TANGERE'S latest 2025 Pre-Election Party-List Preferential Survey showed EduAKsyon placing 46th, within striking distance of a seat in the House of Representatives.

With at least 45 party-list groups currently projected to clinch congressional representation, EduAKsyon is now just one rank shy of entering the legislative chamber — a significant leap for a relatively new political contender.

The survey, conducted from April 22 to 26 with 2,400 respondents nationwide, shows that EduAKsyon's message is resonating especially in regions where education is seen not just as a right, but as a pathway out of poverty.

The April 8–10 leg of the survey already hinted at this momentum, with EduAKsyon securing 0.7 percent of voter preference and ranking 51st. Now at 46th, it is gaining ground fast, as seven to eight in every 10 Filipinos polled listed education as one of their top advocacies when choosing a party-list group.

EduAKsyon is one of several rising party-list groups shaking up the traditional landscape. Of the 44 groups projected to win seats, nearly half are newcomers, indicating a significant appetite for fresh voices in Congress.

Leading the pack of new entrants is FPJ Panday Bayanihan, currently ranked 6th overall with 3.83 percent voter preference. Other notable contenders include Ang Bumbero ng Pilipinas (10th, 2.50 percent), United Senior Citizens (12th, 2.25 percent) and Tulfo para sa Turismo (18th, 1.75 percent). These groups, like EduAKsyon, have crafted focused platforms that resonate with specific public needs — whether it's senior welfare, tourism recovery or public safety.

Las Piñas City councilor and congressional candidate Mark Anthony Santos has endorsed the EduAKsyon Party-list, citing its platform to cut the standard four-year college curriculum down to three years — a move he says is long overdue to address inefficiencies in the Philippine education system.

Santos, a seven-term city councilor and former labor leader, said the current structure of higher education remains outdated and inaccessible for many Filipino students, especially those from working-class families who often cannot afford long years in college.

"The EduAKsyon Party is serious about reforms that actually matter," Santos said in an interview on Wednesday. "If we streamline the college curriculum to three years without compromising quality, we can save time, reduce expenses for families and get more young Filipinos into the workforce earlier."

The proposed three-year curriculum model, according to Santos and EduAKsyon's policy team, would involve a tighter integration of general education and major subjects, cutting redundant coursework and aligning instruction more directly with job-ready skills.

This reformist stance has attracted educators and youth groups disillusioned with what they describe as the "half-measures" of previous education-focused parties.

EduAKsyon seeks to reform the higher education curriculum by reducing redundancy in subjects covered by the K-12 system and implementing a "2+1" model, which consists of two years of classroom study followed by one year of on-the-job training. Another key proposal involves restructuring the Commission on Higher Education's role, shifting its focus to policy-setting rather than excessive regulation.

Internationalizing education is another major priority, with plans to foster stronger global partnerships to enhance the quality and competitiveness of Philippine education. EduAKsyon also advocates for expanding government support for private higher education institutions by increasing subsidies for lower-income students enrolling in private colleges and universities.

"If we want real change, we need to start where it matters most — education," Santos said. "This is not just about politics. This is about the future of our students."

Meanwhile, five party-lists are on track to secure two seats each. At the top is Tingog Party-List (1st, 5.75 percent), driven by robust support from the Visayas. It is closely followed by Ako Bicol (2nd, 5.50 percent), 4Ps (3rd, 5.00 percent), ACT-CIS (4th, 4.83 percent) and Duterte Youth (5th, 4.75 percent).

Incumbents still dominate the upper tier, with Agimat (7th), Alona (8th) and 1PACMAN (9th) rounding out the top 10. But the rise of new players like EduAKsyon signals a potential shift in the party-list system — long criticized for being co-opted by dynasties and political proxies.

Tangere, the independent research firm behind the survey, conducted the poll using a mobile-based application with stratified random sampling. The sample was spread proportionally across the country: 12 percent from the National Capital Region, 23 percent each from Northern and Southern Luzon, 20 percent from the Visayas and 23 percent from Mindanao. With a ±1.96 percent margin of error and 95 percent confidence level, the results offer a reliable snapshot of voter sentiments heading into the final stretch before the elections.