Looking through the various results of senatorial elections in key Mindanao cities two realizations come to mind.

First is the unprecedented results of Senator Bong Go. Seeing the final Comelec results, never in the history of Philippine senatorial elections after World War II has a Mindanaoan placed first in this important race.

Note that during the Commonwealth period prior to the Second World War, Philippine Senators were elected by senatorial district, rather than at large. This is why I reference senatorial elections to have taken place after the Second World War when they were elected at large, meaning sxxdenators are elected by all voters.

All senatorial topnotchers were from Luzon, such as former Senate President Jovito Salonga who topped the 1965, 1971 and 1987 senatorial races. The only other notable senate election performance from Mindanao was that of Alejandro Almendras from Davao who placed second to Salonga in the 1965 election.

In the post EDSA senate prior to 2016, few Mindanaoans won Senate seats. Among them were Mamintal Tamano, Santanina Rasul, Nene Pimentel, Tito Guingona, TG Guingona, Miguel Zubiri and Koko Pimentel. The only candidate to top the Senate race who's not from Luzon was former Senator Franklin Drilon from Iloilo in 2016.

Before this, Senate races were dominated by Luzon and Manila candidates whose constant mainstream media presence gave them a head start among the electorate even before the campaign period commenced. Prospective candidates from the regions, whose exposures were limited to the areas they operate, were less likely to gain national exposure. That was until social media came along that allowed them to gain a wider prominence or cultivate a formidable following.

The second point is — it is clear that led by Senators Go and De la Rosa, many senatorial candidates in the group of the “Duterten” were included because of strong support from many areas in Mindanao. When we look at the last two Presidential elections, Mindanao threw its support behind winning presidential candidates in a big way. It looks like a more consolidated Mindanao vote has risen. This will make the 2028 elections more interesting.

Now that the elections are over, we look to the future of Philippine elections and governance , I foresee future political leaders will be more savvy online, moving from cutesy posting and witty videos to things like explainer videos and online town halls, where they will start making their case for governance, focusing more on public concerns and issues and perhaps engaging their constituencies more frequently than their predecessors.

Let me tell you why I think this way. Since social media has become persistent in our daily accessible menu of communication, we all know that social or online media content cannot persist or be sustained by entertainment, emotional virality and celebrity presence alone. I believe people, regardless of background, will demand more substance and can click back on past initiatives to compare outcomes with current efforts. Mere entertainment has limits.

Moreover, since social media allows people to participate and comment, feedback on governance is given quickly and requires that the concerns raised be addressed. Thus, officials who have more depth, knowledge and experience in governance will likely be more able to engage their constituents.