Who Is Terry Ridon?
Terry Ridon is not the kind of politician who stumbled into public life by accident. From the moment he stepped onto the University of the Philippines campus as a freshman, the path he would walk was being quietly carved out — one rally, one speech, one legislation at a time. Today, he stands as one of the most recognizable names in Philippine progressive politics, a man who has worn the hats of student leader, congressman, government executive, media broadcaster, think tank founder, and lawyer, sometimes all at once.
His story is a study in how conviction, when combined with education and strategic thinking, can turn a young man from Quezon City into a figure capable of shaping national conversations about infrastructure, poverty, and public accountability.
Terry Ridon’s Early Life and Family Background
Terry Lacuanan Ridon was born on January 14, 1986, in Quezon City, one of the most densely populated cities in Metro Manila. Growing up in that urban environment gave him an early and unfiltered view of the contrasts that define Philippine society — gated subdivisions existing a few streets away from communities where families struggle for clean water and decent housing.
That proximity to inequality was not lost on the young Ridon. His family, while not politically active in the formal sense, was politically conscious. His father had a habit of staying up late watching political talk shows, and the young Terry would sit beside him, absorbing debates about trade policy, oil deregulation, and governance — words he did not fully understand yet but that planted seeds that would eventually grow into lifelong commitments.
Education: From University of the Philippines to Harvard
He completed his elementary and secondary schooling before earning admission to the University of the Philippines Manila, a move that would decisively shape everything that came after. At UP Manila, Ridon pursued a Bachelor of Arts in Development Studies, a course that trained him to look at poverty, inequality, and social systems through a rigorous academic lens. He graduated in 2006.
He did not stop there. He enrolled in the University of the Philippines College of Law, one of the most prestigious law schools in the country, and completed his Juris Doctor degree in 2011, the same year he passed the Philippine Bar examinations.
Years later, in 2020, he added an international credential to his portfolio by completing the General Management Program at Harvard Business School, a non-degree executive leadership program designed for senior executives. He also pursued public policy studies at the Harvard Kennedy School, giving him exposure to global frameworks for governance and development that he would later apply in his think tank and congressional work.
Student Activism and the Road to Politics
It was during his undergraduate years that Ridon’s transformation from observer to participant took place. Joining mobilizations and engaging with progressive student organizations became a regular part of his university life. A turning point came in 2004, when farm workers at Hacienda Luisita were killed during a picket rally. That event hit Ridon deeply. He realized that occasional participation in rallies was not enough — that genuine change required organized, sustained commitment.
He walked into the office of the Student Christian Movement of the Philippines and effectively asked them to recruit him. It was a moment of self-awareness that defined his political character: purposeful, proactive, and grounded in specific, visible human suffering rather than abstract ideology.
Student Regent at the University of the Philippines
He rose quickly within student circles. Between 2007 and 2008, he served as Student Regent on the University of the Philippines Board of Regents, representing thousands of students across all UP campuses. It was a high-stakes position that required him to negotiate with university administrators, defend student interests on tuition and academic policy, and navigate the political dynamics of one of the country’s most prominent academic institutions. The experience taught him the mechanics of institutional decision-making and gave him a rehearsal space for the national stage he would later occupy.
National President of Kabataan Partylist
After leaving the UP Board of Regents, Ridon channelled his energy into the Kabataan Partylist, the only youth partylist in the Philippine House of Representatives. He served as National Campaign and Media Officer from 2008 to 2010 before being elected National President of Kabataan from 2010 to 2013. In that capacity, he built the organization’s public profile, sharpened its legislative agenda, and developed the kind of media and campaign instincts that would later serve him well both in Congress and on the radio. He became the public face of youth advocacy at a national level, speaking at rallies, engaging with media, and positioning Kabataan as a credible political force rather than simply a protest movement.
Terry Ridon as Kabataan Partylist Congressman (2013–2016)
In the 2013 midterm elections, Ridon was elected as the representative of Kabataan Partylist to the 16th Congress of the Philippines. He was 27 years old. His election was celebrated in progressive circles as proof that activism could translate into genuine political power.
Key Bills and Legislative Achievements
Inside Congress, he focused his legislative energy on education reform, youth empowerment, workers’ rights, and social justice. He authored and co-authored measures targeting these areas throughout his three-year term, consistently positioning himself as a voice for sectors that were frequently underrepresented in legislative deliberations. He served in that capacity until 2016, completing a term that solidified his credibility as a lawmaker who understood both policy and people.
