LULA AND RISA 🇧🇷🇵🇭✊ Lula’s first presidential victory in Brazil in 2002, on his fourth attempt, inspired us as we launched Risa Hontiveros’ senatorial bid in 2010. We closely studied the victory of our sister party, the Partido dos Trabalhadores (PT), and even sent a study group to learn from their experience. That victory taught us a powerful lesson. Electoral defeats are not the end of the road. Despite Risa’s losses in the 2010 and 2013 senatorial elections, we refused to give up. Inspired by Lula’s journey, we kept pushing against the ceiling until we finally broke through. In 2016, Risa Hontiveros finally won a Senate seat. In 2022, she was re-elected, becoming the only candidate from the democratic opposition to win a Senate seat. And in 2025, Akbayan made history by garnering the highest number of votes ever received in Philippine partylist elections. Today, the world celebrates Lula’s fourth presidential election victory, a remarkable come-from-behind triumph that reminds us that setbacks need not be the end of our story. With perseverance, conviction, and the courage to rise after every defeat, even the steepest setbacks can become stepping stones to victory. Lula’s victory taught us that lasting electoral victories are built on the power of working people, strong and enduring political parties, the willingness to learn and unlearn, and the courage to persevere alongside the people even when the odds are stacked against us.