#PilipinasDebates2016 top trending hashtag on Twitter in 2016

Social networking site Twitter on Tuesday released the top hashtag trends so far this year, topped by the #PilipinasDebates2016 ahead of the national elections in May.

"Hashtags related to sports, politics, and entertainment clearly dominated the popular Twitter hashtag trends in the Philippines, and the national elections led the Hashtag Trends of the year with nearly five million tweets in total sent for all the debates," Twitter said.

The first of the three-part debate kicked off in Cagayan de Oro in February, organized by the Commission on Elections in cooperation with GMA Network and the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

According to ratings service provider Nielsen Phils. TAM, GMA's live coverage of "PiliPinas Debates 2016" at the Capitol University in Cagayan de Oro City from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on February 21 was a ratings success, posting an overnight household rating of 24.8 percent nationwide in National Urban Television Audience Measurement (NUTAM).

Rounding up the top three hashtags for the year are the #KCA or Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards, and #Election2016.

Other hashtag trends on Twitter for the year also include #AlDubWedding, #WalangPasok, #NBAFinals, #PrayforDavao, and #R3peatTheGloryAteneo.

"Hashtags are the anchors of any solid conversation; they enable users to discover what others are talking about for an issue they care about," Twitter said. —Jon Viktor D. Cabuenas/JST, GMA News