nominated him as their presidential candidate for 2022. When Pacquiao filed his candidacy on October 1, he declared PROMDI as his party, but asserted that he was not abandoning the leadership dispute of PDP-Laban. Pacquiao's running mate, House Deputy Speaker Lito Atienza of Buhay party-list, also filed his candidacy under PROMDI. Name and symbols Promdi is a Filipino slang referring to people from the provinces or rural areas. It is derived from the accented pronunciation of "from the province" and it used to be a derogatory term for Filipinos living outside Metro Manila, who were stereotyped as unsophisticated or socially awkward. Political positions In June 2021, PROMDI declared three major platforms: "the devolution of power and initiative, a responsive and relevant educational system, and advanced and tactical nuclearization". The party calls for devolution "to ensure that decisions are made closer to the local people, communities and business they affect". They criticize the unitary system of government based in Imperial Manila as "highly bureaucratic, inefficient, and unresponsive", accusing it of neglecting the provinces. They also want to reform the education system to be "responsive to the needs and wants" of localities. As such, the imposition of national academic standards and assessments should be reviewed. They encourage vocational education and call for the defunding of for-profit education. They also push for the transition to renewable energy. Lastly, they call for the acquisition of nuclear weapons as deterrence, since the Philippines is a "small nation" that must defend itself from "advances by superpowers". Organization and structure PROMDI claims to have 3 million members nationwide as of June 2021. Party leadership As of September 26, 2021 (Osmeña & Pacquiao); June 4, 2021 (other officers) Sources: Party presidents Lito Osmeña (1997–2021) Mimo Osmeña (2021–present) Electoral performance Presidential elections Vice presidential elections Senate elections House of Representatives elections Notes References Bibliography Regionalist parties in the Philippines Politics of Cebu