Jerome Adonis on:
[Wikipedia]
[Google]
[Amazon]
Ronald Mangampo "Jerome" Adonis (born February 27, 1972) is a trade union and labor activist from the
As member of the PASVIL/Pascual Liner Inc. Workers Union – NAFLU – KMU, Adonis joined the labor strike in 1995 to demand better working conditions from the management. They were protesting against the exploitation and exhaustion of workers, with co-workers felling ill and dying.
Adonis became a full-time labor organizer of KMU in 2002 and was elected as its secretary-general at its 11th Congress in 2015 and reelected in 2018 at its 12th Congress. During the labor center's 13th Congress in 2025, he was subsequently elected as its national chairperson, replacing Elmer Labog who had served in his capacity since 2003. He was also elected as second deputy secretary of the
Philippines
The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
who is the national chairperson of Kilusang Mayo Uno
Kilusang Mayo Uno (), also known by its initials KMU is an independent labor center in the Philippines. It promotes "genuine, militant and patriotic trade unionism". The KMU was established on May 1, 1980 to fill a clear need for a workers' or ...
(KMU), the largest trade union in the country. He ran under Makabayan
Makabayang Koalisyon ng Mamamayan () or simply Makabayan is a coalition of twelve party-lists in the House of Representatives of the Philippines. It was founded on April 16, 2009. The founding assembly was held at the Bahay ng mga Alumni, UP Dil ...
in the 2025 Philippine Senate election
The 2025 Philippine Senate election was the 35th Philippine Senate elections, election of members to the Senate of the Philippines. It was held on May 12, 2025, within the 2025 Philippine general election. The seats of the 12 senators elected ...
.
Early life
Eldest of six siblings, Adonis was born in 1972 inLigao
'Ligao'', officially the City of Ligao (; ), is a component city in the province of Albay, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 118,096 people. Most of the city's economy came from agriculture sector.
Ligao is ...
, Albay
Albay (IPA: ), officially the Province of Albay (; ; Baybayin, ᜎᜎᜏᜒᜄᜈ᜔ ᜈᜅ᜔ ᜀᜎ᜔ᜊᜌ᜔), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Bicol Region of the Philippines, mostly on the southeastern part of the isla ...
. His family left Bicol because of the militarization under the Marcos dictatorship
At 7:15 p.m. on September 23, 1972, President Ferdinand Marcos announced on television that he had placed the Philippines under martial law, stating he had done so in response to the "communist threat" posed by the newly founded Communist Party ...
. He left high school and worked at age 16 at a carton factory. In 1992, he worked as a bus conductor
A bus conductor (also referred to as a conductor or clippie) is a person (other than the driver) responsible for collecting fares from bus passengers and issues tickets to passengers. Bus conductors may also be responsible for helping passenger ...
for Pasvil-Pascual Liner Incorporated. This is where he joined the workers union PASVIL/Pascual Liner Inc. Workers Union – NAFLU – KMU.
Activism
As member of the PASVIL/Pascual Liner Inc. Workers Union – NAFLU – KMU, Adonis joined the labor strike in 1995 to demand better working conditions from the management. They were protesting against the exploitation and exhaustion of workers, with co-workers felling ill and dying.
Adonis became a full-time labor organizer of KMU in 2002 and was elected as its secretary-general at its 11th Congress in 2015 and reelected in 2018 at its 12th Congress. During the labor center's 13th Congress in 2025, he was subsequently elected as its national chairperson, replacing Elmer Labog who had served in his capacity since 2003. He was also elected as second deputy secretary of the International League of Peoples' Struggle
The International League of Peoples' Struggle (ILPS) is an international organization that seeks to coordinate anti-imperialist and democratic movements around the world. Communist Party of the Philippines founding chairman José María Sison org ...
in early 2024. He also represented the Philippines during the International Trade Union Confederation World Congresses in 2018 and 2022.
As a labor organizer, he has continuously pushed for livable wages, advocating for 1,200 National Minimum Wage as of 2024.
2025 Senate bid
He was announced asMakabayan Coalition
Makabayang Koalisyon ng Mamamayan () or simply Makabayan is a coalition of twelve party-lists in the House of Representatives of the Philippines. It was founded on April 16, 2009. The founding assembly was held at the Bahay ng mga Alumni, UP Dil ...
's third senatorial bet on August 2, 2024, during a meeting of a labor union in Cabuyao
Cabuyao (), officially the City of Cabuyao (), is a component city in the province of Laguna, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 355,330 people.
It used to be known as the "richest municipality in the Philipp ...
, Laguna.
Adonis along with 10 other Makabayan Senatorial bets would file their Certificates of Candidacy (COC) on October 4, 2024.
Adonis would lose the 2025 Senate election and would place 49th with 779,868 votes.
See also
*Bong Labog
Elmer "Ka Bong" Calagui Labog (born August 3, 1955) is a trade union and labor activist from the Philippines who was the national chairperson of Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU), the largest trade union in the country from 2003 to 2025. He was also the ...
References