15/09/2025
๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ข๐ ๐ || ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ธ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป๐: ๐ฌ๐ผ๐๐๐ต ๐ฃ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ป๐ฑ๐ ๐๐๐ป๐ฎ๐๐๐ถ๐ฐ ๐ฅ๐๐น๐ฒ
โHindi habang buhay ay nasa kanila ang kapangyarihan, dahil ang tunay na lakas at kapangyarihan ay nasa kamay ng bawat mamamayan.โ These words from a young voter in San Pablo capture the renewed spirit of democracy in the 2025 midterm election, where decades of dynastic rule began to crack under the weight of peopleโs will.
For years, Filipinos questioned whether democracyโgovernment of the people, by the people, and for the peopleโstill lived in a nation long dominated by political families. World Democracy Day reminds us that democracy must not remain a slogan but a lived reality, and the recent elections proved it can be reclaimed when citizens, especially the youth, dare to use their voice.
๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ธ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป๐ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐ก๐๐บ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐
What gave the youth such power in this election was not just their passion but their sheer numbers. According to the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) data, 60.5% of the total registered voters for 2025 midterm polls were Millennials and Gen Zโa boost from the 56% of the total registered voters in the 2022 elections. With more youth voters entering the scene, the cycle is now slowly breaking. They became the game changersโhaving numbers at their advantage and bringing wise voting onto the table.
Rhiella Dae Ebuenga, a 4th year Bachelor of Secondary Education major in Social Studies in Laguna State Polytechnic University-San Pablo City Campus, expressed that youthโs awareness played a vital role in this democratic transformation.
โFor me, kaya ngayon lang nire-reject ang political dynasty at bakit ngayon lang bumoboto ng bago ay dahil unti-unti na silang namumulat sa pamamahala ng mga dating nakaupo,โ she said.
This is a testament to how young minds and voices can be a pebble that ripples change on the stagnant cycle that these political dynasties bring.
๐๐ฟ๐๐บ๐ฏ๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐บ๐ฝ๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐
The empires of these dynasties had spread across the country for so long, and San Pablo City, Laguna was not spared from their grasp. For at least 30 years, the city had been under the ruling of former Mayor Vicente Belen Amante. However, with a huge number of youth entering the scene, the city is now at its turning point. The leadership of newly-elected mayor, Najie Gapangada now takes center stage. The youth took risks by electing someone new, hoping for change. This move became one of the catalysts to turn empires into rubble.
Beyond San Pablo City, other areas in the country have experienced this shift. Fully established dynasties were disrupted even at the provincial level. In four provincesโCebu, Catanduanes, Laguna, and Marinduqueโvoters elected non-dynastic candidates, breaking decades-long political familiesโ hold. Even well-known names at the congressional level, such as Villar, failed to retain their congressional seats. These election results represent a significant pushback, indicating that voters are starting to demand alternatives and accountability.
๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐น๐ฎ๐ถ๐บ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐ฝ๐ถ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ฒ๐บ๐ผ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐
At its heart, democracy is not just about casting votes but about living with a sense of agency and responsibility. For the youth, democracy means more than freedomโit means accountability and the chance to shape the future.
โAng demokrasya ay ang kalayaan ng bawat isa; ngunit nararapat na pangalagaan, ingatan, at gamitin sa tama ang kalayaang tinatamasa,โ Ebuenga explained. Her definition speaks of democracy as a gift, but one that must be nurtured and safeguarded.
Neil Zendrix Marabe, a youth leader from San Pablo City gave his own take: "Democracy is truly powerful because it gives me the freedom to make choices that shape not only my life, but also the lives of those around me.โ The act of voting is a profound way of proving that every voice matters, a principle that the 2025 midterm elections strongly reaffirmed.
๐๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฝ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ป
The 2025 midterm elections may not have ended political dynasties altogether, but they marked the beginning of a long journey. From San Pabloโs rejection of a dynasty that ruled for at least 30 years to provincial upsets across the country, the youth proved that when citizens act, democracy works.
Still, challenges remain. Dynasties continue to dominate local governments, and meaningful reform will take more than one election cycle. It will demand vigilance, education, and continuous participation from Filipinos of all generations.
Marabe leaves a reminder: โPower should never be inherited, it should be earned through genuine service. Letโs choose leaders who truly work for the people, who listen, who show up, and who put service above themselves. At the end of the day, our voices and votes matter.โ
We should be reminded that dynasties fall when people believe they can. In 2025, the youth believedโand they proved it. This World Democracy Day, the message is clear: democracy is not just an idea to celebrate once a year. It is a practice, a responsibility, and above all, a voiceโone that the next generation must continue to protect.
The question now is not whether youth can change democracy, but whether they will continue to shape it, and the answers rest in the ballots of tomorrow.
Written by Daniel Tiquis & ChristianTrinidad
Layout By Fer Paolo Aspa
๐ท Photo Courtesy: Hari Balam
