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Divina Grace Yu

Divina Grace Yu
Yu's official portrait during the 19th Congress
16th Governor of Zamboanga del Sur
Assumed office
June 30, 2025
Vice GovernorRoseller Ariosa
Preceded byVictor Yu
Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives
In office
December 7, 2020 – June 1, 2022
House SpeakerLord Allan Velasco
Member of the Philippine House of Representatives from Zamboanga del Sur's First District
In office
June 30, 2016 – June 30, 2025
Preceded byVictor Yu
Succeeded byJoseph Kim Yu
Vice Mayor of Pagadian
In office
June 30, 2013 – June 30, 2016
MayorRomeo Pulmones
Preceded byRomeo Pulmones
Succeeded byErnesto Mondarte
First Lady of Zamboanga del Sur
In role
June 30, 2019 – June 30, 2025
GovernorVictor Yu
Preceded byAurora Cerilles
Succeeded byVictor Yu (as First Gentleman)
Personal details
Born
Divina Grace Cabardo

(1974-04-21) April 21, 1974 (age 51)
Pagadian, Zamboanga del Sur, Philippines
Political partyLakas-CMD (2023-present)
Other political
affiliations
PDP-Laban (2017-2023)
Liberal (2015-2017)[1]
NPC (2012-2015)
SpouseVictor Yu
Children3 (including Victoria)
Alma materSaint Columban College (BS)

Divina Grace Yu (born April 21, 1974; née Cabardo) is a Filipino politician who served as the representative of the first district of Zamboanga del Sur from 2016 to 2025. She previously served as city vice mayor of Pagadian.[2]

Early life

[edit]

Divina Grace Cabardo Yu was born in Pagadian, Philippines, on 21 April 1974,[3] as the youngest of six children of Eliseo and Jesusa Cabardo. She was educated at Balintawak Elementary School and Zamboanga del Sur National High School. She graduated from Saint Columban College with a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting in 1995.[4]

Political career

[edit]

In 2013, Yu made her run for vice mayor of Pagadian alongside Romeo "Tata" Pulmones under the Nationalist People's Coalition, defeating Romeo Vera Cruz of the Liberal Party.[5]

House of Representatives

[edit]

In the 17th Congress, Yu was the chairperson of the House Committee on the Welfare of Children. In the 18th Congress, she was one of the vice chairpersons of the House Committee on Accounts; one of the vice chairpersons of the Committee on Inter-Parliamentary Relations and Diplomacy; and sits in as member of the House Committees on Ecology, Appropriations, and Disaster Resilience. On July 10, 2020, along with 70 other members of Congress, Yu voted to reject the franchise renewal of ABS-CBN.[6] Since December 7, 2020, Yu serves as one of the House deputy speakers under the leadership of House Speaker Lord Allan Velasco.[7]

In December 2023, Yu left PDP-Laban to join the Lakas–CMD party.[8] On February 5, 2025, Yu was among the 95 Lakas–CMD members who voted to impeach vice president Sara Duterte.[9][10]

Electoral performance

[edit]
2016 Philippine House of Representatives election at Zamboanga del Sur's 1st District[11]
Party Candidate Votes %
NPC Divina Grace Yu 180,705 83.004
NUP Alex Acain 37,000 16.995
Total votes 217,705
2013 Pagadian City vice mayoralty election[5]
Party Candidate Votes %
NPC Divina Grace Yu 40,100 50.38
Liberal Romeo Vera Cruz 39,494 49.61
Total votes 79,594 100

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Cepeda, Mara (10 May 2017). "PDP-Laban welcomes 5 more ex-LP lawmakers". Rappler. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
  2. ^ Salomon, James Anjjo (May 16, 2013). "NPC sweeps LP in Zamboanga del Sur". Rappler. Retrieved November 27, 2021.
  3. ^ "Certificate of Candidacy for Provincial Governor" (PDF). Commission on Elections.
  4. ^ "Department of Labor and Employment". Commission on Elections. 13 October 2013. Archived from the original on 27 November 2021.
  5. ^ a b Salomon, James Anjjo (May 15, 2013). "NPC's Pulmones grabs Pagadian mayoral post". Rappler. Archived from the original on December 1, 2021. Retrieved December 1, 2021.
  6. ^ Perez-Rubio, Bella (July 10, 2020). "List of lawmakers who voted for and against ABS-CBN franchise renewal". Philstar.com. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
  7. ^ Gonzales, Cathrine (December 7, 2020). "9 more Velasco allies become deputy speakers". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  8. ^ Cruz, Maricel (December 13, 2023). "More PDP-Laban lawmakers bolt party, join Lakas-CMD". Manila Standard. Philippine Manila Standard Publishing, Inc. Retrieved February 6, 2025.
  9. ^ Flores, Dominique Nicole (February 5, 2025). "Who are the 215 House endorsers of VP Sara Duterte's impeachment?". The Philippine Star. Manila, Philippines. Retrieved February 6, 2025.
  10. ^ Cervantes, Filane Mikee (February 6, 2025). "25 more lawmakers want to join as complainants vs. VP Sara". Manila: News and Information Bureau, Presidential Communications Office. Philippine News Agency. Retrieved February 7, 2025.
  11. ^ "2016 Philippine Elections: Local Results". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Archived from the original on 13 August 2019.
House of Representatives of the Philippines
Preceded by Member of the House of Representatives from the 1st legislative district of Zamboanga del Sur
2016-Present
Incumbent
Political offices
Preceded by
Romeo Pulmones
Vice Mayor of Pagadian
2013-2016
Succeeded by
Ernesto Mondarte