MILAN, Italy — Former Finance Undersecretary and University of the Philippines economist Cielo Magno has officially announced her bid for a Senate seat in the upcoming 2028 national elections.
Magno revealed her political plans during a forum with members of the Filipino community in Italy, responding directly to an inquiry from the audience.
”Yes, po, I’m running for senator in 2028,”
Prior to her venture into national politics, Magno served as the Department of Finance undersecretary for the fiscal policy and monitoring group for over a year. However, her tenure came to an abrupt end in September 2023 when she was ousted by Malacañang.
Her departure followed an implicit critique of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s Executive Order No. 39, which imposed a controversial price ceiling on rice amid soaring market costs.
At the time, Magno shared a basic supply-and-demand graph on her social media account accompanied by the caption “I miss teaching,” indirectly challenging the administration’s price controls—a policy supported by her immediate superior then, Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno.
Reflecting on her departure from the bureaucracy, Magno previously emphasized the ethical obligation of public servants:
”It is our responsibility as civil servants to say if a policy is flawed. It’s very dangerous to just say ‘yes’ because we don’t want to offend the boss. Policies have real consequences on people’s lives. They have to be well thought out.”
With her upcoming senatorial run, Magno joins a rare group of economists seeking a legislative seat. The last prominent economist to pursue a Senate position was former television host and UP professor Winnie Monsod, who made an unsuccessful bid during the 2001 elections.