OF TREES AND FOREST

In the past, I have frequently discussed how a good manager needs to be sensitive to changes in the business environment whether it be political, social or demographic. 
The same is true in politics. 

Politicians and public servants need to be responsive to shifts in voters’ preference or public sentiment. In other words, while the phrase “interest of the Filipino people” is a common, generic slogan used by politicians, what it means changes over time, even over generations. 

One of the most common shifts in society and politics have to do with demography. When consumers or voters, for instance, become decidedly younger strategies and policies need to adjust. A case in point is the Filipino electorate. I read a study prepared by GMA Integrated News Research, which stated that based on data from the Commission on Elections (Comelec) the total number of registered voters stands at 69,673,655 (as of January 2025). 

What was interesting in the GMA research was the breakdown of voters by generation. 

Generations are typically classified according to the year they were born. For instance, those referred to as Gen Z are people born from 1997 to 2012, who would be between the ages of 13-28 in 2025. The millennials are those born between 1981 and 1996 making them 29 to 44 years old today. The so-called Gen X were born between 1965 and 1980; they are now between 45-60 years old. The “baby boomers,” unique American classification recognized by the US census, were born between 1946 to 1964. The newest generation is Gen Alpha or those that are about 12 years old now.

Why are we focusing on generational classifications? 

The idea is that each generation exhibit measurable attitudes, behavior and opinions about certain issues as a reaction to, and as developed by, certain formative experiences. And so it is important to note here that studies of generations need to be properly contextualized. The Gen X of the US or Europe are entirely different from the Gen X of the Philippines. But the idea remains the same. People who experienced the war for example would have a different attitude about going to war in the present time compared to someone who has not experienced war. 

At least, that is what the theory tells us.

Going back to the Comelec data, the GMA research team noted that of the almost 70 million voters, 68 percent of those registered to vote are Millennials (25.9 million) and Gen Z (21.8 million) voters. The rest are as follows: 17.6 million are Gen X and 10.5 million are from the Baby Boomer and Silent Generations. This follows a trend during the 2022 national elections in which millennials were the biggest voting bloc at 16.7 million. But there is a significant increase in Gen Z voters from 13.1 million to 21.8 million.

What do these all mean for the 2025 national and local midterm elections? For one, it means that two young generations. Millennials and Gen Z — with a collective power of about 48 million votes, aged between 18 to 44 are about to take charge of our country managing firms, making up most of the work force, and maybe, leading the country.
It also means that the campaign teams of candidates for the 2025 elections need to recalibrate their approach to voters. In the past, we classify voters according to region or provinces, maybe even socio-economic standings, and strategize accordingly. 

Today, it would be a mistake to ignore the Millennials and the Gen Z voters. It would also mean that campaign teams need to tailor some of their platforms to suit the needs of the Millennial and Gen Z voters. What does “interest of the people” mean for these generations? A candidate might promise heaven and earth to voters but what do these specific voters really want? Campaign teams need to also understand the language of the Millennials and the Gen Z voters so they can craft a messaging strategy that will connect to them.

But beyond these campaign issues the bigger and most important aspect of this demographic shift is the fact that a new generation of leaders are now about to take over. I remember my daughter Camille telling me about the fact that in AllValue, one of the companies that she successfully managed, nine out of 10 people is under the age of 35 and that 95 percent of our supervisors are Millennials. So they are not about to take over, they have taken over.

They are the same people who are now demanding that their voices be heard, that they be represented in government and policymaking. 

The 2025 elections will determine whether that will happen sooner rather than later.

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