Chairperson of the Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor (PCUP)
The next chapter of his career was unexpected to some observers. Shortly after his term in Congress ended, Ridon was appointed by President Rodrigo Duterte as the Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer of the Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor, a government body tasked with coordinating and implementing housing, basic services, and community development programs for informal settler families and low-income urban communities across the country. He assumed the position in August 2016 and oversaw an annual operating budget of five hundred million pesos while leading a team of more than two hundred employees.
Major Achievements Inside PCUP
Inside the commission, Ridon pursued a number of concrete outcomes that went largely underpublicized during his tenure. He championed a seventy percent reduction in water tariffs in one slum community, a change that directly improved the income conditions of approximately five hundred households by reducing one of their most significant household costs. Under his leadership, the commission secured unprecedented funding of over one billion pesos — approximately twenty-one million US dollars — from the Asian Development Bank for social inclusion activities, a deal that expanded the government’s capacity to serve urban poor communities at scale. He also worked to implement the administration’s pledge that no demolition of informal settler communities would take place without first providing relocation, a commitment that required constant negotiation with local government units and private developers.
The PCUP Dismissal Controversy
The controversy that ended his tenure at the PCUP arrived in December 2017, when Ridon and the other commissioners were dismissed by the Duterte administration. The official grounds cited were excessive foreign travel and failure to hold regular commission meetings. The dismissal was abrupt and drew significant public attention.
Ridon responded by maintaining that all international trips were official, duly authorized by Malacañang, and directly connected to his work building partnerships and securing support for PCUP programs — including engagements on poverty alleviation, climate adaptation, and housing advocacy at international forums. He argued that the commission’s meetings were held as required and that its work was progressing on track. The episode remained contested, with supporters viewing it as a politically motivated removal and critics treating it as a legitimate accountability action.
Terry Ridon’s Media Career: DZMM, Teleradyo, and Broadcasting
After leaving government, Ridon built a parallel career in media. He anchored news commentary programs on DZMM 630, one of the most listened-to AM radio stations in the Philippines, from 2018 to 2019, hosting programs that discussed governance, infrastructure, and public affairs.
He returned to broadcast work between 2023 and 2025, hosting the public affairs program ATM: Anong Take Mo? — which translates roughly to “What’s Your Take?” — on Teleradyo Serbisyo and DWPM. The program became a platform for discussing current events, policy debates, and social issues, and it reinforced Ridon’s ability to translate complex policy content into accessible public conversation. His media work also demonstrated a strategic understanding of how public figures maintain relevance between formal government appointments.
Founding InfraWatch PH: Infrastructure Watchdog Work
In 2018, Ridon founded InfraWatch PH, a public policy think tank dedicated to monitoring infrastructure development in the Philippines. The organization’s mandate covered a broad range of sectors — power, transport, telecommunications, digital infrastructure, housing, water, and natural resources — with a focus on ensuring that public works projects were implemented transparently, within budget, and according to proper procurement rules.
InfraWatch became a recognized institutional voice in debates about public spending, consistently filing official requests for information, publishing research reports, and issuing statements on high-profile infrastructure projects. Ridon led the organization from 2018 to 2025, building it into a credible platform for infrastructure governance advocacy. Concurrently, he maintained a private consultancy under the name Ridon, serving as principal and offering legal and policy advisory services to clients.
COVID-19 Advocacy and Policy Campaigns
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Ridon used the InfraWatch platform to advocate for stronger social protection measures. He submitted over fifty Social Amelioration Program appeals on behalf of families who had been incorrectly excluded from government pandemic assistance, compiling an objective sample that revealed systematic disqualification of eligible households by local officials applying criteria not sanctioned by national guidelines. He called for crisis subsidies, community quarantine centers, and reduced electricity rates, maintaining his role as a watchdog even in a public health emergency that moved the national conversation away from infrastructure.
Return to Congress: Bicol Saro Partylist (2025–Present)
In 2025, Ridon returned to formal electoral politics, running as a nominee under the Bicol Saro Partylist and winning a seat in the 20th Congress of the Philippines. The return was widely noted in political and media circles. His experience, his legal background, his think tank credentials, and his media profile made him a significant addition to the new Congress.
