Philippine midterm elections reveal surprising voter shifts
In the aftermath of the recent Philippine midterm elections, we can all feel a palpable current of excitement – on timelines, in newsrooms, even around dinner tables. There is relief, even joy, in the air. For many voters, it feels like the beginning of something different. The election results have been counted, the proclamations made, and yet the sense of political momentum continues to stir hope.
It would be difficult to dismiss what just happened as “just another election.” It was, to some of our KasamBuhays and Filipino voters, a watershed moment – not only because of the surprise election wins and dramatic upsets but because it revealed the stirrings of a more politically aware and assertive electorate.
Indeed, there are stories to celebrate. But there are also cautionary political tales that remind us: while this might be a new chapter, the book of Philippine politics remains a complex, often frustrating narrative. One where democratic progress is not always linear, and victories are often double-edged.
The pulse of the people is changing
This 2025 Philippine election cycle revealed a striking shift in voter behavior. While traditional power players continued to enjoy support in certain areas, it was equally clear that voters – particularly the youth voters and first-time voters in the Philippines – were willing to break away from old loyalties in favor of candidates who presented fresh political ideas, a history of principled leadership, or simply, a more tapat brand of governance reform.
This electoral shift in voter behavior made itself felt in their active political participation in the polls. The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) chairperson himself, George Garcia, attributed the record-high midterm elections turnout to the participation of the younger generation.
“Youth vote is a really big factor for the turnout. In our initial assessment, the Filipino youth really turned out in droves. They really wanted their voice heard. I believe youth vote matters in Philippine democracy,” said Garcia.
At both national and local election levels, several political dynasties in the Philippines were unseated — a feat previously thought improbable in their strongholds. This development has stirred cautious optimism. For the first time in many years, it felt like certain voters were thinking beyond famous surnames in politics and patronage. The outcome sent a message: credentials, character, and clarity of political vision can matter more than sheer name recall in elections.
The so-called momentum from past reformist electoral campaigns, driven largely by grassroots political movements, digital activism in the Philippines, and citizen volunteers, seems to have found continuity, if not full realization, in these recent midterm election results. This evolution speaks volumes of a Filipino electorate that is slowly but surely learning to interrogate its choices.
Still, old habits die hard: Shifting political power
But as we zoom out to take in the broader picture, the sobering reality sets in: entrenched political dynasties continue to dominate the Philippine political landscape. For every story of an incumbent unseated, there is another tale of a dynastic successor rising. In some towns, cousins faced off. In others, power simply shifted from one family member to another – from father to daughter, from spouse to sibling, from one branch of a tree to another twig of the same lineage.
The party-list system in the Philippines, as we discussed in a previous column, was originally conceived as a platform to elevate marginalized and underrepresented sectors into policymaking. But it has now, likewise, been co-opted in many instances. A closer look at its top contenders shows that several winning groups are neither sectoral representatives nor marginalized sectors in the truest sense.
Instead, they serve as backdoor political entries for established political families to consolidate influence. The idealistic spirit of the party-list mechanism remains under siege, even as a few groups manage to uphold its original vision.
We are reminded, then, that while the Filipino electorate is evolving, the electoral system has a way of adapting too – often in ways that preserve entrenched political power rather than challenge it.
Our democracy, always under construction
Despite these lingering flaws, it would be unjust to ignore the significance of what just happened. Philippine elections, at their best, are both a mirror and a map: they show us who we are and point us toward who we want to become.
In this 2025 election cycle in the Philippines, the mirror showed a people willing to experiment with political change, and the map laid out potential paths toward democratic reform – even if it is winding, uneven, and steep.
We are not there yet; I think we can all agree on that. Not in the kind of good governance we dream of for our children, not in the government transparency we demand, nor the political accountability we deserve.
But something important has been set in motion. Filipino citizens are no longer merely reacting, but they are participating in democratic processes, questioning public officials, organizing local movements, and remembering. That kind of civic engagement is hard to bottle once it has been uncorked.
I invite you then to mark this moment for what it is: not a culmination, but a commencement. A series of first steps in Philippine political reform, from many different starting points. We move forward now, aware that true transformation in governance is not achieved in a single election, but over many – through vigilance, political awareness, and persistence.
KasamBuhays, there is still much to undo. But also, much to build. And slowly, surely, we are beginning to build a better Philippines through citizen participation and electoral engagement.
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