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Wilbert T. Lee

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In this Philippine name, the middle name or maternal family name is Te and the surname or paternal family name is Lee.

Wilbert T. Lee
Official portait, 2023
Member of the House of Representatives for AGRI Partylist
Incumbent
Assumed office
June 30, 2022
Personal details
Born
Wilbert Te Lee

(1970-10-12) October 12, 1970 (age 54)
Manila, Philippines
Political partyAksyon Demokratiko (2024–present)
AGRI (Party-list) (2021–present)
SpouseDelphine Gan
Alma materUniversity of Santo Tomas (BSBA)
OccupationPolitician
Websitewww.facebook.com/CongressmanWilbertLee/

Wilbert "Manoy" Te Lee (born October 12, 1970) is a Filipino politician who is a member of the House of Representatives for AGRI Partylist since 2022.[1] He currently serves in Congress as the Representative of AGRI Party-list to champion the rights and welfare of farmers and fisherfolk, and advance the agriculture and other vulnerable sectors.

At present Cong. Lee sits on 24 Congressional Committees and is the principal author and author of more than 468 bills and resolutions. His landmark bills that were passed into law include Republic Act (RA) No. 11953 or the “New Agrarian Emancipation Act”, RA 11985 or the “Philippine Salt Industry Development Act” and RA 12022 or the “Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Act”, among others.

He was previously a businessman before being a politician.

Early life and education

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Wilbert Te Lee was born on October 12, 1970 in Manila, Philippines.[2] He is the son of Sorsogon-based businessman Lee King Yek.[3]

Lee is an alumnus of the University of Santo Tomas, graduating in 1991 with a bachelor's degree in business administration.[4][5]

Early career

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Lee's journey as a businessman began in 1965 when his father, Lee King Yek, first opened a Goodluck Store, a retail store, in Sorsogon.[3] Garnering knowledge from his father, Lee grew his father's business into the LKY Group of Companies, serving as its Chairman, which has interests in the retail, food, real estate and hospitality sectors. With over 3,000 employees in different provinces of the country, the LKY Group brings growth, employment and livelihood opportunities across multiple towns and cities nationwide.[6]

While expanding the LKY Group of Companies, Lee also established the LKY Foundation, which provides medical assistance to children fighting leukemia and other terminal illnesses. The Foundation also rescues abandoned cats and dogs.[3]

During his time as a businessman, Lee was awarded by the esteemed “Most Outstanding Sorsogueño Award in the field of Business and Industry” by the Provincial Government of Sorsogon in 1997. In 2006, Lee was awarded Bicol’s most prestigious “Halyao Award” for being voted the Bicolano Businessman of the Year by the Metro Naga Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Provincial Government of Camarines Sur. In 2011, Lee was also named a Rokyaw Ibalnong Awardee for Business and Industry during the Ibalong Festival. [7]

Political career

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House of Representatives

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In 2022, Lee ran as the representative for Agri-Agra na Reporma para sa Magsasaka ng Pilipinas Movement (AGRI Party-List) and won.

As the representative of AGRI Party-list, a farmers group formed in Davao, Lee champions the rights and welfare of farmers, fisherfolk, and the entire agriculture sector.[8]

At present Lee, sits on 24 Congressional Committees and is the principal author and author of more than 124 bills and resolutions.[1]

In his first year in Congress he principally authored the New Agrarian Emancipation Act, a law that frees more than 600,000 farmers from debt. He is also the author of House Bill No. 8278, or the Philippine Salt Industry Development Act, which is envisioned to generate thousands of new jobs in the agricultural sector.[9]

Lee also filed House Bill No. 9011, which seeks to build fishing shelters or ports at nine maritime spots within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone amidst worsening tensions with China.[10]

2025 senate bid

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Lee announced that he will run for senator in 2025 under Aksyon Demokratiko,[11] a party founded by another Bicolano Raul Roco.[12] In September 2024, Aksyon's party president Isko Moreno presided Lee's oath of party membership.[12] The Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) has noted Lee has spent ₱2.5 million from April 20 to July 18 to boost posts on Facebook. The PCIJ also concludes that his appearances in billboards and the GMA Network morning show Si Manoy ang Ninong Ko is part of his 2025 bid.[13]

Television

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Lee along with co-hosts Gelli de Belen, Patricia Tumulak, and Sherilyn Reyes-Tan has featured in the GMA Network public service morning show, Si Manoy ang Ninong Ko which premiered on March 3, 2024.[14] The show features the hosts learning about the struggles of two beneficiaries per episode.[15]

Personal life

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Lee has been married to former AGRI Party-List representative Delphine Gan Lee for over thirty years.[16] They have four children.

References

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  1. ^ a b "House of Representatives House Members". Retrieved November 1, 2023.
  2. ^ "Certificate of Candidacy for Senator - Lee, Wilbert Te" (PDF). Commission on Election. October 1, 2024. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
  3. ^ a b c "Brick by Brick, We are Building a Better World". LKY Group. LKY Group of Companies. Archived from the original on September 25, 2020. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
  4. ^ "KNOW THE PARTY-LIST REP: Wilbert T. Lee, AGRI partylist". Retrieved November 1, 2023.
  5. ^ "Agricultural workers still the lowest income receivers, lawmaker says". Retrieved November 1, 2023.
  6. ^ "About LKY". Retrieved November 1, 2023.
  7. ^ "WILBERT LEE OF SORSOGON IS ROKYAW IBALNONG AWARDEE". Retrieved November 1, 2023.
  8. ^ "About AGRI Party-List". Retrieved November 1, 2023.
  9. ^ "Proposed Philippine Salt Industry Development Act hurdles House". Retrieved November 1, 2023.
  10. ^ "Bill eyes shelters for Filipino fishermen in disputed waterway". Retrieved November 1, 2023.
  11. ^ Quismorio, Ellson (September 20, 2024). "Will Isko Moreno rub off on him? Congressman Lee bares Senate bid, joins Aksyon Demokratiko". Retrieved September 21, 2024.
  12. ^ a b "Isko leads oath-taking for Wilbert Lee as Aksyon Demokratiko member". metromanila.politiko.com.ph. September 23, 2024. Retrieved October 4, 2024.
  13. ^ Cahatol, Marilyn (July 22, 2024). "Who is Wilbert Lee? Party-list lawmaker is biggest spender on Facebook". Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
  14. ^ Alpad, Christina (March 2, 2024). "Celebrity hosts, Wilbert Lee team up for advocacy program". The Manila Times. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
  15. ^ "Gelli, Sherilyn, Patricia, Wilbert Lee sanib-pwersa sa 'Si Manoy ang Ninong Ko'". Bandera. Philippine Daily Inquirer. March 1, 2024. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
  16. ^ "Happy Mother's Day". Retrieved November 1, 2023.
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