It looks like one of my birthday wishes came true last Monday (My birthday wishes May 10, 2025). Well, at least, it did partially. It refers to the wish for a well-informed citizenry that recognizes a good public official when it sees one, and that boots out the corrupt and the incompetent out of government.

The recent election saw two opposition senatorial candidates (Bam Aquino and Kiko Pangilinan) land in the top six of the winning circle. As the campaign manager and vice-presidential candidate of Leni Robredo, their electoral success is proof that the Pink Movement is alive and well. Though it didn’t have the tremendous energy and visibility that the 2022 Kakampink rallies had, it made up with the solid showing. In addition, the Akbayan party list topped the rankings with almost 2.8 million votes, which assured it of getting three seats in the House of Representatives. Chel Diokno is the first nominee of Akbayan, and he was in the senatorial slate of Leni as well.

But in the same election, some of the usual suspects were also elected to the Senate. They shall remain nameless but I’m sure you know who I mean. It is a mix of the remnants of the previous regime, dynasts and celebrities.

It is a mixed bag indeed. In local government elections, we saw the reelection of Vico Sotto as Pasig City mayor, Joy Belmonte as Quezon City mayor (congratulations, village mate!) and Leni Robredo as Naga City mayor. All had landslide victories with their full slates elected. A few more progressives also succeeded in their bids and some dynasties were toppled in several provinces. In the same light, many more dynasts were elected to continue their dominion over their fiefdoms.

If we are to believe the pundits who analyzed the election results, it is due to the active involvement of millennials and Gen Z’ers in the electoral process. These two make up 60 percent of the voting population, and they made good use of their voting rights to ensure their choices were installed in the Senate and Congress.

Back in 2022, many of them were very active in the Kakampink movement though some were still not of voting age. They gave energy, wit and drive to the massive rallies unlike any seen before in the country. Driven by volunteerism, they campaigned ferociously even in door-to-door sorties. Now, some have come of age and made their voices known in the ballot box.

What makes them different from the usual “bobotantes” who are often blamed for electing the incompetents and the corrupt? GenZ’ers and millennials are digital natives who don’t easily fall for misinformation or disinformation, since they can and do fact-check, unlike my fellow baby boomers (1946-1964) and Gen X’ers (1965-1980) who often fall prey to online deception, since they can’t navigate well on social media and the internet.

As more and more Gen Z’ers become voters, and our older generations decline in numbers due to deaths, the momentum in the democratic exercise of voting will go to the younger generations.

Not only are they voting more actively, the younger generations are now becoming politically active and running for elective positions. They are challenging their elders directly and we will see more and more GenZ’ers in elective positions, where they can do more for the country.

I may sound too optimistic since I view the younger ones as idealistic. Certainly, some of them will go to the dark side, influenced by their elders, while some may have been victims of intellectual stunting and not know the difference between the good, the bad and the ugly. So, it is imperative that we ramp up our efforts to give our babies and young children the best nutrition and education possible to avoid this scenario.

When we went to the polling precinct last Monday, it was with no expectation that the results will be different from 2019 and 2022. We voted a full slate for the senate who we thought would make good lawmakers and not disgrace and embarrass themselves in the august chamber. But only two managed to win. I believe many on our side of the political fence chose to vote only for one or two candidates to give them the best chances of winning, hence, the failure of the other deserving candidates to win.

In 2028, let us campaign for a full slate of candidates and vote solid based on lessons learned from this and past elections. Let the youth voice be heard loudly and clearly, for the future is theirs.

Dr. Jose Rizal is correct in that the youth are the hope of the country. The 2025 elections are a watershed moment for the future of the Philippines. It was a glimmer of hope. Ang liwanag sa dilim.