By Joseph Bernard A. Marzan
Once aligned with Iloilo City’s ruling Treñas family, the Baronda sisters of Jaro are now navigating the political landscape on their own.
Incumbent lone district Representative Julienne “Jam-Jam” Baronda is seeking a third and final term, while her sister, Lady Julie Grace “Love-Love” Baronda, a former city councilor, is challenging Vice Mayor Jeffrey Ganzon.
Julienne began her political career as president of the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) Federation of Iloilo City in 1996.
She later became a city councilor before running for vice mayor in 2010 alongside then-outgoing Vice Mayor Jed Mabilog, but she lost to Jose Espinosa III.
For nearly a decade, she stepped away from city politics, serving as Chief Political Officer to Senator JV Ejercito from 2013 to 2018.
She also earned a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Guimaras State College (now Guimaras State University) in April 2019.
Her return to politics came in 2019, when she won Iloilo City’s lone congressional seat, defeating Councilor Joshua Alim and former Councilor Perla Zulueta.
Her first term was marked by controversial votes, including support for Republic Act No. 11479 (Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020) and the decision to deny ABS-CBN’s legislative franchise, which led to the network’s shutdown.
In 2022, she had a rematch with Espinosa, this time emerging victorious.
Being aligned with the majority coalition in Congress has earned her key positions, including Assistant Majority Leader in the 18th Congress and Deputy Majority Leader in the 19th Congress.
She currently serves on committees related to climate change, disaster resilience, housing, justice, overseas workers, public safety, senior citizens, and youth and sports development.
Lady Julie Grace, known as “Love,” served three consecutive terms as a city councilor.
Touting her family name and experience as a student leader, she consistently secured a seat in the Sangguniang Panglungsod, finishing second in 2013, third in 2016, and first in 2019.
She highlights her involvement in 1,196 city ordinances and her role as chairperson of committees on education, social services, information technology, and youth and sports development.
Politics runs deep in the Baronda family.
Their mother, Dr. Julie Baronda, previously served as a city councilor and is currently the barangay captain of Javellana, Jaro.
Their father, Dr. Urminico Baronda, formerly of the City Health Office, was elected to the city council in 2022.
But their political future took a dramatic turn in 2024. With one term left, Julienne found herself sidelined when Mayor Jerry Treñas endorsed his daughter, Raisa Treñas-Chu, for the congressional seat in March 2024.
A day before the endorsement, Love was removed as an executive assistant to the mayor, and their father, Urminico, lost his committee leadership roles in the city council.
Speculation of a Baronda-Treñas showdown intensified when Julienne switched parties from the National Unity Party (NUP) to Lakas-CMD.
However, tensions eased when Mayor Treñas announced he would not seek re-election and instead fielded Raisa as his successor.
Julienne and Raisa later issued a “unity statement,” confirming that they would not challenge each other in the congressional and mayoral races.
Julienne now faces two independent challengers, Carmelo Carreon and Danilo Purzuelo, in her re-election bid.
Meanwhile, Urminico Baronda has opted not to seek another term in the city council.
