Demographic sweet spot

Demographic sweet spot | Daily Tribune

When the final tally is over, a blissful realization shall emerge of an improved vote quality, with the traditional scourge of dynastic and patronage politics significantly reduced.

The local and congressional polls proved particularly startling, as many political monoliths crumbled to make way for those who offer a fresh vision for the communities they will serve.

The Senate race, critical for shaping policies on education and labor, saw a near-even split between Marcos and Duterte allies, with independents gaining ground.

A huge factor in the changing complexion of Philippine politics is the emergence of young and idealistic voters who dominated the polls.

The median age of the country’s population, about 24 years, is among the youngest in the world, which economists rave is a factor for the strong growth momentum despite the challenges of divisive local politics and the conflicts in some parts of the world.

Southeast Asia, China and India are considered engines of global prosperity, which places the Philippines in an ideal situation since it does not have to contend with the lack of labor that is the problem of some of its fast-developing neighbors.

Demography manifested its other benefits in the midterm elections, where quality votes from a technologically savvy youth supplied a new brand of leaders.

A large proportion of the population is of working age, 15 to 64, with relatively fewer dependents. This creates the opportunity for increased productivity, savings, and investment, which are the ingredients of economic development if accompanied by effective policies.

The decisive youth vote signals a potential for future elections to focus more on issues if voter education improves.

Over 68.4 million registered voters participated in the recent exercise, with 1.3 million overseas voters, a 2.6 million increase from 2022.

This high engagement suggests a strong democratic participation, a prerequisite for an intelligent vote.

In the voter mix, based on official records, were Millennials at 34.15 percent and Gen Zs at 28.79 percent, for a total of 63 percent of the voting-age population, on top of the 20 percent new voters.

Women comprised 51 percent of the electorate. The composition of those who cast their ballots is critical to the polls’ results, as women were well-represented, indicating a potential for informed voting on policies focused on youth and gender.

Demographic dividends are expected to last until around 2040 to 2050. During this period, the working-age population will peak, offering a chance for accelerated economic growth.

Reflected in the votes cast were those candidates who gave priority to jobs creation, education and skills training, reducing poverty and inequality, and promoting governance integrity.

Fresh voters constituted a significant bloc of about 20 percent which could have been the factor for the huge surprises in the outcome, particularly for the national seats.

Reform-minded candidates who campaigned on grassroots and progressive platforms, pointed to voter support for leaders associated with social equity.

Many of the Senate race winners outperformed pre-election polls, suggesting that voters made deliberate choices based on track records rather than just name recognition.

The victors were predominantly those who conducted strategic campaigns notwithstanding their strong voter appeal.

While the scourge of traditional politics — where positions are chattels of political families and popularity rules leading to the domination of celebrities, all contributing to the failure of governance — the recent shift in votes makes the nation hopeful.

With a little luck, personality-oriented politics will give way to a fresh viewpoint where performance, governance skills, and genuine compassion with action become the rule.