Imee Marcos

Senator Imee R. Marcos has established a public service career spanning local governance, national legislation, and cultural arts. Her leadership style blends proactive grassroots programs with creative economic initiatives.

Marcos began her engagement in public leadership as the chairperson of the Kabataang Barangay (KB) from 1975 to 1986, leading a nationwide village youth initiative intended to involve young Filipinos in civic and local programs.  

Concurrently, she was deeply involved in the development of Philippine media and the arts. 

As the Director-General of the Experimental Cinema of the Philippines (ECP), she supported the production of iconic, critically acclaimed cinematic milestones such as Ishmael Bernal’s Himala! (1980) and Peque Gallaga’s Oro, Plata, Mata (1982). S

he maintained her passion for independent production into the 2010s, co-producing the 2011 independent film Pintakasi, which won the "Best Full-Length Film" award in the New Wave category at the 37th Metro Manila Film Festival.  

She served as the Representative of the Second District of Ilocos Norte from 1998 to 2007.

Throughout her three consecutive terms, her legislative work focused predominantly on expanding the rights and safety nets of marginalized sectors, with key initiatives including:

  - Youth and Students: Main author of the initial iterations of the Magna Carta for Students.

  - Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs): Co-authored targeted socioeconomic safety nets, including the Loan for Filipino Migrant Workers bill.

  - Women's Rights: Pushed for bills adjusting protections and socioeconomic welfare for female workers.

Elected Governor of Ilocos Norte in 2010, Marcos served three terms centered heavily around job creation, investment, and targeted tourism campaigns.

Under her flagship program, "Task Force Trabaho," the province expanded employment opportunities through localized job placement, specialized livelihood support, and the opening of dedicated OFW desks. She is credited with bringing large global business process outsourcing (BPO) firms like Accenture and Alorica into the province.

She established the Kadiwa Pop-Up Market System at the provincial level, allowing the government to act as a zero-fee middleman for local farmers to keep prices accessible for consumers without hurting agricultural profits.

Following a successful national campaign, Marcos was elected to the Senate of the Philippines in May 2019. 

As a legislator in the upper house, she has championed consumer protection, food security, and local governance funding. She frequently chairs high-profile committees, including the Committee on Cooperatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations, utilizing her local chief executive background to steer policies on national recovery, price stabilization, and agricultural resilience.