Personal Information

Birthdate: January 21, 1965

Age on election day: 60 years old

Birthplace: Sultan sa Barongis, Maguindanao del Sur

Residence: Barangay Poblacion, Loreto, Agusan del Sur

Civil status: married

Spouse: Melba C. Matula

Profession/occupation (as stated in COC): labor lawyer

Other info:

Children:

• Ignatius Matthew 
• Theresa Isabel

Education

• Elementary: Loreto Central Elementary School
• High School: Agusan National High School, Butuan City
• Tertiary: Bachelor of Arts, Mindanao State University (1987)
• Law: Manuel L. Quezon University School of Law (1997)
• Units in Industrial Relations, University of the Philippines Diliman 

Career

• Executive assistant V (Chief of Staff) to the chairman, Social Security Commission (1994-1998)
• Executive director V (assistant secretary), Presidential Anti-Graft Commission (2001-2002)
• Commissioner, Social Security System (2006-2010)
• teaches Labor Law and Social Legislation, Manuel L. Quezon University-School of Law, the University of Manila-College of Law, University of Perpetual Help-College of Law
• Labor law reviewer, Manuel L. Quezon University, Villasis Law Center, Philippine Law School
• Lecturer in Mandatory Continuing Legal Education for Lawyers, UE Legal Center and PLS
• Former law lecturer in Constitutional Law, University of Perpetual Help-College of Law, Las Piñas City
• Worker’s delegate or adviser, Philippine tripartite delegation to the International Labor Conference, Geneva (2010-2023)
• National president, Federation of Free Workers-International Trade Union Confederation 
• Chairman, NAGKAISA Labor Coalition

Candidacy in the 2025 elections

Position sought: Senator

Party: Workers and Peasants Party (WPP)

Period of residence in the Philippines up to the day before May 12, 2025: 60 years 4 months

Registered voter of: Barangay Poblacion, Loreto, Agusan del Sur

Campaign platform (verbatim)

Taas-sahod tungo sa living wage (Dapat ang sahod, hindi lang pang-load!)

Wakasan ang endo at contractualization bilang proteksyon sa sa trabaho (Disenteng Trabaho!)

Palakasin ang karapatan sa pag-organisa ng unyon at collective bargaining ng manggagawang Pilipino (Dahil sama-sama, di matitinag!)

Paunlarin ang kanayunan, maliit na negosyo, at isulong ang agro-industrialization (Para may hanapbuhay, hindi lang pangarap!)

Dagdag na scholarship para sa mga anak ng manggagawa at magsasaka! (Para wala nang graduation na may kasamang “Sayang, kung nakapag-aral lang…”)


Election history

ELECTION YEAR	POSITION SOUGHT	PARTY	OUTCOME
2019	Senator	Workers and Peasants Party (WPP)	lost: ranked 50th and received 400,339 votes
2022	Senator	Independent*	lost: ranked 36th and received 2,692,565 votes

*Matula was chosen by former Vice President Leni Robredo as the 12th senatorial candidate of the Robredo-Pangilinan tandem in the 2022 elections.


Ikaw Na Ba? The Senatorial Interviews




Sources:

Personal Information
Sources: 2025 COC, 2019 bio

Education
Sources: candidate’s bio

Career
Sources: candidate’s bio, 2019 bio

Candidacy in the 2025 elections
Sources: 2025 COC, candidate’s platform

Election history
Sources: Comelec, news reports