Benjo Agarao

Joseph Kris Benjamin Baltazar Agarao (born October 11, 1981) also known as Benjo Agarao, is a Filipino businessman and politician. He is currently serving as Mayor of the Municipality of Santa Cruz, Province of Laguna, having won the majority of votes in the 2025 Midterm National and Local Elections.

Political career In 2010 election, Agarao ran for a seat in the Laguna Provincial Board for the 4th District. He ran as a candidate of the Liberal Party, Agarao won with 107,940 votes (or 31.48%) of the total votes counted. He served with Benedicto Mario Palacol Jr. of the Lakas–KAMPI.

In 2019, being term-limited, Agarao ran for mayor of the Santa Cruz, Laguna election, running under PDP–Laban. He lost to former Laguna's representative Edgar San Luis of the Nacionalista Party. Agarao garnered 23,547 votes against San Luis' 25,075 votes of San Luis.

Agarao returned into a private life as a businessman. He later ran for Board Member for the 2022 election under the National Unity Party and became the top-notcher (Senior Board Member) of the chamber. He garnered 186,326 votes, serving with Francis Joseph San Luis of Aksyon Demokratiko.

On April 6, 2024, Agarao joined the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas. In June 2024, Agarao confirmed that he will run for mayor of Santa Cruz for the upcoming 2025 elections.

Personal life Joseph Kris Benjamin Baltazar Agarao was born on October 11, 1979, in Santa Cruz, Laguna. Agarao is an Aglipayan.

Agarao is married to Ellaine Talleon; together they have four daughters.

Electoral history