Dy dynasty dominates Isabela for decades

Editor’s note: This is part of a Rappler series on Filipino families that have held political power for generations. The series traces how they built their influence, where it is strongest, and how it has endured over time. Each profile examines family ties, political networks, business interests, and roles in local and national government.

When Faustino “Bojie” Dy III assumed the speakership of the House of Representatives, the national spotlight shone on him — and on the deep political roots of his family back home.

The Dy dynasty’s rule over Isabela province began with patriarch Faustino Dy Sr. in the 1960s. He started his political career as a local councilor before becoming the mayor of Cauayan.

By 1971, the clan’s hold on the provincial capitol was established when he was elected governor for the first time. He occupied the top seat for 18 years, with a brief gap term in between, making him the longest-serving governor of Isabela to date.

The power was later passed down to his sons. Benjamin Dy served as governor from 1992 to 2001, followed by Faustino Dy Jr. from 2001 to 2004.

Another son, Faustino “Bojie” Dy III, stepped into the governorship in 2010, holding the post until reaching his term limit in 2019.

Rather than exiting the capitol, Bojie slid down to vice governor in the 2019 elections. He served until 2025 before taking over the seat of his son, Faustino “Inno” Dy V, as the representative of Isabela’s 6th District.

Currently, the Dy political dynasty simultaneously holds nine key positions across local and national fronts, according to the Congressional Policy and Budget Research Department.

At the national level, Bojie Dy leads as House Speaker, anchoring a three-member family bloc in the 20th Congress that commands half of the province’s six legislative districts. Joining him are his nephews Faustino Michael Carlos “Mike” Dy III and Ian Paul Dy, representing Isabela’s 5th and 3rd District, respectively.

In the local scene, the dynasty maintains a multi-generational grip on provincial and municipal seats. In the provincial government, Bojie’s son Francis Faustino “Kiko” Dy, a former Echague mayor, serves as vice governor, while Bojie’s nephew, Manuel Faustino “King” Dy, sits on the provincial board.

Across Isabela’s towns, four other family members head key local executive and legislative offices:

• Faustino “Inno” Dy V (son of Bojie, former 6th district representative) serves as mayor of Echague
• Faustino “Dondon” Dy IV (son of Bojie) serves as the mayor of San Manuel
• Caesar “Jaycee” Dy Jr. (nephew of Bojie) serves as the mayor of Cauayan City
• Benjamin “Benjie” Dy III (nephew of Bojie) serves as the vice mayor of Cauayan City

This broad consolidation of authority was built on strategic alignments first forged by their patriarch Faustino Dy Sr., who closely aligned himself with the late dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos during and after the Martial Law years.

This historical Dy-Marcos alignment endures today, with Bojie now steering the clan’s national ties.

In the 2022 presidential elections, Bojie endorsed now-President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., helping deliver a decisive landslide victory across Isabela against the latter’s political rivals.

Expanding the power web

Beyond national ties, the Dys have also fortified their reign through their pacts with other local political powerhouses in their home province.

The Dy dynasty is closely tied to the Albano clan. The two families have been jointly governing Isabela for decades, maintaining continuous control and frequently rotating roles in major provincial and congressional seats.

While the Dys have kept the governorship to themselves for decades, term-limited Bojie’s transition to vice governor in 2019 allowed the Albanos to take the helm at the capitol. Since then, a Dy has yet to return to the provincial government’s top seat.

Yet far from marking a decline in influence, this strategic co-governance has only cemented the dual dominance of both families over Isabela’s political landscape.

Another political powerhouse firmly within the Dy network is the Tan clan of Santiago City. 

In 2021, Bojie’s son, Inno Dy, married Alyssa Sheena Tan, who currently leads Santiago City as mayor.

Through this alliance, the Dys extended their influence in Congress through Sheena’s brother, Joseph Tan, who represents Isabela’s 4th District.

Challenging the giant

With formidable backing from both local and national allies, challenging the Dys has proven to be a near-impossible task. Their electoral track record remains almost spotless, recording successive victories at the polls.

The Dys’ monopoly over the provincial capitol was cracked only twice in recent history, when former broadcast journalist and Ramon Magsaysay Awardee Grace Padaca snapped the clan’s long-ruling leadership in the 2004 and 2007 gubernatorial races.

