In last week’s column, I delved into the reality that the Mindanao vote has risen and consolidated, and how the 2025 elections are a watershed moment for this section of the Philippine electorate. This will inspire many researchers and pundits to analyze the factors that made this happen over the last 15 years and the six election cycles. I would encourage them to do so.

Knowing this, just how large is this voting bloc? The Mindanews website featured a breakdown of the 16,410,827 Mindanao voter population, as follows: the Davao Region with 3,376,470 voters, the Zamboanga Peninsula with 2,869,368, Northern Mindanao with 3,179,252, and BARMM with 2,378,828. The CARAGA region has 1,904,917 voters while SOCSKSARGEN has 2,701,992 voters. This is roughly a fourth of the total of 68.4 million Filipino voters. In the 2028 and future elections, these numbers may rise. How these numbers affect future national elections will make for an interesting discussion.

Beyond these voter numbers, the rise of the Mindanao vote can build a political constituency that can put forward Mindanao’s concerns and aspirations even after this and future elections. That said, such a constituency is not limited to Mindanao residents.

They include millions in Luzon and the Visayas, trace their roots from Mindanao, having migrated to these places for opportunity, bringing families with them. Many drive taxis and jeeps, work in the city’s business establishments. Many of them care about Mindanao’s interests despite residing in other places.

The Mindanao constituency’s strength will not be limited to political contests, but can carry sentiments and engage broader policy discussions about the island’s future, particularly its economic potentials for peace and development, and how the growth of its regions can impact Philippine GDP.

Beyond Mindanaoans and Mindanao residents, an even broader set of influence is held by those in the national and global community without roots in the island who believe that Mindanao’s capability as a food basket, cultural capital, a manufacturing hub and a talent center. Social media has brought the world to Mindanao’s tourist and cultural attractions, city streets, religious sites, eateries and restaurants, and museums and parks.

Moreover, this rise also mirrors the ascent of Mindanao’s business and socio-cultural constituencies. Since 2016 a host of foreign permanent and honorary consulates from various countries have been established in Mindanao, and foreign chambers of commerce have opened chapters. These entities have created direct linkages between the island's businesses, schools, cultural groups, civil society organizations, and the rest of the world.

That said, Mindanao’s influence is rising in a growing number of areas. Those of you from Mindanao living in Metro Manila and the rest of the world, and those who have visited Mindanao, understand the island’s potential and how this needs to be harnessed fully. Apart from the numbers, it also stems from perspectives drawn from Mindanao’s history, culture, diversity, resource base, tourism attractions, proximity to ASEAN, and its people, makes it a unique economy within the country, telling a special story of resilience, being, becoming, and overcoming challenges and bias. These perspectives can weigh in on discussions in helping deliver the inclusive economic growth needed to address the country’s challenges and bring the country to higher levels of development.

Moving forward, I expect this broader Mindanao constituency will make itself heard to tell the island’s compelling story in the coming years.