DUMPER PTDA Party-list Representative Claudine Bautista-Lim (House of Representatives website)
Now on her second term, Claudine Diana Bautista-Lim serves as representative of the Drivers United for Mass Progress and Equal Rights – Philippines Taxi Drivers Association (DUMPER PTDA) Partylist in the 19th Congress.
The DUMPER Partylist represents not only the public transportation sector but also the commuters. It is a political organization that advocates for drivers’ welfare and protection, earning its first seat in the House of Representatives in 2019, according to the group’s official Facebook page.
Among its many initiatives are the back-to-school free rides in parts of Davao City for students Monday to Friday until Sept. 22; feeding programs for tricycle drivers and commuters — the most recent was conducted last June 13 in Malita, Davao Occidental; and free eye checkup.
As the DUMPER Partylist’s head, Lim supported the Magna Carta for Public Transportation Drivers Bill to become law, which would “institutionalize insurance and subsidies for drivers in the public transport sector,” the organization’s social media page said.
Lim was born on Dec. 2, 1985. She is the eldest daughter of Davao Occidental Governor Claude Bautista.
The 36-year-old representative completed her secondary education at the Ateneo de Davao High School and finished a degree in Hospitality Management at the L’Institut de Hautes Etudes Glion in Glion, Switzerland, in 2005. She also earned a degree in Entrepreneurship at the Ateneo de Davao University in 2013.
Lim is married to Jose French “Tracker” Lim. They have a daughter named Cat, according to their social media page.
Prior to becoming a member of the House of Representatives, Lim was the Sangguniang Kabataan Federation president at the age of 15, which jumpstarted her public service career. In 2017, she became the provincial head of Davao Occidental’s Women’s Council.
Lim was a volunteer under Habitat for Humanity and helped rebuild homes of typhoon-hit locals in 2011. After which, she became the Davao and Caraga Region ambassador.
During her first term, Lim was one of the authors of House Bill (HB) 2482 or the act that recognized May 8 as the Public Transportation Drivers’ Day; and HB 4163 or the Public Safety Act of 2019, among others.
Lim’s official Facebook page revealed that she currently serves as the vice chairperson of the House committee on appropriation, transportation, flagship programs and projects, and foreign affairs. She is also a member of the House committee on energy, games and amusement, legislative franchise, national defense and security, public order and safety, and creative industries.