Padaca’s political trajectory began in 2001 with a controversial run against Bojie Dy for Isabela’s 3rd District congressional seat. After initially trailing by 1,285 votes, Padaca contested the results before the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal (HRET), citing alleged dagdag-bawas (vote-padding and shaving) operations in the municipality of Angadanan. 

Following a lengthy process, the tribunal ultimately ruled in favor of Dy by a razor-thin margin of just 48 votes, largely after invalidating ballots simply marked as “Grace”.

Padaca redeemed herself in the 2004 elections by defeating then-incumbent governor Faustino Dy Jr., officially snapping the family’s governorship streak. 

In a 2004 interview, she said that public outrage over alleged manipulation in 2001 and a growing desire to “free themselves from the claws of a dynasty” were critical factors in her victory. 

She went on to secure a second term in 2007 against Benjamin Dy.

Her victories, however, proved to be a temporary pause rather than an end to the dynasty’s reign. 

Padaca’s bid for a third term in 2010 was thwarted when Bojie Dy reclaimed the governorship for the family. 

She mounted another challenge in 2019 by running for vice governor, initially aligning with Napoleon “Pol” Dy, who had a rift with his brother, then-governor Bojie. 

But when the brothers reconciled, Pol withdrew his gubernatorial bid, leaving Padaca without a running mate. She ultimately lost the race to Bojie Dy.

Since then, the Dy clan’s grip has only tightened, developing into a multi-generational takeover of the country’s second-largest province. 

In recent elections, their candidates faced virtually no opposition in key races, with Bojie, Ian Paul, and Mike sweeping congressional seats while Kiko secured the vice governorship.

Controlling the narrative

Strategic alliances are only part of the equation behind the Dys’ enduring dominance. According to a social science instructor at a local Isabela university, “dyadic clientelism” plays a central role in how voters engage with the clan.

“Iyong mga politicians, they provide ayuda, goods, and services na need ng mga tao. Dahil dito mas nagiging reliant [sila] sa concept ng patronage system sa Pilipinas,” the instructor said, referencing Julio G. Teehankee’s Patronage Democracy in the Philippines: Clans, Clients, and Competition in Local Elections.

(Politicians provide aid, goods, and services that people need. Because of this, [people] become more reliant on the concept of the patronage system in the Philippines.)

“Halimbawa na lang iyong scholarship na nakapangalan sa kanila. Tinatawag kasi itong BRO-Ed Scholarship. Branding kumbaga. (Take for instance the scholarship program carrying their name. It’s called the BRO-Ed Scholarship. It is a matter of branding.)”

“BRO-Ed” stands for Bojie-Rodito Opportunities for Education, named after House Speaker Bojie Dy and Governor Rodolfo “Rodito” Albano III, a direct reflection of their political partnership.

During the 2022 elections, The LaSallian reported that local program coordinators allegedly pressured Isabela government scholars to support the Marcos Jr.-Duterte campaign. 

The Isabela Provincial Scholarship Program, said in a statement that the post was a “mere invitation” with no intention of coercing student-scholars.

With extensive political machinery and public resources at their disposal, the instructor emphasized that the Dys effectively exercise “control of the narrative” in Isabela.

“If you control the narrative, you decide what people focus on, what seems important, and what [should be] ignored,” they explained.

For JM Dela Cruz*, a political science student and an Isabela native, breaking this hold remains a monumental challenge unless an opposing force emerges with equal resources.

“They have built such popularity and reputation in the province. Hindi birong banggain ang ganyang kalaking pamilya. (It’s no joke to take on a family that huge.) It would take someone with the same great influence and machinery to match them in the elections,” Dela Cruz said.

Back in 2004, Padaca commented on the extent of the family’s influence: “Dumating na sa punto sa Isabela, kahit aso ang patakbuhin ng mga Dy ay mananalo kasi ganun sila ka-powerful.”

(It got to the point in Isabela where even if the Dys let a dog run for a government position, it would still win because they’re that powerful.)

Two decades later, that assessment continues to define the political landscape of Isabela. – Rappler.com

*Not their real names