental rights". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved July 31, 2025.
  14. ↑ Lalu, Gabriel Pabico (July 29, 2025). "Defensor is Senior Deputy Majority leader; Poe, Barzaga also get post". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved July 31, 2025.
  15. ↑ Mauricio-Arriola, Tessa (November 21, 2015). "A Heart of beauty in 'This Is Me, Love Marie'". The Manila Times. Retrieved July 31, 2025.
  16. ↑ "Marie Bernadette "Dette" Escudero Biography". PeoPlaid. May 29, 2023. Retrieved July 31, 2025.
  17. ↑ "Data on the Total Number Established and Clustered Precincts, Registered Voters and Voting Centers" (PDF). Commission on Elections. January 23, 2025. Retrieved July 31, 2025.
  18. ↑ "COC Results". Commission on Elections. May 16, 2025. Retrieved July 31, 2025.
  19. ↑ "SORSOGON". Commission on Elections. May 27, 2022. Retrieved July 31, 2025.
  20. ↑ "Number and Turn-Out of Registered Voters and Voters Who Actually Voted by City/Municipality". Commission on Elections. August 5, 2022. Retrieved July 31, 2025.
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