The 2025 Philippine General Election was a campaign unfolding on two fronts: While candidates went around the country on campaign trails, a significant and equally intense effort was simultaneously underway online. A mix of satire, outrage, and hope converged in real-time through the 245,000 election-related posts, which had a potential reach of 5.9 billion.
With more than 29 million engagement actions during this campaign period from April 15 to May 14, 2025, online feeds played a role in the election that was as significant as that of in-person rallies.
Comedy-fueled Conversation
The most visible content during the election period was satirical: Humorous posts associated with the #Bonggos hashtag reached over 12 million. These posts were characterised by memes and comedic formats that revolved around current Philippine Senator Bong Go. Although many of these posts were intended for laughs, the attention highlights how any kind of publicity can drive visibility; as a whole, he led all senatorial candidates with a total of 19,784 posts about himself.
Humor, in this case, served as a way for Philippine social media users to express their personal views. These come in many shapes and forms: sometimes extremely critical, and other times light-hearted, but consistently influential in extending reach and driving engagement.
On the other hand, there was also a more traditional political discourse that revolved around the potential return of ex-President Rodrigo Duterte, Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s presidency, and concerns about electoral integrity, all of which generated significant online chatter. This mix of satirical and serious conversation characterises the way Filipinos engage with politics across digital platforms.
When Voting Went Viral
Beyond all the heated debates, funny memes, and trending topics, the general election period marked a moment where the Philippines’ younger social media demographic rallied together with a shared message. Filipinos encouraged each other across social media to be informed about the candidates, understand relevant issues, and simply to vote. Top hashtags like #Halalan2025, #yourvoice2025, and #bilangpilipino2025 served as rallying cries for people to come together and make a difference.
Advocacy organisations, everyday citizens, and even some of the candidates themselves did their best to make the process feel less intimidating and more empowering. These keyphrases constantly reminded people that a little bit of effort to vote can go a long way and translate into tangible real-world impact. In a system where people typically feel that a single vote doesn’t make a difference, the viral nature of these hashtags helped turn participation into something people believe could be powerful.
The Digital Campaign Trail: From the Streets to the Feeds
Once dominated by traditional forms of advertising, such as print ads and broadcast media, today’s political battles in the Philippines are increasingly won through news feeds. During the election period, social media penetration continues to drive high-impact engagement, especially towards the country’s highly active online population. Political posts surged across platforms such as X, Facebook, and Reddit, with some candidates turning to TikTok to tap into viral trends that connect with and relate to younger voters.
Engagement that Matters
Using Meltwater’s social intelligence platform, we were able to map how candidate visibility online closely aligned with voter behaviour. The results speak for themselves: those who dominated engagement, measured by post volume, reach, and interactions, were the same names that secured Senate seats in the 2025 election.
A distinct pattern can be seen in the bubble chart, which plots candidates according to Engagement Actions versus Estimated Reach: Bam Aquino, Bong Go, Imee Marcos, and Kiko Pangilinan were the front-runners on social media. Each of them secured a seat through their online platforms, demonstrating that their online momentum could be an indicator of actual results rather than just noise.
Our data reveal that corruption, education, and public safety were the most discussed issues during the recent Philippine General Election. Not only were they trending buzzwords for this campaign period, but they also defined the discourse of the top-performing candidates.
Bam Aquino’s strong showing in the polls, which even he admitted was unexpected, is one of the clearest examples of how social media engagement can align with real-world results. He credits much of his popularity to youth voters, which makes sense given that millennials and Gen Z are the most active demographics on Philippine social media.
His alignment with anti-corruption reform and education, two of the most talked-about issues during the campaign season, helped drive his visibility. His online presence grew steadily, whether it was through natural discussions or issue-based content. As his candidate-leading 3.96 million engagement actions increased across platforms, so did his momentum heading into Election Day.
In addition to gauging popularity, Meltwater’s social listening platform allows you to learn where audiences are active and which narratives are going viral.
From Visibility to Votes
The 2025 Philippine General Election underscored the growing significance of internet engagement and demonstrated the potential for social media to influence public opinion. Those that showed up where it mattered, aligned with the key issues, and engaged in the relevant conversations were the ones who came out on top.
Online chatter, whether in the form of a meme, a hashtag, or a trending topic, sparked curiosity and helped mobilize a generation of voters. When analyzed, this engagement can reveal patterns and insights that may help to gauge public sentiment and inform public strategy. This analysis is not just a message for politicians, but for anyone trying to connect with an audience. The same insights that may help shape election outcomes can guide brands, institutions, and communicators to know when to act, where to engage, and how to make their message resonate.
In a fast-moving digital landscape, real-time social intelligence is not just helpful. It is a valuable tool for gaining an edge. Because, as this election showed, social media is a critical arena for shaping narratives and gaining support, though it is not the only factor that determines the final outcome.
Want to uncover similar insights for your industry or next campaign? Contact us today to learn more about Meltwater's social intelligence solutions.