House Committee on Public Accounts Chairmanship
On July 30, 2025, he was elected Chairperson of the House Committee on Public Accounts, a powerful oversight committee tasked with examining and scrutinizing audit reports on all government agencies to determine compliance with approved programs and appropriations. The committee sits at the intersection of legislation and accountability — exactly the territory Ridon had spent years preparing to occupy.
Flood Control and Ghost Projects Investigations
In that role, he quickly became a central figure in high-profile congressional investigations into flood control projects and other infrastructure programs, probing allegations of ghost projects, improper fund releases, and anomalous procurement practices. These inquiries attracted national media attention and positioned him as one of Congress’s most active oversight legislators in the 20th Congress.
Ridon Law: Private Legal and Policy Consultancy
Alongside his think tank and congressional work, Ridon operates a private legal and policy consultancy under the name Ridon, where he serves as principal. His legal training has been a consistent thread running through every phase of his career — from the rights-based framing of his youth advocacy, to his rights-for-urban-poor agenda at the PCUP, to the procedural rigour of his congressional committee work. He holds active membership in the Integrated Bar of the Philippines and continues to offer advisory services across governance, infrastructure policy, and public law.
Terry Ridon’s Wife and Personal Life
Away from politics and policy, Ridon is married to Katrina Mae Guanzon Ridon, commonly known as Kitchie, who has been part of his life since his university years. The couple met during his time at UP Manila, and she stood alongside him through the early years of activism, the congressional terms, the PCUP controversy, and the years of think tank work. He maintains a relatively low-key private life, with a residence in Marikina City, and is known among colleagues and peers as someone who brings the same methodical, rights-based framing to his personal commitments that he applies to his public work.
Achievements and Public Legacy
Looking at the full arc of his career, several achievements stand out. He secured over a billion pesos in ADB funding for social inclusion as a government executive. He founded a think tank that became a trusted institutional voice on infrastructure governance. He returned to Congress after a controversial dismissal and immediately secured one of the most consequential oversight positions available. He built a successful broadcast career in between his terms in government. And he did all of this while maintaining a consistent public identity rooted in accountability, transparency, and the rights of marginalized communities.
Terry Ridon’s story is not yet complete. He is still in his first year of a new congressional term, leading inquiries that will likely shape public conversations about infrastructure spending, anti-corruption efforts, and legislative oversight for years to come. Whether supporters or critics, those watching Philippine politics closely understand that his presence in the House Committee on Public Accounts means that the scrutiny of public spending will remain sharp, public, and persistent.
Frequently Asked Questions About Terry Ridon
How old is Terry Ridon? Terry Ridon was born on January 14, 1986, making him 39 years old as of 2025.
Where is Terry Ridon from? He was born and raised in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines, and currently resides in Marikina City.
Who is Terry Ridon’s wife? Terry Ridon is married to Katrina Mae Guanzon Ridon, commonly known as Kitchie, whom he met during his university years at UP Manila.
What party does Terry Ridon represent? He currently represents the Bicol Saro Partylist in the 20th Congress of the Philippines, having previously represented the Kabataan Partylist in the 16th Congress.
Why was Terry Ridon dismissed from PCUP? The Duterte administration dismissed him in December 2017 citing excessive foreign travel and alleged failure to convene regular commission meetings. Ridon maintained that all trips were officially authorized and that the commission’s work was on track.
What is InfraWatch PH? InfraWatch PH is a public policy think tank founded by Terry Ridon in 2018, focused on monitoring infrastructure projects across power, transport, telecoms, housing, and water sectors, advocating for transparent procurement and accountable public spending.
What radio programs did Terry Ridon host? He anchored programs on DZMM 630 from 2018 to 2019, and hosted ATM: Anong Take Mo? on Teleradyo Serbisyo and DWPM from 2023 to 2025.
What is Terry Ridon’s educational background? He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Development Studies and a Juris Doctor from the University of the Philippines. He also completed the General Management Program at Harvard Business School in 2020 and studied public policy at the Harvard Kennedy School.
What committee does Terry Ridon chair in Congress? He serves as Chairperson of the House Committee on Public Accounts in the 20th Congress of the Philippines, overseeing audit and accountability of government agencies.
Is Terry Ridon a lawyer? Yes. He passed the Philippine Bar examinations in 2011 and is a member of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, operating a private legal and policy consultancy called Ridon.